The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-06-27

Gomez q curiously contrived stopper, which
placed upon the neck Of . bottle registers
every drink taken out Of Il.
There are people who still believe In
the practicability OF cow mixers. One OF
them has just got q patent for q four-tube
arrangement by which he expects to draw
of the contents of the udder without he
ing kicked over for his smartness.
The idea Of combining various uses ina
single article 10 q favorite with in
ventors. "The combined cap. pillow and
life preserver" IL to he made OF some air
tight material: As q a it looks like the
sideped The thina for steamer wear. The
renter pulls out. What appears to be a
ventilator in the top proves to be q mouth
piece. You blow into il until the inte.ior
Is about half filled with air and you have
a very fair imitation Of the air pillow. II
you awake at night and find the boat Is
sinking you blow some more air in through
the mouthpiece and have a life preserver
as big ms q good sized bladder. There is
even q piece OF tape attached for tying the
preserver TO the breast.
One of the first contributions from the
new state of North Dakota is q machine
for burning prairie grass. The driver
mounts his eat in front, turns on the gas
oline, strikes q match and move across
The prairie. leaving a broad black line.
The grass over which the big sheetiron
box Is drawn Is entirely consumed, but no
fire escapes outside the box.
The cane, which divides into two parts.
reveals u strip OF short web material upon
which the head of the dude or his grand
father may be rested.
The magnificent and wonderful FROST
ing with which the caterers art covers the
wedding cake is now, by patent, remova-
BILE before the cake is cut, so that il may
be used again n again.
nv nrar.lnt. tn.ttnnnf 10 ttnlp lNr
twisting a single piece of wire rod, but the
person who tries TO make IN for himself
will find that he is infringing n patent.
The improvement of collins has long
been a ~favorite field for ingenuity. The
latest idea is to have the name-plate in
turns into a hollow cylinder. with a cap
which can be unscrewed. This cylinder
is intended for the preservation of any
record which may be inclosed In IL at the
time of the burial.
With a view of robbinR the grave of its
~terrors, somebody has patented a lining
to conceal the mother earth. This lining
consists of evergreen attached to cloth or
mating. After the coffin is lowered the
decoration can be pulled out and used
again until the evergreen wears out or
turns brown. The inventor proposes TO
bring the scenic effects within the reach
Of poorer people by having an imitation
Vi PAthtte "" oiNa' wi
cheaper use.
Another of these funeral-minded iu-
vent ors has patented what he calls "a cab
for pallboarers.' The vehicle has side
doors and will hold eight persons. two Of
whom, however, must ride backward.
The design seems to be to save the ex-
pense of an extra carriage, at the same
time encouraging sociability on the part
of those who are performing the last sad
offices.
And, as IL this was not enough, a fourth
inventor has obtained letters on what he
calls a ''funeral carriage" He carries the
collin and the bearers, and III there are
not too many mourners he accommodates
b whole procession with one vehicle.
The funeral carriage is built like an
omnibus, with a compartment on top for
h coffin. The inventor provides skids,
an endless chain and a pulley for running
h coffin up into the place intended for il
over the heads of the bearers.
Who ever herd of a man lifting himself
by his boot-straps? Only small children
believe i'm the performance of the ''seven-
league boots" Well, the patent office has
just granted papers to a Russian upon a
dsyiee which is a combination OF the
act, with a little of the seven
league business added. The Russian
lives in st. Petersburg. He
calls his invention an''apparatus for walk
ing, running u jumping" The appar-
atus consists of bows and springs fastened
to the feet, the legs, the waist and should
ers. As the knees are bent either to walk
or run or jump, the tension of the bows
and springs is increased and the man
shoots upward and forward. At least,
that is what the drawings n specifica-
tions of the invention say will happen.
The Russian did not send over any actual
samples of his continuance, and the Paten,
Office people have been obliged to act up
on theory only.
"A clearinghouse for cranks" was
what a Southern member dubbed the
United States Patent Office less than q
week ago in debate upon the floor of til,
House.
There is some ground for the congress,
mans criticism that patents are granted
going to do about IL? In ex-Secretar,
the story of a patent office reformer's
fate. some years ago there was an ex
aminer named Shaeffer. He was an able
conscientious and independent man
| After mature consideration of the ques
ton he laid down the platform that hs
would not issue patents that lacked ''nov
city and utility" The army Of paten'
office attorneys who live i'm Washington
and gather i'm 5000 0 of clean cash ever,
year from the applicants for patents
arose i'm their might. They swept ShaeffeI
from his office and his rule was neveI
heard of again. III an invention has nov
city and the inventor a produce the fee
the patent issues, no matter though I'll,
world laughs AT the folly of the idea.