The true northerner., 1882-06-02
PATENT FRAUDS.
Congressman Burrows Gives N Few
Examples.


purchasers of patent articles the Hon.
j. @. Burrows spoke as follows:
Mr.. SPEAKER-The brief time al
lowed for debate upon this motion TO
suspend the rules and pass this bill is
wholly inadequate to permit recital OF
the outrages which this measure is in
tended to remedy, much less to reply to
the numerous criticisms urged against
it. This is the second effort to bring
this matter to the deliberate consider
alton of this house, and il is little re-
markable that, whenever it is sought to
give protection to the innocent purchas-
ers and users of patented articles, there
are always some gentlemen to be found
prolific of objections, to prevent, if pos.
sible, the passage OF any measure for
relief. Another popularity is that these
same gentlemen have no suggestions to
make by which their objections may be
overcome. They simply abound in criti-
cisms.
Even now, when certain notifications
are proposed by the friends of the meas
ure, to avoid antagonism and make it
conform, if possible, to the views of its
opponents, even this is objected to, and
the conclusion is forced upon us that it
Is the purpose to prevent, If possible, all
Legislation whatever upon this subject.
Now, sir, what desire, what the people
of the State which have the honor in
part to represent demand, what the
farmers of this whole country insist
upon, is that the purchasers of a patent
ed article in good faith for full consid-
arotinv an1 tho oarxnt GhalI
be protected from the bands of patent
try and plunder our people. demand
for the purchaser In good faith OF the
barbed-wire fence, the drive well, the
Birdsell clover huller, and the hundred
other articles necessary to the farmers
of the great West, that they shall be ex-
empt from the unjust prosecutions to
which they are now subjected. l ask to
embody in my remarks some well-au-
thenticated instances of outrages to which
the people of my district and State have
been subjected.
s. l.. Bently, of Eaton Rapids, report
ed that on the Birdsell clover huller the
following persons in that vicinity paid
royalty on huller valued at $3.50:
w. s. Smith, w. HI. Ford, j. Horner,
Delos Smith and James Borabeck-the
fees demanded and paid being 800 by
each.
On circular-saw guide, valued at $50,
$50 was demanded of II. Perrin, and
$45 was paid. From III. Griffith and j.
M. Allyn the same amount was demand
ed and the same paid. From Fred Spl-
Ger $50 was demanded, and the case liti-
gated and judgment of $91. 80 rendered
with costs.
For circular-saw dogs with attach
ments, valued at $75, from Fred Spicer
$50 was demanded and $40 paid. The
same demand was made of j. M. Allyn
and II. Griffith for the same device, and
same payment made.
W. A Luman. of Elsie, writes that on
Glen & Hall clover thresher, valued at
$3.50 when new, nine years after pur-
chase royalty of 1925 was demanded,
which, with the expense of 200 miles
travel and attorney fee, he paid. He
also reports that Mr.. w. FL. Davidson,
for Wooster huller valued at $3.50, a
royalty of $125 was demanded and judg-
ment obtained.
George Davidson had the same exper-
ience. j. Buessenger, A. L. Rockold,
M. S. Hamilton, and E. Thompson each
paid the $125 royalty demanded for
using a Glen & Hall clover huller.
B. B. Davis, of Fowlerville, reports
that from Oscar d. Weller, on a clover
huller valued at $400, royalty of 500
was demanded and paid. From J. r.
! DAFT a. Co., for use of head block valued
at $l25, royalty of 500 was demanded.
1t remains unsettled.
David Connell reports that Jeremiah
Ramsey, of Monterey, used a cider
strainer made by himself, on which he
paid a royalty to one J. ID. Hampton, OF
Detroit, of $40.
Henry Hawley, of Burr Oak, reports
eral cider-press racks, valued at $12,
that to his certain knowledge had been
in use thirty years, 81 for each ten was
paid as royalty to avoid litigation. A
much larger sum was demanded.
j. M. Failing, of Tekonsha, got an old
Birdsell huller in trade, calling il
worth 300; never ran it an hour; was
sued for infringement, and, refusing to
pay the royalty of 500 demanded.
learned at cost of S417 that the United
States District Court for the Eastern
district of Michigan knew more of the
value of a patent than he did, and we
came very near adding the disrespectful
remark-less of equity.
Jacob Willett, of Ingham county was
made to pay a royalty of 5000 on the
guide and arbor of saw bought five
years before, and valued at $75. Isaac
s. p. Pound paid John G. Birdsell $10C
for infringement of patent ON clover
huller bought by him in 1871.
From Henry Kline, of Nottawa, $l0C
was demanded and paid on account ol
use of clover huller.
From Joseph Dean, of Colon, for
clover huller, n royalty of $100 was de-
manded and $50 paid. The case of Mr..
Dean was one of peculiar hardship.
After using the machine long enough to
earn $40 his arm was caught in the ma.
chinery and he was crippled for life.
Selling the machine afterward, the pur-
chaser was sued for royalty, and at the
end of his suit found that his education
in patent law had cost him $500. In
behalf of Mr.. Birdseil or his agent il
should not be forgotten that on account