The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-04-26
WHOLE NO. 1905.
From the Chicago Tribune, March 18th, 1873.
The Patent Svsfsn.


The Patent system.
The senate committee on patents, IN the
course Of ITS investigation preliminary TO the
report OF the new bill for the codifcaton OF
the patent laws has discovered many new and
important facts connected with the extension
Of the patent system in the west. Mr. g. c.
Coffin. the well known writer under the nome
de plume of Carleton" was specially charged
by gentlemen interested in patents to make
tonr Of the western country, and to direct his
Inquiries 10 various points, s,--such as what
benefit has accrued TO an inventor from a
patent; what benefit TO the pubic; what royal
ties have been paid for the use of patent;
how much Of time, labor, and expense an in
ventlon has cost what it costs to introduce
an invention to the public; what grounds of
complaint there are against the present law
and what notifications OF the law are desired.
THE OLIVER CHILLED PLOW.
he visited the entire northwest. and 'dls-
covered the last invention in plows in the
Oliver chilled plow. of indiana. M Coffin
said
Mr.. Oliver was manufacturer OF common
plows He began at South Bend IN 1850 He
saw that the demand OF the farmers was for
the plow that would have mold board OF hard
nish,-somethng harder than iron because
iron was almost worthless in many OF the
western soils; something that should be cheap
er than cast-steel. Therefore he turneo his
attention 10 the production OF chilled mold
board. 1t was nothing new; it had been at
tempted for twenty five years, and every time
resulted in utter failure, for this reason 1t
was found that when you attempted to en-
large the surface OF the mold-board beyond
thirty-slx superficial inches you could not pro-
duce perfect piece Of iron. There would be
soft spots in it. and cavities called ~bloa-
holes Those who had attempted the pro-
duction OF chilled iron SAID that these resulted
from the gases in the metals Mr. Oliver came
to different CONCLUSION after a great deal OF
Investigation it was from other causes.
will not detail the amount of money he epent,
or the difficulties he encountered People
| called HIM lunatic, and his friends deserted
him. HIS shop was burned down and be had
no means. but he held OH to the idea that there
was possibility of obtaining piece of chilled
iron which be could use ;or mold -boarc lie
finally concluded that these soft spots and
blow-holes, as they are called, we're the result
OF moisture IN the molding sand, and there
fore, he invented a chill INTO which he could
pour hot water, and thus dry out the moisture
from the sand after the mold was made After
great many trials he succeeded in producing
his mold board in two pieces.
This was the first steT. Then he discovered
tina: there were some gases in the metals. lie
started upon another ine of invention, to Lave
some device connected with the chill by which
the gases could escape. This was accom-
plished by ventilatng grooves. in the chill face.
Through those two inventions he bas pro-
duced the present chilled plow. lie uses Lake
Superior iron, and, v hen he can procure the
Salisbury ore he makes mixture OF that with
the Lake Superior iron, and thus obtains an
exceedingly hard, and tenacious metal-one
which will resist the wearing, and one which
will also not be easily broken Through those
two inventions he has been enabled to produce
this mold-board much more cheaply than the
cast-stee plow can be produced and he has
reduced the price about 81 per plow since
1870. Instead of raising his price above all
other plows in use, when he made his nven-
tions, he said to himself: II will put these
plows so chesply that they shall come into
universal use.' Iis patent was the first one ,
that was ever issued from the patent ofiiee for
the manufacture OF ohiued plows There
never had been claim put IN before BIN. He
has taken out eighteen patents as the improve
ment has gone on. He brought cut his trst
plow in 1870. He had been studying upon 1t
for many years, but only after long period OF
time (not actively engaged in experiment all
the while, but he had been turning IL over in
his mind for quarter of century, was be
enabled to oring out bis plow. If ycu were to
visit his works you would fnd 400 men en-
ployed in the manufacture. lie sent out 50,-
600 plows year before last, and 60, ZOO last
year. There are 100000 IN use. His orders
thus far INDICATE, he stated to me, about rs,
600 to be called for the present year '-
A financial system. il good, is good for all
alike: il bad is bad for all alike. As well talk
of one kind Of atmosphere beng healthy for
the rich and unhealthy for the poor, as Of one
kind of money being for the benefit OF the rich
and injurious to the poor. Nor does the laws
OF the country discriminate against any class.
All the avenues OF industry and effort are open
TO every man no matter how poor or obscure
he may be. Our greatest men in every depart
ment of lfe-commercal as well as political
have risen from poverty aud obscunty TO
wealth and distinction, by their own earnest
efforts alone. The law provided for them no
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