The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1877-04-21
American Inventive Progress.

The future historian of the inventive
progress of this country will find that
the record of the same naturally divides
itself into two distinct parts, each mark
ing separate era. These may be
termed respectively the period of con-
ception and the period of development.
During the former most of the great
American inventions were first originated;
during the second, which includes the
present time, the tendency of inventors
has been more toward seeking new APP
plications for establishing principles or
improving upon earlier embodiments of
the same.
The first era begins with the labors of
Franklin, Rittenhouse, Hare, Evans, and
their contemporaries. 1t terminates
with the end of the year 1849. Inspec-
ton of the records of the Patent Office
shows quite clearly the substantial basis
for the division we have suggested.
The first patent granted by the United
States was dated July 81, 1890, and was
issued to Samuel Hopkins for a process
of making pot and pearl ashes. During
that year the total number of patents
was but three; the following year it
amounted to thirty three, and then for
sixteen years the aggregate tuctuated,
falling as low as eleven and reaching as
high as ninety nine. For seventeen
years following, the variations were
between 100 and 800, the aforementioned
number not being exceeded until 1925.
The increase subsequently, was more rapid;
and by August, 1886, when the present
system of numbering the patents began
lit appears with those of Thomas Blanch-
ard, for turning irregular forms), the
total had reached 1904; or for the
period of sixty years comprisedin the
first era, the aggregate amounted to II,
447. Yet in this small number are in
cluded Whitneys cotton gin, Nc Keans
first steam saw mill, Whittemore's wool
and cotton card-making machine, Hare's
Xy-hydrogen blowpipe, Blanchard's tack
machine, Fulton's steamboats,, Halls
breechloading firearms, Perkins steel
engravings, Stevens tubular boiler and
screw propeller, Lowell's power loom,
Burdens horseshoe and spike ma
chinery, Motifs stoves for small coal,
Saxtons magnetic electric machine, b.
gardus' ring flyer for cotton spinning,
and the long category of other impor-
tant devices of that wonderfully pro-
life inventor; Prof. HenrY's splendid
electro magnetic discoveries, Morse's
telegraph, Guthrie's discovery of chloro-
form, Boyden's patent leather, Bald
wins improvements in the locomotive,
Howes pin machine, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS,
Colts revolvers, Wells hat body ma
chine, Gosdyear's inflammation of india
rubber, Bigelow's carpet loom, Howe's
sewing machine, SickePs cutoff, Nor
tons discovery of the aniesthetic quail
ties of chloroform, Rodman's hollow
casting of ordinance, Houses printing
telegraph, and Ericsson's steam fire en-
CINE.
To show with what rapidity inventors
made Improvements on inventions en-
bodying original principles, it may be
noted that, in the early days of the
sewing machine, 116 patents were
granted for improvements thereon in a
single year; and out of the 1910 patents
issued in the year 1857, 152 were for
improved cotton gins and presses, 1854
for improvements in the steam engine,
and 1913 for novel devices relating to
railroads and improvements in rolling
stock. In the year 104S, but $50 patents
were granted; but, ten years later, in 1853,
the number had increased skiold, reach
ing $40, while up to Jan. l, 1850, as
already stated, the aggregate of patents
issued amounted to 17,447; since that
time and up to the present the total is
1S1. 015.-Scientif american.