The Hickman courier., 1872-10-05
American Ingenuity.

A correspondent of the Balt;mo~.
Sun, who has been looking al T,e
records of the Patent 0Aica I -
Washington, writes to that journal
as follows:
"The inventive genius OF the
country, as shown by the records Of
the Patent Office, has had most ex-
traordinary development within the
last five years. Up TO 1850 the pat
ents but once reached 900 per an
mum. From that period until l8GO
no year showed 5000 patents, while
the average of FIVE years past has
been over $1,000 per year.
"The patents Of month show,
in a notable degree, the wide range
of subjects upon which the inven-
tors of the country are exercising
their gifts and skill. In size they
extend from a needle sharpener to a
propeller machine, and they cover
mprovements in nearly every branch
OF human art. Among the recent
inventions are: A device for at
taching buttons TO clothing with a
screw-driver IAN attachment TO pianos
so that the strings may be touch
ed mid-length with a pedal move
ment, and sounds similar TO a violin
or guitar obtained; a child s carriage,
so arranged that when the handles
are dropped pawl stops the wheels
and arrests the motion at once, and
when grasped the pawl is released;
a pencil sharpener, that operates as
a handle for stumps of lead pencils;
breast pins and earrings, with tubes
to hold artificial flowers an appara-
tus for drawing on boots, consisting
OF strip passing ronnd the body
below the waist, having at each end
a hook to engage the boOt-tugs; n
medical compound for the small pox,
composed of, first, saltpetre, gum
camphor, and charcoal; second,
black cohosh water; a compound to
cure cholera iniantum, composed Of
olive oil, mutton tallow, saltpetrc,
cinnamon bark, and charcoal; a
bouquet holder Of soft metal, that
after filing with flowers and water
may be closed at the top; a castor
for stove legs; towel holder, to be
let into wood work; lady's comb,
passed into the back hair in the usu-
al manner, and the leaves allowed
to overlap and press upon the CHG
non, a spring serving not only to re-
tain the ornament IN place but the
chienon also; headlight for loco
motives, with an adjustable number
placed in front of the Fight, and also
with a movable colored screen to be
operated by the engineer.
Some Of the most simple among
the patents consist Of those manu-
factured for toys. A game called
" success" in which a ball dropped
mechanically is driven around by al
rotating car; toy hydrogen pistol,
in which sodium balls, coated with
paranine, are exploded; a dolPs|
head, with remarkable sections toI
hold head-dresses, and also blank
front, allowing the dolls face also to|
be changed; top-a blast OF the|
breath through the tube rotates the|
lower portion, and a strong blast
sustains the lower part IN mid-air by|
the action of spiral vanes; a toy|
sewing machine, the invention Of a
Baltim orean; a toy bank, in which,
an automaton banker stands TO re-
ceive money, and, when a spring is
disengaged he turnse earound, when|
the door is shut, and the money ~
deposited in the back part OF the
bank.
"The season of the year has led
to many inventions of fy-traps ane
frames for musquito nets, but, mott
withstanding tho heat, the patents
for stoves largely outnumber thoss
FOR refr5gerators and cthe.sseooiinE
apparatus"