Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-06-13
Our Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, D. c., June Z, 1877.

comparison TO Its intrinsic merits concerning the
United States Patent Office, by the general public,
It seems to us that the subject Is one which may
be dwelt upon with interest and possibly with
profit in this correspondence 1t will, of course,
be impossible TO give any extended notice Of the
workings Of the Office or dwell infinitely upon Its
history within the limits Of a newspaper letter
We must therefore, briefly confne our remarks
to the more important details of the office and to
the main facts concerning IL.
THE PATENT OFFICE
was established in 1890, and the first patent was
granted to Samuel Hopkins, of Vermont, for the
manufacture Of potashes and pearlashes," on
the 3ist OF July, 1890. The history of inventions
since that time il one Of the most interesting to
study The stories Of seli-sacrifce, Of poverty,
anxiety and toll, hopes deferred, efforts unre-
warded and treasure spent by American invent
ors tell at what great cost the present age enjoys
its many blessings. While the record Of some
mighty leader in battle charms the popular eye
and ear, he who has conferred boon upon
mankind and added to the stock of human happi-
ness by useful invention receives but passing
notice, and his name, perhaps, passes into OBJ
lvion. But the arts Of peace are paramount to
those Of war, however much the latter may fill |
was, when first established, under the control Of
the State Department, at which time John Quincy |
Adams was Secretary of State. The first Com
missioner, Superintendent as It was then called,
Of Patents was William Thornton, a native of |
Tortola, who remained until 1929. The office was
then conducted by the Superintendent with the |
help of one clerk and messenger. The Super |
iptendent received salary of one thousand five |
h,,,,I JatI. A. IL A.
sand dollars, and the messenger two hundred and
fifty dollars. In 1919 the Department Of the In
terror was established, and the Patent Office was
then made bureau of that department, where it
still remains The office has twice been destroyed
by fire. first, in 1872 it burned by the British,
and second, on the 18th of December, 1896 at
which time large number of models and many
valuable records were destroyed
THE PRESENT BUILDING
was commenced in 1888 and completed in 1871
As a specimen Of architectural beauty it is chase
in design imposing in size and elegant in finish,
It has often been called the finest building for Of
flee purposes in the country The building oc-
cupies area OF five acres, covering two entire
| squares from east to west and square from
north to south 1t contains two hundred rooms
beside the model gallery in the third story, which
occupies the entire floor of the story. The arch
itect Of the building was William p Elliott, while
the completion of the work was under the charge
of Thomas L. Walter, Of Philadelphia. The 7th
Street front copied by Mr.. Elliott from the
design Of the Grecian Parthenon. The building
is heated by system of hot water circulation,
pressure of steam forcing it through the pipes.
THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT
has its offices in this building as well as its bu-
reaus, the General Land office and Indian office
The department also has control Of the Pension
and Census Bureaus, the Government Hospital
for the Insane, the Smithsonian Institution, the
Geological and Geographical Survey of the Terri
tories, the Columbia Institute for the Deaf and
Dumb, the Hospital for Women, and the Freed
mems Hospital The first Secretary of the Interior
was Thomas Ewing who held office from 1S49 to
1880. Since that time eleven different secreta-
ries have held sway until the accession of Hon.
Carl Schurz on the incoming of the present ad-
minstration. Secretary Schurz has made nuner
Gus changes in the personnel Of the department
all of which have been with an eye single to the
best interests of the office and under what i,
termed civil service rules. Mr.. Alonzo Bell, whom
he found as Chief Clerk of the department, he al
once made his Assistant Secretary; Major Georg'
NJ. Lockwood then Chief Clerk of the Patent o.
fee, promoted to fill the vacancy thus made
both promotions being for merit and fitness alone
The entire department is one which especially de-
mands the administration of just such reforms a.
the new Secretary has already instituted Every
official has duties to perform which require a
thorough knowledge of the workings of the of
flee, and civil service alone can fill the bill
THE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS
at the present time is General Ellis Spear, ma
tive of Maine, and for number of years con-
: nected with the Patent office. His appointment
! as Commissioner, by Secretary Chandler in 1876,
was a source of much congratulation to the pat
rons of the office and to all who had its more i'm
portant interests at heart Thoroughly acquainted
with the bureau and all its requirements, by ex-
perience as Assistant examiner principal exam
; ner examiner-in-chief and assistant commits
sioner he brought to the discharge of his new
duties fitness but rarely found in official life
No better appointment could possibly have been
made. The assistant commissioner is Mr. Will
liam IL. Doolittle of Minnesota, a gentleman well
versed in patent law, of judicial turn of mind,
and trained by experience TO perform the respon-
sible duties of his office with credit to himself and
{ satisfaction to the public. The Board OF Appeals
before whom are tried after rejection by the
, primary examiners, consists of three examiners
in-chief, who sit as judges of the law and the
facts Messrs r L. b. Clarke Of Iowa, v D.
Stockbrdge of Maine and IL. IL, Bates of New
, York. are the Board of Appeals, and are all gen.
tlemen of legal requirements, judicial training
and honorable records in the office. The exaIn.
liner of interferences before whom all interference
e cases are heard and primarily determined, is Ma
;, jor T. F. WILDER of Ohio, lately promoted through
r a competitive examination from the corps of prin
a cipal examiners. The Major is regarded as one
OF the brightest heads in the office well as ont
;, of the most experienced
u THE EXAMINING CORPS
II of the Patent Office consists of twentyfour prn
s cipal examiners, each having first, second and
,. third assistant examiner to aid him in the exam
nation of applications for patents Inventions o
as nearly homogeneous character as possible arr
grouped in classes and assigned to every principa
&C examiner The duties of this corps are necessar
II lily of judicial character, involving great respons
1t ibility and, in most instances, their action Il
practically final, never being reviewed by an!
I, higher authority except when an appeal is taken
:. Professor B. S. Hedrick of North Carolina, Il
Is the ablest examiner in continuous service, an'
now holds the position OF general chemical ex
40 aminer. His views upon the patentability of am
:, article are generally regarded as so mach law by
those best acquainted with his knowledge, Will
:, his fund of information scientific subjects is o
inestimabe service to all connected with the office
!, THE CLERICAL FORCE
of the office is generally regarded as outside an'
>, independent of the examining corps, while tn
work OF the clerks is entirely different from tina
belonging to the examiners. The Chief Clerk, Co
- lionel F A Seely of Pennsylvan mia, has charge o