The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1859-06-16
American Genius and it's Uses--a list
Of Wonders.


American Genius and its Uses--a list
Of Wonders.
Among the thousands Of marvellous
inventions which American genius has
produced within the last few years, are
the following compiled in an abstract
from the Patent Office reports. Read
them over, and then say if you can that
"there is nothing new under the sum"
The report explains the principle of
the celebrated Hobbs lock. It's "unpick-
ability" depends upon a secondary or
false set Of tumblers, which prevent in
struments used in picking from reaching
the real ones. Moreover the lock is
powder proof, and may be loaded
through the key-hole and fred off uu-
I'll tho burglar is tired Of his fruitless
work, or fears that the report Of his ex-
plosions will bring to view his expert
ments more witnesses than he desires.
Doors and shutters have been paton-
ted that cannot be broken through with
either pick or sledge hammer. The bur
glars occupations gone"
A harpoon is described which makes
the whale kill himself The more he
pulls the line, the deeper goes the har-
poon.
An ioe-making machine has been pat
ented which is worked by a steam en-
gine. In an experimental trial, it froze
several bottles Of sherry and produced
blocks Of ice the size of a cubic foot
where the thermometer was up to eighty
degrees. 1t is calculated that for every
ton of coal put into the furnace it will
mako ton of ice.
From DR., Galo's examiners report we
gather some idea of the value of pa
tents. A man who had made a slight
improvement in straw-cutters, took
model Of his machine through the West
ern Statos, and after a tour of eight
months, returned with forty thousand
dollars Another had a machine to
threBh and clean grain, which, in fifteen
months, he sold for sixty thousand dol
lars. These are ordinary cases-while
such inventions as the telegraph, the
planning machine, and india rubber pat
ents, are worth millions each,
Examiner Lanes report describes new
electrical inventions. Among these is
an electrical whaling apparatus, by
which the whale is literally shocked to
death" Another is an electro magnet
ic alarm which rings bells aud displays
signals in case Of hre and burglars
Another is an electric clock, which
wakes you up, tells you what time it is,
and lights lamp for you at any hour
you please.
There is a "souud gatherer," sort
Of huge car trumpet, to be placed in
front Of a locomotive, bringing to the
engineers ear all the noiso ahead, per-
feetly distinct, Notwithstanding the rat
Gle Of the train.
There is an invention that picks up
pins from a confused heap, turns them
around with their heads up, and sticks
them in paper in regular rows.
Another goes through the whole pro-
cess Of oigar-making, taking in leaves
and turning out finished cigars.
One machine cuts cheese; another
scours knives and forks, another rocks
the cradle; and seven OF 'eight take in
washing and ironing.
There is a parlOr chair patented that
cannot be tipped back on two legs, and
arailway chair that can be tipped back
in any position without any legs at all
Another patent is for a machine that
counts passengers in an omnibus and
takes their fares. When very fat gen.
tleman gets in, it counts two and oharg'
os double.
There are q variety of guns patented
that load themselves; fishing line that
adjusts lis own bait and rat trap thai
throws away the rat, and then bats it.
self and stands in the corner for anoth-
er.
The truths Of the patent Office arc
stranger than fiction.
There is a machine, also, by which /.
man prints instead Of writes hi.
thoughts. It is played like o piano
forte. Aud speaking Of pianos, it Il
estimated that nine thousand are mad,
every year in the United States, giving
constant employment TO one thousanC
nine hundred persons, and costing ovei
two millions Of dollars