Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-12-20
WOMEN AS INVENTORS.

1
Interesting Facts Concerning the Inven-
tive Ability of woman-A Multitude of
/ Ingenuties the Work of her Brain.
The Commissioner of Patents has re-
Gently issued a special report upon the
subject of women inventors. and from
it some interesting facts may be CLEAN
ed. This document proves conclusive
ly that women do not alone claim cred
1t as mothers, as housekeepers, as
dressmakers, as milliners, as novelists,
as poets, as painters, as musicians, as
sculptors. They can invent, also.
Every city in the nation boasts of
women who are artistic experts in fash
lonlng attractive dresses, in putting to-
gether bewitching bonnet, in taking
care of babies and discharging house
hold duties. Romance has its George
Eliot, Mrs. Howe, Charlotte Bronte,
Dinah Maria Muloch. Poetry has its
Elizabeth Barrett Browning. pictorial
art its Rosa Bonheur, sculpture its
Harriet Hosmer, music its Clara Schu-
mann. In fact woman's brains and fin
gers have penetrated into all depart
ments of life, aesthetic as well as prac-
| tical. But woman as an inventor has
not received that consideration which it
seems is her due. The Commissioner
of Patents in his report has taken the
pains to impress upon the public the
extent and variety of female inventive
ness. Its title is: Women Inventors
to Whom Patents have been Granted by
the United States Government from
1890 to July l, 1888" 1t will certainly
interest the women to know what their
sisters have done in competition with
the "lords of CREATION
The list includes $500 names. From
1890 until 1909 the inventive genius of
women did not come to the surface. So
that to this extent the title of the Com
missioner's report is misleading. But
from 1909 to the present time there has
been no lack of ingenuity on her part.
The first inventor of the gentle sex to
be recorded officially was Miss Kate
Kies who, in the year 1909, secured a
patent for straw weaving with silk or
thread. In 1915 Mary Brush obtained
a patent on a new corset. In 1919
Sophia Moher appeared with something
original in the cream of tartar line.
Up to 1858 the number of women in
ventors was comparatively small, and it
can not be said that she demonstrated
any especial versatility in the field of
new and useful articles. From 1919 to
1858 women had patented new kind
of balsam lavender, callash balloon
for ladies, butter worker, a rocking
chair fan, baby jumper, and another
kind of corset. For the next five years
her inventive genius seemed to slumber.
In the latter years twenty-five patents
were issued to women. These included
five new styles of corsets, new hair
crimper, a new sad iron and an i'm
proved device in ladies' leggins. In
1866 we find that forty-six patents were
issued to women. Every year since
then has witnessed a gratifying growth |
in female inventiveness until in the past |
year, the number of patents issued was
At the beginning of the development |
of this special faculty, the women in
venting confined themselves to planning
for use in the household |
alone and in contributing to the beauti-
flying of their sex. But during late
years their inventive powers have be-
come more generally useful to mankind,
and has boldly invaded the field which
man has regarded as his own. An ex-
animation of the special report shows
that women have among other valuable
inventions secured patents for the fol-
lowing devices. Fire escapes, corn
shelters, railway car heaters, car coup
lers, spark arresters, wood pavement,
street cars, dumping wagons, paper
'eeding machines, fire alarm thermom-
sters, furnace CRATE bars, saving fellies,
journal bearers and land pulverizers.
Surely there can be no criticism passed
Upon the list for usefulness, or narrow
'ange of ideas. If at the beginning the
genius of women confined itself to Law
,nder water, to corsets, to hair crimp-
ng and to cream of tartar it is only
natural She wanted to try her hand
irst upon subjects with which she was
best acquainted. Gradually she has
enlarged her sphere and to-day she
in all things with men.
The report furnishes food for a good
leal Of thought and speaks volumes for
he ability of womankind.- Detroit
rres press