Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1878-06-06
HOEsE ABOUT TEEE EEL!. TELE.
PHONE.

'invcntor' in regard to our comments OF
his previous letter:
7c the Editor Of tie Irant Couyirr:
Regarding your comments on my note
permit me to state that in no case is it nee
essary to rent more than two call bells and
two telephones. These rent for $50
Moreover several gentlemen connected
with the First National Bank here rent on
ly one each. TOR which they pay less than
SO; and where the telephones are used in
one buii,ng each rents for S..
would be glad TO learn where money
can be ''hired at from three to five per
cent That TIE instruments can be made.
for the sum you mention is contrary to the
opinion OF some WHO have experience in
| such matters. The item in the Scientific
Ame1ican has been contratlicted. In Eng
land il is said the telephone sells for $50.
You say substantially. that if one instance
can be stated where we pay as much pro-
por>>>laliy for patented articles. You are
ready to confess ignorance and withdraw
your statement. Allow me to suggest for
you! careful consideration brakes Planta-
ton Bltters 5. L. lSGO-N. (sOrry | can't
send You the article). and other patent
medicines. l will not speak OF Helmbold
or DR.. Pierce. who have reaped fortunes
from their patent medicines; or OF patent
corn plasters, key rings, pencil heads.
dolls. etc. etc. l hardly think you will
admit that any man has the ri CHIT TO copy
your excellent paper and sell it. Robert
Bonner, you will acknowledge, makes a
very fair per cent on the cost of the bare
paper and ink used in the publication Of
the Ledger. OF course the cost of manu-
al and mental labors must be paid tor by
the profits. These are factors that cannot
be measured by tie yard.
And so ought the lifelong toll, the men
tors to be paid for.
The publisher of a newspaper has fair
chance Of making living. OF inventors.
not one in a thousand succeeds. Yet what |
orr country owes TO her inventors cannot
be estimated. If it isn't worth from three !
TO ten cents day for a business man to be
in communication with his business affairs
and home he is not compelled to rent the
The real test is the demand.
which. am informed. far exceeds the sup
ply. INVENTOR"
Helena, Montana. May p 1878
In our remarks on his previous letter we
stated that, "where the instruments are
money can be hired for from
three to six per cent. per annum.'' We
made our calculation at five per cent. and
as proof that money can be hired at from
three to six per cent. in New York. Bos-
ton and other cities in that section of the
Cnited States. we need but refer to Eastern
papers, and to the fact that the syndicate
ave recently taken. in little more than
me month. $500OO,000 of four and one
lalt per cent. Government bonds, and have
skcd Tor Ss50.OOO,000 of the four per cent. i
'onds with privilege of Sl00,000,009.
In his previous article. Inventor said
In comparison, as regards utility, we pay
iousand patented articles And when
'e called that statement in question. he cites !
Bitters. patent medicines. corn
lasters, pencil heads, dolls, etc. This :,
laces us in rather a peculiar position, for !
hat may be considered of the greatest :.
alue TO one man would be worse than =
seless TO another. For instance, Planta- :,
on Biltcrs, patent medicines. corn plasters
nd dolls may be Of the greatest practical =
tiiity to "lnyentor' and just what he :"
rides himself on loving, but to us there is !.
OF one OF the articles enumerated that -
'ould be of the least utility whatever. y !,
Any man has right TO copy and sell ~
nything appearing in the AvANT Coz =
TER. but it is no more than right that he :,
iould give us credit for original articles e q
lat he may copy. The contents of this :
aper are not copyrighted. v
In regard to the statement published in ;. ~
lie Scientific american being contradicted. y
e have TO say that ut the time it was pub Z
5he, it was an accepted fact, and the only =
alemcnt in the article that is not true to- =. !.
~ is the one in regard to tie telephone =
ling in England for $780, Since that ar
Gle was published February l6, 1879 "
ere has been an enormous reduction in c,
&c price Of the instruments in England, b
ID the latest reliable report we remember :
aiding was that they were selling there IT r,
r 81 a pair. The statement which we "
loted from the Scientific american that W
pair of instruments can be purchased in Ii
for six dollars" has never, to our ~
lowledge, been called in question. r,
That the Instruments can be made for A,
e sum you mention is contrary to the Il,
Union of some who have experience in "
ch matters" is no argument whatever in ~ y,
swer to our offer to contract to make Tn
EN- at that price, and we would ask no II