Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-08-01

other field. The inventor was Abraham
Lincoln, and his device consisted of several
enormous air bags which were to be built
into the hull of the craft and inflated upon
emergency to buoy her off.
Among the smaller models there are
many other surprising ideas. There is
rat trap, consisting of an imitation rat that
has a piece of cheese stuck on the end of
little spear projecting from its nose "A short
distance. When real rat comes up to
nibble at the cheese the spear jumps out
about six inches and impales the unfor-
tunate A thing that would probably
have had large sale, if it had worked in
the pioneer days, is a pillow, the beam of
which is gun as well-a very handy
thing to have when Indians were around.
Another useful thing for border use is a
revolver to fire big or little bullets, just as
may be requisite-a great advantage when
lead is scarce and you do not desire to use
large bullet to kill small man. Every
body who has lived in the country has eX-
perienced the annoyance of having his
garden destroyed by the scratching of hens.
Such will be delighted to know that a de-
vice has been invented to prevent this
natural aptitude of hens, and at the same
time to insure that they provide for them
selves good living. 1t is called the "hen
persuader," and is simply piece of fork
shaped wire fastened about the hens ankle
with the prongs extending rearward. This
prevents the fowl from scratching and
also from going backward, for the prongs
stick in the ground when she tries to do
so. Consequently size finds more bugs
than she would if she were to go over the
same ground over and over again.
Then there is a cradle whion rocks the
baby to sleep by clockwork and rocking
chair that works an automatic fan. There
are also pieces of cloth woven out of glass
! spun remarkably fine, and "hired help
awakener" which dumps the servant out
of bed by clockwork at the proper time in
| the morning. If the shock of the sudden
awakening should be fatal there are patent
collins in which to accord them decent
| burial. One of these intended to pre- vent
/ burial alive, is big enough to permit the
/ intombed person upon reviving below
ground to climb out of his grave by means
of ladder left handy for that purpose
and communicating by ventilator hole
with the outside world In case he should
not be strong enough to rise a bell is pro-
vided and attached to his wrist to summon
assistance. Another coffin is so arranged
! that if the corpse moves its head the lid
springs open.
The slot device for ensaring pennies,
nickels, quarters and dimes originated in
England, and was imported to this coun-
| try by the ever enterprising Erastus
| Wiman, who it is said owns the American
rights of the invention. The patent is an
extremely broad one, covering every posi-
BILE application of the principle involved.
The automatic opera glass attachment in
theatres puts royalty in Mr.. Wiman's
capacious pocket, just as the weighing
machines, lung testers and so forth do.
OF all the cranky inventors who have
contributed to the humorous portion of
the 10000 models in the patent Office mu-
scum the officials OF that place have
awarded the palm to that one who sent in
an application for patent for his princi-
pie of assisting the locomotion of dogs"
! This aStute Investigator said in his appli-
cation that he had noticed that dog in
turning corner rapidly always lost time
and expended a certain amount of energy
uselessly by being carried by his momen-
.tum some distance out into the street be-
fore he could turn In the interests of hui
Amanity he had endeavored to find some
method of remedying this, and he now de-
sired to patent the device he had thought
out This device, as shown in an elabor-
ately prepared drawing, was nothing more
than an iron hook which was to be at
tached to each dogs TAIL the purpose be-
ing to have the dog, when running at full
speed. to apply the hook to the corner of
the building or tree he was turning, and
thus swing himself round by the force of
his own momentum, which was otherwise
wasted. The inventor was sure that when
the dog got used to it it would save him
valuable time, and if cats We're the object
of the dogs chase his invention might
prove great boon to humanity. 1t is
needless to say he did not get his patent.
ROBERT GRAVES.