Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1859-12-08
A List Of Wonders.

Among the thousands Of marvellous inven
tions which American genius has produce,
within the last few years, are the following
compiled from the Patent Office Report:
| The report explains the principles Of the
celebrated Hobbs Lock Its "unpickabil
ty' depends upon secondary or false set Of
tumblcrs, which touches the real ones More
over, that lock is powder-proof, and may b,
loaded through the key hole an I fired off til
the burglar is tired Of his frutlcss work, o
fears that the explosions will bring to viep
his experiments more witnesses than he de
srcs
A harpoon is described which makes th
whale kill himself The more he pulls the
line, the deeper goes the harpoon.
| An ice-making machine has been patente
which is worked by steam engine. In an
experimental trial it froze several bottles o.
sherry and produced blocks Of ice the size o
a cubic foot, when the thermometer was ur
to eighty degrees. 1t is calculated that for
every ton of coal put into the furnace, it will
| make ton of ice.
From DR.. Dales examiner $ report we gath
er some idea of the value Of patents. A man
who had mado a slight Improvement in straw
the Western States, and after tour of eight
| months, returned with forty thousand dollars.
Another man had machine to thrash and
clean grain, which in fifteen months, he sold
for sixty thousand dollars. These are ordi-
nary cases-while such inventions as the tel
egraph, the planning machine and India rub
Der patents are worth millions each.
Examiner Lanes report describes new cleo
trti. al Al
cal whaling apparatus by which the whale is
literally shocked to death" Another is an
electromagnetic alarm, which rings bells and
displays signals in case Of fire and burglars.
Another is an electric clock, which wakes
you up, tells you what time il is and lights
lamp for you at any hour you please
There Is a "sound gatherer," sort Of huge
ear-trumpet, to be placed in front of loco
motive, bringing To the engineers ears all the
noise ahead, perfectly distinct, notwithstand-
the noise Of the train.
There is an invention that picks up pins
from confused heap, turns them around with
their heads up, and then sticks them in papers
III regular rows.
Another goes through the whole process of
cigar making taking in leaves and turning
out finished cigars.
One machine cuts cheese another one
scours the knives and forks; and another rocks
the cradle; and seven or eight take in wash
ing and ironing.
There is parlor chair patented that can
not be tipped back on two legs-and rail-
way chair that can be tipped back in any po-
sition without any legs at all
Another patent is for machine that counts
passengers in an omnibus and takes their fare
When very fat gentleman gets in, it counts
two and charges double
There are variety Of guns patented that
load themselves; fishing line that adjusts its
own bait and a rat trap which throws away
the rat, and then bats itself, and stands in the
corner for another
There is a machine also, by which a man
prints instead Of write bis thoughts. II is
played like piano forte And speaking of
pianos, it is estimated that nine thousand are
made every year in the United States, giving
constant employment 10 one thousand nine
hundred persons, and costing over two mil
lions Of dollars.