The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1865-06-14

The objections 20 the frlv0li.y and multi
plicicy of patents are so often thoughtlessly
made even u Ills country. rs 10 be wOr-
thy cf realization. Those who have care
iUIy studied tie progress Of civilization
must lave observed that the uplifting Of go
e.e.y la~ l.t been Effected By parOxysmsl
coIili-..n-. such as We're supposed by ge-
0lecisis oi former times 70 have upheayed
Tie ancient continents ~ single shock
bar rs causes which have operated as grad
lalIvau' 'mrercepth.y as those which mod
eln science Aas -hown 20 have actually
raised. "i,nin historic periods, vast coun-
tries. WIKI NE Drole burden % their cities
ard unconscious people Tie progress ir
mechanical imrrO' emclts and in science
las been SO graila. ihat j. is difficult 20
trac" IL except blythe Great general results.
TIE Iells ~ Invention and practical know
edge lave been eXterael by accreti0ns as
lnseuslt.r a q lose which have formed the
del'a of tte Mississippi Every new fact
ln scirhcc. every ne~ conception OF in-e-
hutT nn matter how trivial has added
some'al- -0 their area. The nobiesI, i"-
s-... f.-l.- Nuft- uvu A-tuul,u tle world
tte ~t.-r. c.gine. the cotton mill. the rail
roaI-ALy- been a. truly built up block by
block. layer by layer IS the pyramids
wege rcrui ed 10 perfect the cotton spinner.
10 refer -o more recent branches Of me-
cuauica industry we find some Of the best
harvesting machines protected by no less
Than twenty patents. each Invention con-
sstHi. ~ lut a trivial improvement, Yet
tte Ni0le .eil Z necessary 10 the perfection
81 Tic machine. The art Of sewing 10y ma
cAuely which originated nO later than
o "a ftr1 ff, -
Development I'm this country through more
t.an sINhuuirei inventions for which pat
euts have been ISSUED. IL is BY no means
asserted ltat all Theses Inventions have
been found practically useful; but perhaps
no other art can 80 Well Illustrate how, H.
mechanical cOn,rivalces. idea begets iaea,
and The invention nf Yesterday gives birth
t0 lie Invention Of tomorrow.
Tie apparent MS gn.lcance of an inven-
,iOu l. n0 measure OF lis value. Inventions
ia the meanest Of household arts, such as
improvements in washing and wringiBg
machines have not only contributed most
materially 90 domestic comfort. but have
h-hmclts, employing over hall u million
dollars of capital Improvements in arti-
c.cs ~0 trivia. as hooks and eyes and pins
ur infant, clothing have been the iOunda-
OF thousands Of dollars.
Tie application. in manner TO be here
after described. oi peacH mark in sub
marine blasting and the explosion Of mill
tary mines 5y the electric current. enables
the operator 10 dispense with cumbersome
and costly batteries and machinery formerly
Indispensable \ spring for holding the
defectOr and chimney upon cOal-eii lamp,
consisting simply Of bent strip Of brass,
has gone into universal use, and through a
tarlI Of few mills upon eacn lamp u
which the invention IS applied has yielded
several hundred thousand dollars 10 the in
ventOr
The more minuteiy the arts are studied
the more VIII the conviction be forced upon
the mind that, as the distinction between
great and small appears 10 be unrecOgniZeC
by Providence the distinction between i'm
p0rtant and trivial and useful and worth
less, should never be applied 20 any OrigI
nal work of human ingenuity.
This j, Tie doctrine OF Sir David Brews
ter. who believed that patents should b,
granted for every new idea. whatever tia
Idea might be: that every encouragement
should be gwen 10 persons 70 bring fOrwar,
sucn ideas and that instead OF THROWN:
difficulties in their way. even when the idea
apprlr tO be frivolous every facility shOul'
be given Tor their development, becaus
they may contain the germ OF future nyen
tiOns. They may contain ideas which vii
suggest others more useful and practical
and what is . simple and amusing expert
ment i'm one age may become great in
ventiOn in another.