Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-08-24
THE DENTISTS ARE HAPPY
THE END OF AN OPPRESSIVE TAX.

S the DENIISTS ARE HAPPY
THE END OF AN OPPRESSIVE TAX.
To tho dental profession there is
melodious sound in words in which th,
+, expression "Good" occurs. Through
the law of limitation dentists, through
ont the whole United States, have beer
, relieved from the grasp of u monopoly
that has for years swayed despoti,
powers over them, and exacteda yearly
license for the use of certain material
required in the practice of dentistry
The monopolsts were the Goodyear
Rubber Company, who have made
millions of dollars out of what they
claim to be their discovery and patent
that of vuleanizlng rubber. The Good
year people, in their efforts to monopo
lie the trade, have at all times met
with opposition, and immense sans OF
(, money have been spent in fighting
them in the courts, and human lives
ljeopardized as well. The plea set up
by the defense against the patent was
that Goodyear was not the discoverer
or patenteo of process, but that the
original inventor was the deceased
Colonel h. A. Il. Roberts, of Roberts
torpedo fame, and that he came into
the possession of the secret by aoci.
dent.
now THE DISCOVERY WAS MADE.
Up to the time OF his death the Col.
onel maintained that his claim was
perfectly correct, and had it not been
for the treachery Of a Frenchman, he
would have had monopoly on vul.
canized rubber as well as in the tor
pedo business. Years ago the Colonel
and his brother, DIR. Roberts, practiced
dentistry in New York city, and they
had in their employ Frenchman
whose namo has passed into oblivion.
After office hours one day the Colonel
and the Fronchman were seated in the
laboratory connected with the dental
rooms, and, judging by what the Col.
onel often said in speaking on the sub.
ject, it is supposed that liquor was in
troduced in the deliberations. At any
rate they fell asleep, but before they
did so the Colonel threw a piece of
rubber into a tank Of boiling water
and sulphur that was on the stove.
Several hours had elapsed before the
sleepers were aroused from their slum-
bers, and the Colonel, soon after hav.
ing use for some water, began dipping
from thepot into which he had thrown
the pice of rubber.
SURPRISED AT THE CHANGE.
The rubber was dropped out, and |
the Colonel was surprised with the |
change it had undergone in the boiling
process 1t was as hard as piece Of
sole leather, and in this transformation
the inventive genius of the man saw n
change for the development of rubber
into various forms. He decided to
carry his investigation further, and
admitted the Frenchman into his con.
fidence. Several trials of vulcanizing
rubber we're made, and each and every
one resulting satisfactorily to those
having il in hand, it was concluded to
claim q patent for it. While arrange.
ments in this direction were being
perfected, the Frenchman suddenly
disappeared, and the Colonel delayed
in making application at tho patent
office. The old adage that delays are
dangerous applied in this case, for the
Frenchman, after leaving Roberts en-
ploy, obtained on introduction to Good.
year, and impaired to that gentleman
the secret which has brought millions
of dollars to bis Golfers
THE DENTISTS TROUBLES.
No class OF men who had to knuckle
down to the exacting demands OF tho
Goodyear concern fought them with
greater persistency than did the dent.
lists, upon whom they levied a tax of
$40 year for making rubber plates
for the mounting of artificial teeth.
The tooth pullers battled with every
weapon at their command while at.
to show the injustice of the
claim for originality and adaptation.
After a long and protracted engage
ment in the courts, the profession,
through their counsel, offered over one
million dollars for the right, but the
men with the patent laughed at them,
and said, "lt you want to use our
goods you must pay our price" And
those who did So and failed to come
to time with the royalty, were prose.
outed with the utmost vigor Josiah
Bacon, of Boston, was the treasurer,
and he looked after the interests OF
that company with unoeasing atten-
tion. Some twenty months ago he
was shot to death by dentist in San
Francisco while engaged in a dispute
over the right to use the articles
claimed by the Goodyears as their
patents. On the 9TH Of the present
month the term of the patent expired
by law, and that is why dentists are
happy, and think this will be q "good /
year. Pittsburgh Critic.