Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-02-26

From the Report !Of the Patent Office, the
Washington Cotton PIdRt complies . list Of
wonders:
The report explains the principle Of the
celebrated HObb lock. Its ''unpickability"
depends upon a secondary or false set Of tum-
blers which prevent instruments used in pick
ing from reaching the real ones. Moreover,
DO lock is powder proof and may be loaded
through the key-hole and fired Of until the
burglar is tired Of his fruitless work, or fears
that the report Of his explosions will bring to
view his experiments more witnesses than he
deeirea.'
Doors and shutters have also been patented
that cannot be broken through with either
pick Of sledge hammer. The burglars Occu-
pation's gone"
A harpoOn is described which makes the
whale Kill himself The more he pulls the
line, the deeper goes the harpOOn.
An ice-making machine has been patented
which ID worked BY steam engine. In an ex-
'peTimental trial, il froxe several bottles Of
sherry and produced blocks Of ice the size Of
. cubic foot, when the thermometer was up
cry ton Of coal put into the furnace it will
make ton Of ice.
From DR.. Gales examiners report we gath
q some idea of the value of patents A man
who had made slight improvement in straw
cutters, took model of his machine through
the Western States, and after tour of eight
months, returned with forty thousand dollars.
Another had . machine to thrash and clean
grain, which, in fifteen months, he sold for
SIXTY thousand dollars. These are ordinary
cases-while such inventions as the telegraph,
the planning machine, and India rubber pa.
tents, are worth millions each.
Examiner Lanes report describes new cleo.
trical inventions. Among these is an electri-
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 it is, and lights lamp
for You at any hour you please.
There is . " sound gathcrer, sort of huge
ear trumpet, to be placed in front of loco.
motive, bringing to the engineers ear ell the
noise ahead, perfectly distinct notWithstand.
ing the rattle Of the train.
There is an invention that picks up pins
from confused heap, turns them around with
their heads UP, and sticks them in paper in
regular r0wS.
Another goes through the whole process Of
cigar-makiDg, taking in leaves and turning
out finished cigars.
One machine cuts cheese; another scours
knives and forks another rocks the cradle !;
and seven or eight take in washing and iron
ing.
There is parlOr chair patented that cannot
be tipped back on two legs. and . railway
chair that can be tipped back in any position
without any legs at all.
Another patent is for q machine that counts
passengers in an omnibus and takes their
fares. When a very Cat gentleman gets in, it
counts two and charges double.
There ere variety Of guns patented that
load themselves; . fishing-line that adjusts its
own bait; end . rat trap that throws away
Ne ri, and then bats itself and stands in the
eoEnR faF another.
Tue truths Of the patent Office are stranger
than nction. ao;ir.
Thrs Is machine, also. by which man
pginEt instsad Of writing his thoughts Il is
ged lie q spiapolNrta. Il Apd speaking Of
z 3 s. tslimsted that nine tbousaud are
Is gx,yaar ia lie Upited States, giving
saDE es1pAlDymsht 70 one thousand nine
sss6nA and costing Over twO mill