Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-27

A Kentucky high school boy who gradu- ated last week made a speech of a very dif- ferent character from the speeches usually made on such occasions. His subject was ''The Proud Old Commonwealth, and he showed his hearers that this phrase, in which Kentuckians delight, is misnomer, and that they have nothing in their State to be very proud of He told them that while Ken lucky is at the head in cock fighting, horss racing and whiskey drinking, it is behind in intelligence, in agriculture, manufactures, railroads and all the material clements of advancing ciVii- zation. He compared Kentucky with her immediate neighbors as follows: With half the population of Illinois you have twice as many white citizens who can neither read nor write. With half the population of Ohio, you have also twice many white citizens who can neither read nor write. With smaller population than Indiana, the land of Hoosiers you have also twice as many white citizens who can neither read nor write And take your population through and through, white and black. you, bosstful of your descent, hattered by Mey-day ora tors, members of proud old commonwealth, have percentage of persons who can neither read nor write greater than Japan .'
 Fish culture in New York has evidently been a great success. The trout fishermen report that the fishing has been excellent in the retrocked streams this spring. Califor-
 
 but not until 1881 were the Fish Commission CTS able to distribute them in quantities large enough to make their presence felt. Twelve years ago the shad had been so nearly driven out of the Hudson that the fishermen aban- doned the shad fisheries of the river. The present year, owing to the work of the New York Fish Commissioners, shad were more plentiful than ever before. Within a distance of six miles, according to Seth Green, 30, $50 full grown shad were taken. MT. Green states that the work done by the New York State Fish Commission under his supervision amounts to the following: Shad matched from 1870 to 1881, B 6O9 ,OOO salmon trout from 1870 to 1881, 1O,98O, ,OOO; whiteish from 1870 to 1880, 2,438 900; brook trout HUH 1CdO tO 1CCIi bOOo SoliAOAAAo trout from 1876 to 1881, 1,2SS, TOO; Califor- mia salmon from 1873 to 1879, 678, ,OOO; ma ture bass from 1871 to 1880, 32, S49; mature yellow pike from 1871 to 18SO 2,882 mature bullheads from 1871 to 1880, 5,75O; mature yellow perch from 1871 to 1880, 2,311. There have also been distributed at different times 8, GOO eels, 900, ,OOO frostfsh, 78O,OOO ,I,- carp, and IS, 900 crawfish.
 A perplexing question has arisen in Indiana under the patent laws. A blow manufactur- ing company employed 8 superintendent of their business, and he, during his engage ment, took out patent for improvements he made in the blows they were selling. They sued him, claiming that he should transfer the patent to them, for they said they were led to engage him by his assurances that he had large experience in making and selling blows and devising Improvements, and that he would devote his time and services to manufacturing and perfecting their blows also that the improvement he had patented was made partly by aid of suggestions from other employees and with materials belonging to the company The judge said that these facts were not enough to make out their case. Persons not deprived of the right to the inventions they make while in the ser vice of others, unless they have been hired and paid to exercise their inventive faculties for their employers. A contract for the time, labor and skill of an employe in the manu- featuring and selling does not give the em- ployer the right to an improvement which the employe invents. If, in this case, the superintendent was materially aided by sug- gestions from other persons he was not sole inventor, and perhaps his coadjutors were entitled to share in the patent, but the fact would not give the employer right to it.