The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-09-19

"A party having patented some attach
ment to large pan for setting and COOL
ing milk for raising cream, is at the pres
ent time engaged in the honorable enter
prise Of oxtorting money from those far
mers who have adopted the largo or bulk
pan, whether they have his particular at.
tachment or not. In this immediate neigh.
borhood the attempt was inaugurated
with grand coup d'etat, and has been
quite successful at least in heading off
tho farther introduction Of the " infring.
ing pan"
An enterprispg, widely known and in
fluential farmer had introduced and was
successfully using a system of bulk pans
wholly unlike and it is believed every
way superior to those of the patentee,
and the fact, without any effort on his
part, had become public, having been
published in several papers, including the
Country Gentleman. The patentee and
his assignees were getting for their pan a
royalty Of dollar COW, and charging
their own price, which, by the way, was
high one, for the manufacture of the
pans. The other pans were not patented,
there was no patent fee, and the manu-.
facture was open to competition. OF
course if this thing was permitted to 20
on, the patent would be of no value at
once, and by hook or by crook the in.
fringement must be squelched. The first
move was to come down, though rather
gently, upon this party for infringing the
patent. The first proposal was to settle
for 500, which the farmer peremptorily
declined paying. The patentee then Of.
fered to furnish him the money with which
to buy farm right from his assignees for
this county, to which he replied that he
had money enough to buy any patents
which became necessary for the prosecu.
ton Of his business. But the matter was
not to be given up so, and with much i'm
portuning the farmer was Induced to write
letter, which with proper garbling has
become powerful weapon, which is be.
ing welded with strong arm for the
prosecution of their nefarious schemes of
extortion. 1t is to be regretted that he
was so unmindful of his influence and the
use that would be made of it, as to con.
sent to sign any kind of paper, and he
now sincerely regrets having done so.
We were in frequent communication
with Mr.. Buck while getting up his pans,
and our aid and advice freely sought and
given, and we have very complete &c.
4uantance with the whole thing, and do
not hesitate to say that there is not a
principle involved which is patented or
subject to valid patent, although the com.
oination as a whole may possibly have
been.
We are far from having any desire or
intention to belittle, derrogate from or in
my manner interfere with any mans pa
tented or unpatented rights, and we are
willing that every man should
'eap the full reward of his skill and en-.
erprise in bringing out new and useful
INVENTIONS, but the process of extorting
money by sharp practices without giving
my "value received" we cannot consent
o see 60 on without entering our earnest
protest.
1t is due to the community as whole
hat there should be no unlawful embargo
placed upon any article of general con-
umption, but rather that the utmost lib.
rty and the freest and widest informa.
ion should be furnished the producing
asses consistent with individual rights.
Georgia, July 6, 1871. o. S. BLISS.