The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1891-11-12
SLICK PATENT FAKIRS,
lHs HARM THEY DO AND THE
DECEIT THEY USE,

Promise and How They Avoid the Law.
or the making of patents there is nc
end, IKE the making of books. The
/ bookmaker and the patentee are halt
brothers, the one making machines for
the convenience Of the mind, and the
other making things for the convenience
Of hand. Both see through the same
glass, and both see the Elusive vision OF
wealth and fame. The distinction is
that bookmaking and patentmaking,
which are failures, produce an army OF
desperate cranks, whose persistence OF
purpose is equaled only by the useless
ness OF impracticability Of the book OF
patent. This age Of invention has, how
ever, produced one class Of inventors
called "fakirs," which derives a iveli.
hood by its schemes to draw the coins
from the pockets of the better class OF
inventors.
The patent fakir in some cities is be
coming numerous, prosperous and bold.
1t is only a question Of time until con
gress will have to suppress him.
The "patent fakir," as distinguished
from the legitimate agent, is SO called
because he runs an agency that is a pure
fake. Any one can become a fakir, and
he doesn't need much knowledge of
either patent laws or mechanical laws.
The legitimate patent agent Is a mar of
wide knowledge, easily commanded.
The fakir simply rents a suite of rooms
and puts up his sign. Then he frequent
ly begins the publication of a patent
paper.
1t isn't necessary for the pape to have
any circulation, but is a good idea to
send out several hundred sample copies
to known inventors. Then he watches
legitimate patent journals closely, and
the publications and reports Of the
patent Office, and when an invention is
found that it is possible, he thinks, to
induce its originator to back it up to the
bottom of his purse, he writes him a
ticklish letter.
HOW H FAKIR ri
He says something Of this sort: That
he has regarded with deep interest
your valuable invention" Continuing,
he may state that he will be glad to put
the article on sale, and a model will help
him greatly. The last paragraph of the
letter is to the effect that 1.-The agency
is publishing a paper Of general circula-
ton, and that a description Of the pat
ent will be printed for ten dollars; for a
like amount the reading matter will be
adorned with a cut of the invention,
which is the property Of the inventor
after used once, but to properly and
cheaply advertise the invention it is
necessary to purchase 5000 circulars at
two dollars per 200, which the "agency"
will mail to interested capitalists.
Here is a bonanza for the inventor for
only thirty-two dollars! Publication in
an illustrated journal and introduction
to the wealth necessary to make his in
~vention marketable. So he replies to
the circular and ~incloses the necessary
amount.
This is how the 'agency" plays its
part. When the thirty-two dollars is re-
ceived a cheap cut is made and about
two "sticks' Of descriptive matter
printed. About three thousand circulars
are printed, a bundle of which is sent to
the inventor, and the remainder fed to
| old Boreas from the housetOps. The
paper may have little OF no circulation.
but still its circulation is general
The model OF the patent which is for
warded is placed on exhibition" fol-
sale, aud thus the agreement is Bomi-
nally kept and no law is violated. Thus
the "agency" is about twenty dollars
better off without much hard work.
When stops to consider the enormous
number Of inventors who accept these
proffers of help it can be seen how pros,
porous the business may be.
GULLIBLE INVENTORS.
1t is said that one man who has been
in this fake business in a city down
east for many years has secured a vast
fortune, and that he occupies several