
Sir Hiram Maxim’s Pipe of Peace - smacktoward
http://www.historicalfirearms.info/post/181285631684/historicalfirearms-sir-hiram-maxims-pipe-of
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code_duck
Great find. As a glassblower who has made a fair bit of pipes and vape
accessories, I definitely appreciate this… Other than that he used it for
cocaine. That does make him even more of a pioneer. Given the position of
cannabis in the pre–prohibition pharmacopoeia, I’d be surprised if these
devices were not employed for hemp and marijuana inhalation as well.

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makmanalp
I REALLY really recommend that you read "A Genius In The Family" by Hiram
Percy Maxim, his son. It's absolutely bonkers hilarious and a nice window into
the inventor himself, who apparently loved to cause a ruckus and a good laugh.

Gutenberg link:
[http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks09/0900131.txt](http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks09/0900131.txt)

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bryangreen
Random fact: Sir Hiram’s son Hiram P. Maxim went on to co-found the American
Radio Relay League, the national organization of Amateur Radio.

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8bitsrule
This Hiram Maxim ('Hiram Stevens'), i just learned, is _not_ to be confused
with 'Hiram Percy', co-founder of the American Radio League and inventor of
the 'Maxim silencer' for firearms.

(Phew had me going there for a second.)

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gweinberg
The silencer (and car muffler) inventor was the son of the machine gun
inventor.

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Koshkin
> _Pipe of Peace_

For some reason, at first I thought this must be about the Maxim machine gun.
It is considered by some the first true "weapon of mass destruction." The gun
was used extensively in the "war to end all wars."

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monochromatic
Same here, like the Colt Peacemaker or something.

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karcass
My ancestor!

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Stratoscope
Tell us more!

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karcass
The Maxims were Huguenots (French protestants) who fled the persecution of
Catholic King Louis XIV. Hiram's great-grandfather Samuel Maxim emigrated to
Massachusetts sometime around 1710. The spellings of the surname bounced
around a bit, some preferring Maxam, others Muxham, Moxom, and Maxham. I think
roughly half of the modern descendants live in Vermont.

Hiram, his brother Hudson, and son Hiram Percy were prolific inventors, mostly
in the field of armaments (sadly). Hiram was born in Maine but moved to
England and was later knighted.

I am not a direct descendant but am in the (fairly sparse) family tree under
Samuel.

More details here:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Maxim](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Maxim)

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RyJones
Prolific inventor indeed!

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ineedasername
a "maxim" inhaler? I'd rather an axiom inhaler. _in with the axioms, out with
the proofs_

