The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-04-09
INVENTIVE GENIUS.
Spurred on by the Congress in
Session at Washington.
OPENED BY PRESIDENT HARRISON.

Secretary Noble Acts as Presiding
Officer, and Addresses Are Deliv.
cred by Com Missioner of Patents
Mitchell and Other Men of Ma
tional Renown.
WASHINGTON, April 9,-The opening
session Of the congress of inventors and
manufacturers of patented inventions,
in honor of the second session of the
American patent system, was held yes
terday afternoon. President Harrison's
appearance was signaled by burst OF
applause. On the stage distinguished
com pany gathered about the president
Among them were Secretary Noble,
Postmaster General Wanamaker, Sen.
ator Platt, Senator Daniel, Commits
sioner Mitchell, of the patent office; AS
sistant Secretary Bussey, of the interior
department; Private Secretary Halford
and Mrs Vail, whose deceased husband
WAS associated with Professor Morse in,
the invention of telegraphy.
In the audience were Thomas A. Ed
ison, DR.. II. Calling, the inventor Of
the famous machine gun; George West
inghouse, of Pittsburg, and many
others whose inventions have made
their names known throughout the
civilized world. Exc Congressman John
Lynch, of Maine, chairlncn of the com.
mittee on the celebration, announced
the open ing of the congress aud read
the list of officers and honorary officers
of the congress.
Opened by the President.
Without introduction President Har-
rison ut the conclusion of Mr.. Lynch's
remarks stepped to the front of the
stage and said his connection with the
meeting must be brief, and might seem
formal, as other engagements would
prevent his enjoyment of listening to
the speeches to follow He could only
by his presence at the opening cypress
his appreciation of the Importance of
the gathering, and he expressed hope
for the increased progress of invention.
The ownership in a clumsy device fash
ioned by savage hands from wood or
stone was essentially property. but the
growth of civilization secured to more
refined devices quite as full an owner
ship The organization Of the patent
system signifies very largely the symbol
of the advance of the country in pros
peritv and civilization. Nothing more
stimulates effort than securing the re-
suits of effort.
Secretary Noble PresIdes.
After Rev. DR.. Sunderland had asked
the divine invocation for the congress
the President introduced Secretary
Noble, who, he sail would, as first
vice president, preside over the con-
gress the rest Of the afternoon during
the unavoidable absence of himself.
Tho president then withdrew and Sec
retary Noble (who made the introduce
tions during the rest of the SESSION. pre-
sented Hon. Charles Elliott Mitchell, of
Connecticut the commissioner Of pat
ents. Commissioner Mitchell spoke on
"The Birth and Growth of the Patent
System" He was followed by Hon. o.
H. Platt, United States senator from
Connecticut, and chairman of the SEN
ate committee on patents, who read
paper on Invention and Advance
ment," He gave picture of the rapid
progress of the American people, and
showed tine relation of that progress to
Invention.
Other Speakers.
Hon. Carroll D. Wright, of Massa-
chusetts, the commissioner of labor,
called the address he delivered THE
Relation of Invention to Labor" That
the working man, he said, does not re-
ceiye full justice as the result of the
use of inventions must te the con.
Clu5iOH Ol EVERY bJuuenU. JUSTICE
Samuel Blatchford, of the United States
supreme court, was next introduced.
His address was entitled, "a Century
Of Patent Law" and in it he reviewed
the whole question from 1923 to the
present time. Justice Blatchford was
followed by Robert S. Taylor, on
Epoch. Making Inventions of America"
The congress then adjourned until
evening.
The evening session of the congress
was very slimly attended. Secretary
Noble presided He made short ad-
dress and introduced Senator John w.
Daniel, of Virginia, who spoke on 1.-THE
New South as an Outgrowth of Inven-
tion and the American Patent Law"
He was frequently interrupted by ap-
plause. The next and final address was
delivered by Hon. Edward Willis, of
Michigan, the assistant secretary of
agriculture. 1t was entitled "The Re-
lation of Invention to Agriculture. AT
the conclusion of his address the con-