Thirteen Nine-patch Islands

James Murray Spangler was an asthmatic janitor in Ohio in 1908. He suspected his carpet sweeper exacerbated his condition, and set out to fix the problem. With an electric fan, a soap box and a broom handle he invented the vacuum cleaner. Spangler gave one to his cousin, Susan Troxel Hoover. Her husband William Henry bought Spangler out; or we might all be “Spanglering” our carpets today. My British friends call it “Hoovering,” though nearly everyone uses Dysons. Here’s why: in 1992, to sell surplus vacuums, the British Hoover company offered free European airfare to anyone spending £100 or more. The promotion worked so well they upped the ante with tickets to the U.S. Suddenly vacuums were flying off the shelves. Hoover had to shell out for pricey overseas trips and for overtime for factory workers. When they balked, the whole thing became a public relations nightmare and the market was flooded with unused second-hand Hoovers. Talk about being taken to the cleaners!