The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-06-02
The nrlye Won pnient.

Tho Drive Wen Patent.
The eXultation of the people of Iowa,
over a recent decision of the [. ). Circuit
Court at Des MolneS, annulhng the n. W.
Green drive well patent, is probably Il trlileI
'too previous" besides that the decision,
if sustained, would really involve a gross
injustice, This at least is how 1t looks if
the following history Of the invention, as
given by the Scientific Imertcan, is cor
rect:
The invention OF the drive well was
made III 1861, by Nelson W. Green, an OF
ticer in one Of the New York regiments
then serving in the war. There was a.
rumOr that the enemy HAD poisoned the
wells. 10 make sure OF "a pure supply of
water tor his own regiment, and for the
Union forces generally, wherever they
might march, he conceived the idea OF
driving into the earth small tubes OF iron,
perforated at the bottom, and attaching a
pump to the upper end of the tube. He
reasoned that when the pump was worked
and suction produced, the water would rise
III the tube, and thus serviceable wells
might be made anywhere by a few min
utes' work, At small cost. HIS invention
was found to be completely successful, was
Immediately adopted IN the army, and our
troops seldom lacked for good water whCr-
ever it was practical to drive down COlonel
Green's tubes. From the army the lnven.
ton quickly spread through this country,
then to foreign countries; ii was adopted
by the British army; 1t is now an adjunct
of the military equipments of all nations,
and Is IN common use throughout the
world.
The patent to Col. Green was not issued
to HIM until 1868, owing TO the inability
of the inventor to attend to the business of
taking the patent until after his relations
with the army were finally closed Such,
IN brief is the history of the drive well
patent. 1t is one of the most useful lnven
tons OF the day, and has conferred vast
benefits upon the people of this country
and the world IN general.
When Col. Green received his patent,
he became entitled to demand compensa-
ton for the use of his invention from that
| time onward for seventeen years, and he es.
tablished a general tariff or patent fee of
ten dollars for each well made in accord
ance with his discovery. Many thousands
OF the Green drive wells were put into use
before his patent was granted; Tor such
| prior use he could make no claim but for
the continued use Of these wells after the
grant Of the patent, he was entitled to de-
mand payment.
There are regions of country where every
| farmer has from one to ten of the Green
wells on their premises; where, IN fact,
people have them in their kitchens, cellars,
yards and fields; wherever they want
water they drive tube and put on the
pump.
These people knew nothing about the
patent when they put in the wells; and the
appearance OF the patentec's agents, asking
for ten dollars payment on each tube, with
| the threat OF law suit if payment was re-
| fused, naturally cXcitcs surprise and lndlg-
nation. They feel as if their rights as
| American citizens were beng invaded.
| What business, they ask, has the Patent
/ Office to grant a patent To prevent us from
pumping water out Of the ground? We
have always been accustomed to stick a
| tube with IT'S pump into our cistcrns and
cellars to draw water; and We claim free
right 10 stick the tubc into the ground and
get water wherever Wc can. For reasons
such AS these many have refused payment
/ but the courts have decided adversely in
various test cases, and the legality OF the
patent has been fully sustained.
/ But the costs Of the law suits, and the
expenses of collecting the royalties have
greatly diminished the patcnlee's receipts.
The patent Will expire by rs own limlta-
tons on January ii, 1885. Ifthe Supreme
4 Court should decide adversely To the patent
in the present case, the inventor and his AS.
socrates will prob bly, lose more money
Than they have received from the invention,
| IT the court sustalns the patent, they may
possibly realize profit, Gs they will be en-
aOlcd hereafter to collect damages from all
who made use Of the patent during Ms life
time.