Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04

Sl.4OO per annum, to have charge OF the grant
ing of patents. DIR. Thornton was quite
prominent man. He had been appointed by
President Washington as one of the commits
sioners of Washington city under the law to
establish the permanent scat of the govern
ment.
In 1910 Congress made an appropriation to
purchase building for the General Post Office
Depar tment and 1.-THE Office of the keeper Of
patents" Blodgett's old hotel was purchased.
IL stood on the ground now occupied by the
south front of the General Post Office Depart
ment building. In the east end OF this build
ing Thornton moved the records, models, &c,
relating to the issuing of patents.
SAVED FROM THE BRITISH.
An anecdote is told of him as to how he
saved this building from destruction by the
British in 1914. 1t seems that a squad of SOL
diers under the command of an English officer
had trained a cannon on the building to de-
stroy it and were just about to fire it off when
Thornton rode up rapidly. He quickly dis
mounted and flung himself In front OF the can
non and exclaimed: Are You Cloths and van
dals. or Englishmen? This is the patent office,
in which the whole world is interested, Would
you destroy it? Then fire away and let the
charge pass through my body The officer
hung his head with shame and ordered the SOL
diers away. Thornton early began to be
called the superintendent Of the patent
Office" but the title was not recognized in the
law until 1880, two years after his death, by
OF the patent Office in an appropriation bill
There were 9,957 patents issued under this act
and at the date of the succeeding law. July 4.
1886. the patent office had accumulated fund
of some 600 over and above the amount
of Its expenses since the act of 1898.
THE ACT OF 1886.
For forty-three years the meritorious in
ventor and the public at large had suffered
from the abuses which had grown out of the
act of 1898. In the year 1886 Senator Ruggles
of Maine, who was an early champion of a
form Of the law. moved In the Senate for the
appointment of IA select committee ito take
into consideration the state of the patent Office
and the laws relating to the issuing of patents
for inventions" The committee was appointed
and in a lengthy report, on April Is in the
same year. set forth the defects of the law of
1873 and at the same time submitted bill for
the entire reorganizatio of the patent law and
the patent office. The bill became law July
4, 1886. 1t provided for the establishment of a
patent office. with commissioner of patents
and the appointment of IAN examining clerk"
whose duty was to make an examination of the
merits of the inventions sought to be patented.
This feature of this law has never been altered,
and examinations are made today of all APP
plications for patents JUS as done under
the law of 1886. The first patent granted under
this act was to the Hon. John Ruggles, ''for
locomotive engines on inclined planes" July 10.
1886, and the present system of numbering the
patents began. Over 45O, 600 patents have since
been issued.
In the same year and on the same day that
this act was passed another act approved
appropriating S10S 900 out of 1.-The patent fund"
for the erection of a building for the accom-
mediation of the patent office.
THE PATENT OFFICE BUILDING.
Late in July, 1886, the construction Of the
building was begun. The plans of ii were pre-
pared by Dir. William Elliott. who had been a
clerk in the patent Office for a number of years.
Mr.. Elliott resigned his position in the Office in
1929 and went to Europe to study architecture.
On his return to this country he opened an
Office for the pursuit of his profession in this
city. The building was designed solely for the
use Of the patent Office. The second floor was
to be in one vast hall and in this hall it in
tended 70 permanently display specimens of
in other words. institute a national museum or
gallery in which would be exhibited models
and specimens, &C., Of the inventive genius
and skill of the country.
DESTROYED BY FIRE.
On December 5, 1885, a fire DESTROYED the
patent Office and central post office building
and all the records models. &C., of the Office were
entirely consumed. A local writer mourned
over the loss at the time in the following re-
Elections: when We look upon the dreadful
ruin spread around by the destruction OF the
patent Office, the American museum of art the
most solemn feeling overwhelms the mind.
: There lie the ashes Of the records of more than
10000 inventions, with their beautiful models
and drawings" The Office found temporary
quarters in the city hall until the spring of
1910. when it moved into its own home The
building the south front of the present
patent Office building. excluding the south ends
or projections of the east and west wings. 1t
was go feet long and SO feet wide and cost
SAP 0ll65, and was considered in those days
to be grand public edifce. Henry s. Els
worth of Connecticut appointed the first
commissioner and Charles NJ. Keller "examin-
ing clerk"
ATTACHED TO THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
In the act establishing the Interior Depart
ment, in 1S49. the patent office was attached to
| it as one Of its principal bureaus. The same
act that created the Interior Department ap-
propriated $50, 900 TO begin the addition of the
east or It'll street wing. II was finished in 1852
at a cost Of S600, 900. and the Interior Depart
ment moved in Immediately thereafter. In
\ 1856 the west or 9Th street wing was erected
and completed at All expense Of $3.50, 900 and In
1861 the north or g street wing was entirely
I finished at cost of S575 0O0 The entire build
| ing footed up some 81, 347, 0l1.65.
In 1910. the first year the Office moved in its
new building. there were 765 applications for
patents and AIS patents issued. The receipts
salaries, Sl6, 1857, and contingent expenses,
| S23. 9S2.4l. Balance in the treasury to the
credit OF the patent fund was $4,000. A
small portion of the contingent ex-
penses was money expended for the
| purchase and distribution OF seeds. The
commissioner OF patents was charged with this
\ duty by an act passed in 1887, and until the
creation OF the agricultural bureau had super
vision Of agricultural statistics, seed distribu-
ton, &c. In 1870 all the patent laws were re-
pealed and a law enacted consolidating them
| into one measure. The law of 1870 added an
assistant commissioner and an examiner Of in
4 references to the organization OF the Office.
IN 1910 the number OF applications for patents
| were III and number OF patents issued 49,
i 5S3. The receipts we're S669, 456. 76 salaries
1 Si0i, 1883, and contingent expenses. $751;
| O03. 50. There was a credit showing of o bal
/ anee il the treasury of S64S, 1881. I say a
| credit showing. for, by an act passed in 1855,
| the patent fund, which at the date Of the act
| amounted to about $3.50, coo, was swept into the
general revenues Of the government, and there
! after appropriations were made for the support
\ Of the office as for other bureaus Previous to
| this act all the money received by the Office was
| kept separately in the treasury and known as
| the patent fund, and the commissioner drew
| against il to pay tine salaries, contingent ex-
penses, &c, Of the Office Notwithstanding ''the
| fund" was abolished the office maintained the
practice of keeping an account Of what it would
have in the treasury If the Office were allowed
| 10 pay Its own salaries and expenses. From
! July 5, 1886, 10 january l. 1870 9S, 460 patents
! were issued and the examining force increased
| from one examining clerk" to three exam