Wells, David Ames
journalist, inventor, author, was born June 17, 1828, in Springfield, Mass. He became an associate editor of the Springfield Republican; and while there invented a machine for folding books and newspapers. After the close of the civil war he was made chairman of a special commission created by congress to inquire into the resources of the country; was subsequently made a special commissioner of the revenue, which office he held four years. After leaving Washington he was appointed to revise the taxation laws of that state and made two important reports in 1872 and 1873. He is the author of Familiar Science; Science of Common Things; Our Merchant Marine; Primer of Tariff Reform; Practical Economics; Local Taxation; Robinson Crusoe's Money; Study of Mexico; Recent Economic Changes; Relation of the Tariff to Wages; Principles of Taxation; and Production and Distribution of Wealth.