Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-02-11
THE PATENT OFFICE
HOW ft Began Life Under the Foster
ing Care of Jeferson-Its suose-
quent History.

quent History.
By act of April 10, 1890, the first
American patent Office was founded,
writes q correspondent to the Cincln-
nati Enouirer Thomas Jefferson Ia
insnired il, and may be said to have
beer the father of the American pat
emit Office. He took great pride in it,
il is said, and gave personal consider
alton to every application that was
made for a patent during the years
between 1890 and 1893, while the
power of revision and rejection grant
ed by that act remained in force. It
is related that the granting OF a pat
ent was held to be ia those early times
times quite an event in the history of
the state department, where the cleri-
cal part of the work was then per-
formed.
It is matter of tradition, handed
down from generation 10 generation
by those who love to speak of Mr..
Jefferson and his virtues and eccen-
tricities, that when an application for
q patent was made under the first act
he would summon Mr.. Henry Knox,
of Massachusetts, who was secretary
of war, and Mr.. Edmund Randolph,
OF Virginia, who was attorney gener-
al, these officials being designated by
the act, with the secretary of state, q
tribunal to examine the application
critically. scrutinizing each point of
the specification and claims carefully
and vigorously.
The result of this examination was
that during the first year a majority
of the applications failed to pass the
ordeal, and only three patents were
granted. In those years every step
IN the issuing of patent was taken
with great care and caution, Mr.. Jeff
erson seeking always to impress upon
the minds Of his officers and the pub
lie that the granting of a patent was
matter of no ordinary Importance.
The growth Of our patent was mat
ter of no ordinary importance. The
growth OF our patent system, it's vast
importance, It's intimate connection
with and direct influence upon the
property Of the country, demand
that it shall receive a degree of atten-
sion which it cannot and will not re
ceive while it remains merely sub
ordinate bureau of the interior de-
partment.
The first patent was granted July 81
1890, to Samuel Hopkins for making
pot and pearl ashes An examination
of the parents granted between 1870
and 1910 shows most surprisingly the
germ of the ideas which by subse-
quent improvements have been in
corporated into an inventive system.
By the act of 1896 board of examin-
ers was crested. The official system
was not B very large one at that time
The patent Office was created, but il
was attached to the department. Of
state. There were provided for the
Office, 10 be appointed by the com
missioner of patents, with the apprO
val OF the secretary Of state, a
chief clerk, an examining clerk, three
clerks machinist. messenger That
constituted in 1886 the entire force oil
the patent office. In 1849 the Office
was disconnected from the depart
ment of state and attached to the de
partment of the interior, which was
then created.
The establishment of the paten
Office marked the commencement O.
the marvellous development of the re
sources of the country which is the
admiration and wonder Of the world
a development which challenges al
history for parallel, and it is not toe
much to say that the unexampled
progress has not been only dependent
the patent system of this country.
We have had ffty years OF progress,
fifty years of invention applied to the
everyday wants of life; fifty years
of patent encouragement, and fifty
years In a development in wealth, re
sources, grandeur, culture, power,
which is little short of miraculous.
Population, production, business,
wealth, comfort, culture, power,
grandeur-these have all kept steE
with the expansion of the inventive
genius of this country, and this prog
ress has only been made possible by
the inventions of it's citizens. Il is
only when the brain evolves and the
cunning hand fashions labor-sav1ne
machines that nation begins &c
throb with new energy and life, and
expands with a new growth, It is
only when thought wrings from nat
ure her untold secret resources that
solid wealth and strength are accu
mulated by people. Especially is
this true In republic. Under arbit.
rary forms of government kings may
conquer other nations, they may ex
tort from, Cypress, and degrade the
men who till the soil, and they may
thus acquire wealth; but IN a republic
1t is only when the citizen conouers
nature, EFFORTS Ter resources and APP
propriates her riches that you find
real wealth and power. Women are
among the army of inventors. The
majority of applications fled by WON,
en- for patents are for articles used Ia
housekeeping, or for dress, or toilet.
Several have invented sewing-ma
chimes, and others sewing-machine
attachments. A great many applica
tons have been made for patents by
the principles of which have already
been patented. One woman has s
patent for an artificial stone compost
ton, probably for building or paving
purposes. One has received patent
Tor dlslnfectant; one for preserving