Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1866-05-22

We notice, in the Boseobel Broad
AGe, of April 10, an advertisement OF
, Il Mr.. j. s. Armstrong, OF Prairie du
Chen, to the effect that he has pro-
cured patent fora design for "Sol-
diers Military Cenotaph, County and
State Monument" 1.-The nature Of
my invention, says Mr.. Armstrong.
Consists in erecting or placing a CIV
en- number of small pedestals, or
monuments, around the main monu-
ment. The design of the small Pc
destals is to form sufficient base to
contain any given number of names
and inscriptions; the small pedes-
tails to be surmountcd with cannon
made of marble, bronze, or other
suitable material"
There are some facts connected
with this matter that it will not hurt
the public to know Some time since
Grant county concluded to erect a
County Monument, to the honor OF
the brave soldiers from that county
who had given Their lives to put
down the rebellion. This Armstrong
was an unsuccessful bidder for he Job
of erecting it. Mr.. S. ID. Wright, Of
this place, secured a contract, and
the design which he offered to the
committee, and which they accepted,
was designed by him and Mr.. Mer-
rlll, of Milwaukee, this latter gentle
mans taste md skill in these mat
tors basn,r wall lypnu 1tcaro.a -
say, this design, got up and well
known all over Grant county, long
before Mr.. Arm strong's patent was
applied for, is identical with that
described in his advertisement above
mentioned. We, of course, do not
accuse Mr.. Armstrong of any mean
ness, but it is certainly singular that
an honorable man should apply for
and obtain = patent on design ex
actly the same as that of other deal
ers-a design got up months before
his patent was issued. 1t looks as
though Mr. A. was endeav oring to
"head off, Messrs. Wright 4 Mer-
rill, by some means outside the range
of fair business competition. That
is the way it looks, though of
course we cannot affirm this to be
the case Whitewater Register.
Observation-Disclosures knowing any
thing of some of the statements
above, we had arrived at similar con-
illusions. About year ago, perhaps
less, Mr.. Armstrong was advised of
Mr.. Wright's designs, representing a
cenotaph or main shaft of marble
with small pcdesta,s as above
Armstrong appeared very anxious
for the contract and, if we rightly
remember, ho appeared to approve
of the pedestals, designed as then
understood by Mr.. Wright, at least
presented by him as a novelty. The
committee for letting the contract OF
building the Grant county soldiers
Monument approved Mr. Wrights
designs and let contract to him.
Subsequently Mr.. Armstrong came
to Lancaster with sundry designs.
some of which showed very well on
paper. But finding the work al
ready under contract he appeared
out of humor, and displeased espec-
tally with the pcdestals-for which
he now claims to hold q patent as
the inventor. Whether his patent
dates prior TO the fall term of
court in 1865 or more recently Mr..
Armstrong; conduct is certainly
deserving Of some Of the criticism of
the Register. There We're other
points in Mr.. Armstrong; conduct
at that time which appeared to
strangely contrast with the etiquette
usually practiced between orderly
and well skilled mechanics. as when
there are several competitors tor any
work the strife ceaseth SO soon as
the contract is let to any one, and
the competitors act thereafter with
decent approval of plans and respect
for rivals.
These things may all be explained,
and 1t may thereupon appear that
Mr.. Armstrong is not as small and
mean as some Of the facts would seem
to warrant us in beliey;up