The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1891-10-28
SLICK PATENT FAKTRS.
THE HARM THEY DO AND THE
DECEIT THEY USE.

Ambitious, handwriting Inventors Are
Their yIctims--They Generally Operate
by Publishing n Paper What They
Promise and How They Avoid the Law.
OF the making of patents there is no
end, like the making Of books. The
bookmaker and the patentee are half
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 patentmaldng,
which are failures, produce an army Of
desperate cranks, whose persistence OF
purpose is equaled only by the useless
ness or impracticability of the book or
patent. This age Of invention has, how.
ever, produced one class OF inventors
called ''fakirs," which derives liveli-
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 question of time until con.
gress will have to suppress him.
The "patent falzir," as distinguished
from the legitimate agent, is so called
because he runs an agency that is pure
fake. Any one can become fakir, and
he doesn't need much knowledge OF
either patent laws or mechanical laws.
The legitimate patent agent is man OF
wide knowledge, easily commanded.
The fakir simply rents 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 paper 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 b
ticklish letter.
HOW THE FAKIR WORKS.
He says something of this sort: That
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 .'the agency
is publishing paper Of general circula-
ton, and that description of the pat
emit will be printed for ten dollars; for a
like amount the reading matter will be
adorned With 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 al
two dollars per 900, which the 'agency''
will mail tointerested capitalists.
Here is n bonanza for the inventor fol
only thirty-two dollars! Publication in
an illustrated journal and introduction
to tho wealth necessary to make his In.
vention marketable. So he replies tc
the circular and incloses the necessary
amount.
This is how the "agency" plays its
part, When the thirty-two dollars is re.
ceived n cheap cut is made and about
two "sticks" of descriptive matter
printed. About three thousand circulars
are printed, bundle Of which is sent tc
the inventor, and the remainder fed tC
old Boreas from the housetops. The
paper may have little or no circulation.
but still its circulation is general"
The model of the patent which is for
warded is placed ON exhibition" fol-
sale, and thus the agreement is nomi-
nally kept and no law is violated. Thus
the "agency" is about twenty dollars
better off without much hard work.
When one stops to consider the enormous
number of inventors who accept these
proffsrs Of help 1t can be seen how pros.
porous the business may be.
GULLiBLE INVENTORS.
1t is said that one man who has beef
in this flake" business In city down
east for many years has secured vast
fortune, and that he occupies several
floors of building sVith his offices.
"No persons are more gullible than in.
ventors," is the belief upon which the
fakir works.
But there are other schemes to inter.
est inventors. Another agency method
is to organize an association" for in.
ventors, the membership In which is all
the way from ten dollars to twenty-five
dollars. The inventor is not required tc
pay his membership fee until his patent
has passed the "test" of the examining
board" Be that test successful or I'M
successful, the inventor receives highly
Illuminated picture Of an examining
board examining inventions and passing
judgments thereon. If his was success.
full he Is eligible to membership, and II
unsuccessful he must go elsewhere.
There Is no violation OF the letter Of the
agreement which induces the inventor to
join the association. The latter does ali
itpromises, but all 1t promises can bene
fit him little.
Recently there came under the ban on
the French government an academy OF
invention. The plan of this Institution
was to have gradual system of inves-
tigation OF the patents submitted, and
each stage cost few dollars additional
When the last one was reached medals
were awarded at different prices, but
the inventor seldom got off for less than
fifty or seventy-five dollars. The "acad-
envy" was opened by an astute Partisan,
who, while he had violated no law, was
morally guilty Of working confidence
game upon thousands Of his country
men. -Indiapapolis News.
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An Agreeable Dentifrice.