I believe the first monetary value of $40,000 was a typo and should have been $400,000 as stated in the rest of the article.

So there were four "exasperating" issues that likely gave Flagler heartburn.

1.  The requirement to give American inventors another look for the first magazine rifle. Thus delaying the manufacture of the Krag Jorgensen rifle.

2.  Russell and Livermore going to court for $100,000 claiming patent infringements.

3.  The Army's old guard clinging onto the old Springfield single shot.

4.  Developing a recipe for the cartridges smokeless powder.

But he obviously plodded on.