MACKAY, George Eric, English poet, son of Charles Mackay (q.v.): b. London, 25 Jan. 1851; d. 2 June 1898. Among his works are '
McKAY, Gordon, American inventor and Manufacturer: h. Pittsfield, Mass., 1821; d. Newport, R. I., 19 Oct. 1903. He was the son of a cotton manufacturer, and at 12, on the death of his father, learned civil engineering, at which he worked for some time. Before he was 21 'he built a machine-shop in Pittsfield which employed 100 men, and later became treasurer and manager of the Lawrence Ma chine Company. He was the first successful inventor of machinery for making hoots and shoes; he perfected a shoe sewing-machine, in vented, but not made practicable, by L. R. Blake, of Abington, Mass.; afterward invented the heeler, lasting-machine, nailing-machine, etc., which came into general use; and by these in ventions revolutionized the boot and shoe indus try of the world. At the outbreak of the Civil
War he offered to make the shoes for the Union army; and within three years had leased his machines to more than 60 arms, and shortly be came a millionaire. In 1878 he formed the Mc Kay Sewing-Machine Association, a strict monopoly which exacted commissions on all shoes made in the United States by the aid of his inventions, and also• brought profit throw•, European royalties. In 1893 he placed $4,1 I 4, 000 in a trust fund for Harvard University. He made many other liberal donations for benevo lent and educational objects, and established near Kingston, R. I., the McKay Institute for the manual training of colored youth. By his will the greater part of his estate was left to Harvard.
MacKAY, Jessie, Australian poet and prose writer: b. Cambridge, New Zealand, 15 Dec. 1864. She combined teaching with literary work and has been a voluminous contributor to the Australian press, with the readers of which she is a favorite. Among her published works are 'The Spirit of the Rangatira and Other Ballads' (1810) ; and Sitter on the Rail and Other Poems' (1891).