Nebraska advertiser., 1857-01-22
farnlers' Department.
From the Ohio Farmer.
INvENTIOKs-THEIR AUTHORSHIP
scH0NOR 10 WHOM HONOR BRLONes.U


heading, may think with themselves as
follows:-"It is of small consequence
to one who has the honor or profit of
inventions. I pay largely enough for
the privilege of using them, and / am
cheated often enough BY humbugs,
whoeverhas brought them out. Whether
the real inventor enjoys the benefit Of
his genius, or some rascal more adroit
than he, has flched from him the lau-
rels, and the gold which belong to him,
my liabilities and my advantages are
the same. If my Reaper works sOell,
l need not trouble myself with the
question, whether McCormick's is an
original invention, or only an imita-
ton of the machine invented a long
time ago, by Rev. Patrick Bell, in Scot
land, and honored with a premium of
$50, nearly thirty years ago. If my
Reaper works az, it win not help the
matter, to know that several men are
quarrelling about the ownership of the
original idea, which has taxed me a
round sum for nothing. l will try to
Judge of the implements themselves
as well as / can and leave inventors,
and the pirates, and the imitators, who
are plundering them, to settle their
difficulties as best they may" Such,
we say, may be the thoughts of some
of our intelligent readers.
Now, We are quite ready to admit
that. these considerations have much
force. It cannot be expected that
every farmer, who usesa patented i'm
plement, should be minutely informed
as to its history. This would be plainly
impracticable. Yet we cannot but
think that the soliloquy We have just
presented, involves some error. The
truth is, every farmer is concerned
more or less in the proper bestowment
of praise, and the proper distribution
Of pecuniary reward, for every falpa-
bic invention OF improvemant which
facilitates the processes Of lure,
He is concerned il these matters as
one Of thegreat public, who are to see
that "equal and exact justice" is done
to all men, and whose verdiets are, II
the long run, to correct the mistakes
and right the wrongs which have at
tended the introduction of almos
every improvement that has been mad
since inventive genius Slogan to toll TO
the comfort of man.
But the love of general justice is no
the only motive which should promp
wakeful interest in the proper be
Estowment of honors in these cases.
The farmers own peeuaiary advantag,
is much involved in the matter. 1t j
the farmer interest, that every ifYen
tor should be rewarded for his contri
buttons to the ease and drapidity of farm
j ing work. But every piece of success
full knavery, by which the honest in
Yentor is deprived of the fruit of hi
1 genius and his patient toll, operate
powerfully to discourage his efforts
and Of course to retard or arrest tina
noble order of endeayor, by which,th
boundary of human knowledge is ex
tended, and the empire of human ski
made more absolute and perfect. Ever
humbug which the farmer encourage
is premium offered to dishonesty
How many noble thought has die
,. unuttered! how many beautiful piee
of mechanism has been LETT unfinished
because their author has seen tha
pubficindiference, or public gullibility
would involve him in a hopeless struggl
J with pretenders and copyists, who, i
such a battle, would be almost sure I
] win! Thus, to-day, many a valuabl
) invention is probably lost to the worl
. for half a century to come, becaus
the intelligent men, who are directl
concerned, have been careless as to th
, proper distribution of praise and prof
But another reason why the farmt
e should study somewhat the history
Z Inventions, is, that he may thus sdi
T himself from imposition in the article
he is asked to buy. Many an impl
: ment has been tried in Great Britai
0 or on the Continent. Athrst, it seen
o ed to be a great thing; it would sa7
millions of money. After years
time, and the loss of immense sums,
7 was proved to be worthless, and ",
J thrown aside. But the people in tb
J country knew not Of its existence :
: They had net studied the history
its advent and its failure. Theirigno
J ance furnished fine opportunity
S the operations Of unprincipled mel
: These men paraded the exploded hui
bug as new invention Of vast momeI
= and Of wonderful economy. The b
: took; the hook was swallowed. y
! ignorance Of the masses made the
] the easy victims of knowing chaI-lata
[ ism. How natural all this--how
evitablel While the people contin
Ignorant, or indifferent to the histo
1t Of inventions, such iInpositions mu
Is more or less, be submitted to. Mo-
fro~horo h..-o,ft,-. -r ~