Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-07-04
Our Washington Letter.

InlS DullnlnR was commenced III 1000, anu Two
hundred and seventy feet Of the south side of the
block was finished and occupied within four year.
" that period The order of architecture for the
exterior is the Grecan Doric of the geof Perices
when the fine arts in Greece, particularly archi-
ecture and sculpture, had reached the highest ex-
,ellence. The details are modelled after the cele- |
,rated Pafthenon, erected on the Acropolis at |
Athens, which il now in part standing, the marble
having indurated to such degree by an exposure |
If more than two thousand years to the atmos-
Dhere az to resist the action Of q chsel. The |
building throughout is fire-proof The super |
structure s Of brick faced with beautiful vare-
gated brown and drab free-stone which harmon |
zes with the gravity Of the order Of architecture |
adopted and the character of the institution All |
he ceilings and floors are of brick laid in hydrau-
lie cement and tagged and supported by groin |
arches The roof is made light aud covered with |
copper The principal front on + street is graced |
with a portico of sixteen columns, octastyle
the columns, entabature and ped
ment being of the size and proportion of the Par
thenon, each column being eighteen feet in cir
conference at the base. The whole building is
surrounded with bold pasters let into the external
walls, which produce nearly as rich an effect as
the isolated frustum of cone columns, are much
stronger and buttresses to resist the thrust
of the arches The windowsare arranged between
the pilasters. The east front Seventh street IL
graced with portico of six columns, which tends
to break up the monotony of this extended facade.
The horizontal terrace surrounding the whole
block on the curb line is five hundred by three
hundred and sixty-three feet, surrounded by
handsome ornamental iron railing with gates.
The act of Congress authorizing the building was
approved July A. 1896, and three hundred and
nineteen thousand dollars was expended for its
erection ont Of the Patent Office fund. In 1S40
Congress appropriated fifty thousand dollars for
the completion of the building and the next year
appropriated ninety thousand dollars more for the
same object out of the Patent Office fund.
THE MODEL GALLERY,
which occupies the entire third story of the build
ing was fitted up in 1865, and formally taken
possession of as a receptacle for models To get
some little idea Of the magnitude of this office it
Is only necessary to visit this museum of models
and examine the exhibition here displayed. The
visitor in Washington who neglects the opportu-
nifty of inspecting this gallery makes a serious
omission and fails to see one Of the most i'm
portant and interesting features of the Capitol
The arched ceiling Of the gallery is supported BIS
rows of square columns and pilasters let into the
external walls The halls are some two hundred
and seventy feet long and sxty-fve feet wide, all
paved with marble. Here are three hundred and
fifty large cases filed with models of patented in
ventions of every conceivable kind of articles
from a steam engine to jews-harp. Here may
be seen Professor Morse's original telegraph, pa
machine, patented September TO- 1876; the orig
ina declaration of independence; the printing
press used by Benjamin Franklin when he was a
iourneyman printer aud large number of inter
esting relics belonging to Presidents Washington
and Lincoln
THE FINANCIAL EXHIBIT
Of the Patent Office shows that the business OF the
office is conducted with more ability and economy
than any other Department Bureau of the United
States. The revenues of the Patent Office are
always in excess of the expenditures, and at this
time there is to the credit of this bureau in the
United States Treasury nearly nine hundred
thousand dollars. What other branch of the gov
eminent can show such an exhibit as this? And
yet there are those who believe in aboshing the
office and depriving inventors of all protection.
the business of the office year by year, and
especially since 1887. During the latter year
the sum of twenty-nine thousand two hundred
and eighty-nine dollars and eight cents was re-
ceived and four hundred and thirty-five patents
were issued in 1875, seven hundred and forty
three thousand four hundred and ffty-three dol
lars and thirty-six cents was received over and
| above all expenditures,
The proportion of patents to population issued
to residents of the different states during the yeai
| mentioned, shows some interesting facts Yer
| mont was granted hundred and twenty.
two patents, or one to every two thousand seven
hundred and nine inhabitants. New York lead,
| all others with three thousand seven hundred and
seventy-one patents or one to every one thou
sand one hundred and sixty-three inhabitants
Pennsylvania comes next, followed by Massachu
| sets, Illinois, Ohio and Connecticut
| RIDICULOUS APPLICATIONS FOR PATENTS
1t is an amusing fact that oftentimes the mos
ridiculous articles are offered for patent Their,
ever have been, and always will be probably mel
who indulge in the vain and Elusive idea of per
petual notion and frequent application is mad
for patents for this sort of thing Many of thes,
Inventions show great deal of ingenuity, but al
utter lack of knowledge of the simplest laws o
nature
one man obtained patent 'or trap LOT eaten
| ny t'pe-woI"S' LUIS TRAP e"ns'S's vi "oHo'
pa'i' diVided INTO TWO parts whlch parts ar
hinged together, and provided with spring upoi
| their nsides, that they can be made to sna
osetner IKE steer trap Inc unfortunate one
III whom tue long hrawh ont fept'ie mas taken VI
w aooue, IL required " s'ar'e hi'hsel ior TWO
| 'hree OF -FOUR Gays ana even longer linen "he'
he tape is supposed TO nave arrived NJ prope
'iage OF strVatioh' the trap IL oaited with som
'ellcious delicacy, attached 10 a long string an
'wa"o"eu oy tue pat'eh'' VINO RETAINS noiu VI VI
Htring Inc trap having arrived III the heighDoi
1000 OF the tape, VINO Is supposed by TINS time I
ne eagerly seeking Tor = good square meal, l
'ppease his ravenous appetite, he sticks his hea
nto the trap, when snap goes the string and a
he pateht mas 10 90 Is 10 maui MN up thfouS
MS throat How the patent Is 10 know when IN
rap IL sprung or now he Is TO avoid being ehoke
10 death while hauling mp the long, filthy mas
the inventor forgot to tell.
Another made application for a patent for
combined pillow and cannon The beam OF tn
pillow was made OF iron and bored out so az To tori
cannon. whenever the farmer, while at wor
IN the field, saw saVages or tramps approaching
he was to unhitch MS team, so as TO get thel
his prayers, for the farmer was good deal MOI
| likely tn he killed nv the recoil than the sayap