Herbert Carter's Legacy or, The Inventor's Son. by Horatio Alger - book 
1-4115-0007-5

PAPERBACK ILLUSTRATED Poor Herbert works hard to support his widowed mother and pay the mortgage until one of his father's inventions proves a success. Aka: George Cater's Legacy; or, The Inventor's Son. In the Luck and Pluck Series.


Herbert Carter lives with his widowed mother in Wrayburn, under the burden of a $750 mortgage on their home, held by Squire Leech, who is anxious to foreclose. The Carters can barely meet the interest payments.
Luckily, Mr. Cameron, a Yale student, hires the boy. Herbert's father, prior to his death, had invented a piece of machinery that he thought would be of value in the woolen mills. A model of this invention is given to Mr. Cameron's father to see if it has value. In the meantime, Herbert decides to go to New York City where he becomes a newsboy. Earning barely enough to pay his room and board, he must wait for news of the machinery assessment to ascertain the quality of his future.