The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-01-30

The records show that the first patent Is |
sued by our government was to Samuel Hop. |
kins Of Vermont, July 3lst, 1870 and the |
second was 10 j. 8. sampson, Boston, Aug.
9th 1890. These were the only two in the
frst year of the patent Office. To the year
1900 we're issued as follows: % in 1871, IL
in 1892, 10 in 1898, q in 1894, 12in 1875, 38
in 1896, 81 in 1897, % in 1898, and 40 in
1899. American ingenuity and enterprise in
inventions in the present century are exem.
plified in the fact that to this date the whole
number of patents issued is 80, 500, re Issues
2,100, and designs 2,2l9. The patents for
the past week are dated to day (Jan'y 20th)
number lib. This is q small weekly issue.
the number ranging generally from 130 to
l60 every week. ''Our failures" as Beau
Brummell styled his badly tied cravats-the
rejected models-number about $500.
The war naturally induced, at first, a great
falling off in the business of the patent office.
This was so apparent in 1861 that large
number of clerks were discharged, and those
retained were rated at lower saleries. In the
latter part of 1862 it began to revive again.
The withdrawal of labor from the field to the
army stimulated the invention of a large
number of Labor saving machines and for the
past two years business at the patent office
has been livelier than ever. Congress restor-
ed the old clerks to their positions, and by
special act, rel IA bursed all of them for the re-
auctions in pay. There about 100 clerks
messengers and laborers in the office, at sal
aries ranging from 5000 to 81 500.
In specifying some of the patents lately
issued / can oaly sliude to those which In the
times and the public are most interested
the inventions stimulated by the wonderful
petroleum discoveries, agricultural improve
| ments, in which the whole country Is inter-
asta3 oud ha which are supp0St-
ed by the war.
1t ia curious, but not at all unexpected
phase of the petroleum fever, that one OF the
examining departments has been fairly flood
cd with new derricks, new borers, aud new
oil pumps to facilitate the production OF Pc
troieum. OF course all these new Inventions
claim TO get through the soil the speediest
and to get out the oil the easiest. Not less
than fifteen or twenty patents have been 49,
sued TO different persons for new borers, all
upon the same general principle, but differ
ering ia details sufficiently to admit OF pat
ent in each case, and without specifying any
| particular patent it may be stated that in the
latest etyle of borers the drill goes down
| inside of tube, the tube follows the drill
and whsn the drill STRIKES ile'' it is with
| drawn leaving the tube to be used as pump.
| | failed to find in the hydraulic department
| the machine which waters'the stock of some
| companies so extensively, and he who invents
| an infailible indicator which tells what COM
| panies to put trust and treasury notes IN, may
be sure Of a speedy patent and the gratitude
of a large constituency"
Nothing so goes to show ''what almighty
great people we Yankees are" rs the fact that,
in spite of the withdrawal of millions of men from
the fields of peace To the fields of war, the agri-
cultural productions at the north have not dimin-
| shed, while the essened labor has wonderfully
| increased the invention of labor-saving ma
chimes.
s>ince 1868 applications for patents for sgrIcui-
turial machines have been more frequent than
| ever before in the history OF the Office. These
| recent applications mainly for improvements
! in preparing the ground, sowing seed and cultt-
| waiting crops Gang plows, seeders, and cultiva-
| tors without number have been patented. But
/ there is still opening for an ingenious inven-
! tion-the invention OF a steam pillow, or
! locomotive drawing the pillow, sufficiently power
/ ful to overcome the resistance, which, in all at
tempts hitherto drags the locomotive to the
| pow instead of the plew after the locomotive.
This ''want of traction, it is technically call
| ed, is yet to be overcome, and need not insure
the man who overcomes it of a speedy and splen-
| did fortune. The restored south, too, will be
benefited by new agricultural improvements.
| Sharpsighted northerners who have been south
in the last three years not to steal cotton, but to
select lands wherein to raise it-have suggested
new labor saving machines for the southern mar
ket and some of these have been recently patent
7 ed. The woody fibrous condition Of cotton
seed has always made it difficulty TO plant 1t Is
easily as corn is planted; improvements have re
Gently been made in covton-sins-new machlnes
strip the leaves from the cane, and new and very
valuable improvements have lately been made in
manufacturing sugar
/ The war naturally gave great stimulus to the
invention of implements of war, but it reached Its
elimination in 1852 and since then has declined.
Tine applications for patents in proecttles, can
non cartridges, small arms &c since the war
have been a. follows in 1860 139, in 1861 SOC, in
/ 1862 453, in 1868 322, in 1864 395, and 1866
295,-of these, patents have been issued for, per
/ haps one half of them.
| Many of these inventions have been very val
| liable and have contributed materially TO the
! success Of the Union armies. These are ne"
modes of ritlIug cannon, new breech-loaders, anu
/ improvements Ill minor matters connected with
! other arms but almost all forms exhausted
/ and any improvements must necessarily refer To
details. There is no noteworthy increase In TINS
t class of applications, and patents are granted
! without government test, for government does
/ not test unless it wants the improvements and
| then it goes co that good but slow old set, the
/ ordnance board.
/ fear have about exhausted the patience OF
! the reader. Washington has many points OF at
traction and if this letter should prove agreeable
/ and instructive, it will afford me pleasure &c
! sketch the Smithsonian Institute,-the Arsenal
! the w ar aud Navy departments, and last out oy
/ no means least, the representatives OF the peopit
/ in congress assembled, in like manner.
Rock ISLANDER.
COWAN ON WILSON.