Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-26
Inventors Of washington.

BY far the greater number and proportion of Inn
portant and profitable inventions come from manu-,
featuring countries and districts, for the reasons
that mechanical genius centres there, and such
places fruitful in necessities, wants, desid-
erata. To meet some necessity Is the aim Of the
true inventor and necessity is truly the mother Of
invention. He who invents without reference TO this
condition, nyents for the sake OF inventing, and Is
not true inventor, though he may be called
genius. In a community ike ours there Is
but little to stimulate the inventive faculties; yet
we have among us those who have been and those
who are destined to be conspicuous as inventors.
The first that occurs 10 us Is George Page, ma
chinist whose genius and enterprise are so famil-
lar to our citizens His improvement in the circu-
lar saw has established his reputation as an inven-
tor throughout the country. Prior to this inven-
ton, which is one Of extreme simplicity, the logs
were carried TO the saw-mill, but now the saw min
Is carried TO the logs and you may ride through the
timber forest and cut you 60. The value Of such
an invention, predicated upon the increased value
Of timber lands hitherto idle and next TO worthless
must be enormous.
Another of our inventors Ia DR.. w. p. McCon-
nell, dentist. He has taken out several patents,
but the GROWING effort ofhis genius and persever
ance Ia the making Of gas from wood. He COM
menced bis experiments upon this subject in ls48
or ls49, pursued them under great difficulties and
privation, and finally succeeded In obtaining bis
patent last year. Some time after DR. Mcconnell
had applied for letters patent, two German chem
lists entered an application for precisely the same
invention as that Of Mcconnell Upon trial Of
their respective claims priority Of invention was
awarded 10 Mcconnell, and it not little graf
flying to him to find his own views and suggestions
confirmed by two distinguished chemists from Ger
many. and also to learn through them that two
citiesin Germany are at present lighted with rood
gas. II may seem TO be little invention TO make
gas from wood, and, a scientific or chemical fact
or experiment, Il "a 80 bst in point Of practical
Importance the invention has already taken high
rank, and cannot fail to signalize Its author.
DR.. Mcconnell reasoned as follows:
"0ver large portion of our country, coal Is dear,
and pine wood Is cheap. Coal Is ezhausti5ie but
pine wood is inerhdnsfibls We cannot make coal,
but we can make pine Forest and in some places
in FIVE years and the pine leaves and green twigs
which are usually discarded fuel viii serve well
or better than solid timber to make gas TO light our
streets and dwellings; and IL we can make gas from
rood successfully we shall achieve great thing
This he has DONE and fortune awaits him. Some
parties already attempting TO evade his patent
but whoever makes wood gas must know the stern
fact sooner or later that "Dr. Mcconnell was the
first person who ever made wood gas for the pur-
pose Of illumination
Another Of our inventors, whose patented inn
provement promises richer harvest than either
Of the foregoing, Is Mr. J. r. Falconer, house
carpenter. This invention IL for coupling hose
and gas and water pipes. The cost Of coupling
or joining two ends Of gas pipes as they are now
laid in our streets is at present ffty-four cents,
and the result Is, that nine joints out of ten are
leaky after all the expense and trouble. Fscon-
ers joint IL not only tight, but can be made for
about four cents, thus saving fffy cents a joint.
As there are sir hundred and fifty such joints IN
a mile, the saving Is three hundred and twenty