"The little-known stories behind well-known inventions"

Inventor's name not synonymous with his many careers          By Paul Niemann

[OCT. 27, 2005]  This week's inventor lived a pretty interesting life. Gail, the oldest of seven kids, was born on a farm in New York in 1801.

His name is synonymous with an invention that your mom may have given you when you were growing up. If that clue doesn't give it away, then read on. But first, let's take a look at some of Gail's other accomplishments and some of the familiar people he met.

Gail had only 18 months of formal schooling, yet he taught for two years while still a teenager. It just so happens that he had more education than most other people at the time.

Gail was 28 when he moved to Texas to follow his brother, who was one of the state's original settlers. He started his own newspaper in 1835, a year before Mexican troops captured the Alamo.

But Gail's name is not synonymous with newspaper publishing.

He also worked as a surveyor, even helping lay out the site for the city of Houston.

But Gail's name is not synonymous with surveying.

Speaking of Houston, Gail worked in politics under Sam Houston. Yes, that Sam Houston, for whom the city is named.

But Gail's name is not synonymous with politics.

He got involved in mapmaking and would eventually produce the first topographical map of Texas.

But Gail's name is not synonymous with mapmaking. It is synonymous with his invention.

What, then, did Gail invent?

He invented a new machine that could travel on water and on land.

But Gail's name is not synonymous with machines that could travel on water and on land. In fact, this car was one of several inventions that Gail created. He also invented the meat biscuit.

But Gail's name is not synonymous with the meat biscuit, as the meat biscuit was a failure. Apparently people didn't like the taste of it. It did prepare him for his next invention, though.

This one had to do with milk. He set out to invent a way to keep milk fresh-tasting longer. His inspiration came from seeing immigrants in very bad condition on his way back from an overseas trip.

There's also a town in west Texas named after Gail. The town of Gail is a county seat with a population of only 202 people, located about 30 miles past the middle of nowhere. The town of Gail is in Borden County, which is also named after Gail. As in Gail Borden, who invented condensed milk in 1853.

And that is what Gail's name is synonymous with to this day, more than 150 years later.

[Paul Niemann]

Paul Niemann may be reached at [e-mail].

© Paul Niemann 2005