Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-10

weary interval with selections, ancient and
modern, until II O'Clock. Shortly
before that hour the Academy Band Of thirty
men arrived on a couple of cable cars and were
received with open arms by Chairman Babson.
Within five minutes from that time the Excel
sior was moving down stream. There was
no particular program to be followed at
Mount Vernon. Everybody proceeded up the
hill to the tomb and several gentlemen caught
cold by standing there with bare heads for too
long a period. Then came the inevitable
photograph. the examination Of the house and
the somewhat damp ground and at 80 the
party returned to the boat. As many as pos
sible crowded into the saloon. and there Dr. J.
NJ. Toner delivered his mastery address upon
Washington as an Inventor and Promoter Of
Improvements"
DIR. Toner'S Address.
Dr.. Toner said: 1t is fitting that on an occa-
sion like the present, which reviews past and
forecasts q coming century, the friends Of the
great American patent system should visit the
tomb Of Washington. For where rest the
ashes, hovers, methinks, something of the
spirit of the man whose genius and valor led
the thirteen dependent American colonies to
independence, and whose influence a century
ago formed them into one united federal gov
eminent under a written constitution, of which
he was one Of the principal authors and under
which our country, our patent system and our
mechanical inventions have made such marvel
Gus progress.
lit cannot be claimed that Washington orig
mated the idea OF recognizing property in in
ventions, he was. without doubt, the chief pro-
moter Of the sentiment which brought together
the convention Of delegates from the several
states to consider their future well being and
- form a more perfect union.
BY a unanimous desire of the convention,
Gen. Washington was called upon to preside
over the gathering. Through the careful de-
hberations of this equal-rights and liberty-loy-
ing conclave of statesmen was evolved our
written constitution, which has welded the
United States into a nation. This, our magma
charta, may be claimed one of the most orig
inai and beneficent inventions in the art of gov
ernment ever devised to secure liberty to a
people, with equal justice to all, regulated by
/ 1t is not certain who introduced into the con-
| yention the proposition regarding patents and
copyrights, but considering the personnel of
| the convention. it might have originated with
either Washington or Franklin, and was certain
| Of an earnest support from both.
This was the FIRST assembly Of law makers in
the world to reduce this conception to a practi-
cal formula, or make it fundamental princi-
pie that inventors and authors have a right in
| their inventions which should be recognized
| and protected for limited time BY law
Here, at Mount Vernon, the duty has been
| assigned to me near the close of this brilliant
| and, / trust, profitable patent centennial, to
A
ventor and promoter of improvements in the
| arts.
In compliance with this complimentary as
| signmeEt shall venture to claim your atten-
| ton for only brief period; not but that much
could be said confirmatory of the fact that
| Gen. Washington, who owned these broad
| acres, enjoyed this magnificent prospect and
for half a century dispensed a most bountiful
hospitality In this revered mansion. was ever
on the alert for lettering mans condition in
| life through education and improvements in
all kinds OF productive machinery and labor
saving devices.
| wAsHINGroNs ANCESTRY.
While it may not be claimed that George
Washington ia descended from a line Of in
| ventors, sages or heroes, history confirms the
fact that he sprung from an intelligent enter
Prising, courageous. self-reliant, truth and
| iabor-loving. God-fearing stock, who were in
| their day and generation leading citizens in
the community IN which they lived. The in
stances In which Washington gave encourage
| ment TO new inventions are numerous, and the
| fact is beyond doubt that he provided the best
| machinery for his mills, and, everything con-
sidered, for all the industries under his con-
troll he also had a Kind word of encourage
| ment for those working to the end of deyisinp
new methods and improved implements in the
arts This spirit along with his official duty
| TO see proper laws enacted by Congress under
the authority Of the Constitution which he had
assisted III drafting, led him in his first annual
AID useful inventions, and doubtless gave him
special pleasure to sign the first patent law
under the government of the United States as
| well as to attach his name to the first patent
| issued shortly after under the act
Just one century ago George Washington
| then President of the United States was for
one week at Mount Vernon. He was then set
| ting out Oh a tour through the southern states
having made similar semi-official one of the
the eastern states In October and November
1859.
| A consensus Of the most careful studies of
the life of George Washington from his child
hood represents him mentally and phys-
ically precocious-attaining almost his full
stature in his nineteenth year, but throughout
men of experience maryeled at the maturity of
his Judgment and his knowledge of the details
Of business and public affairs.
4 The consummate control which Washington
habitually maintained over his feelings. so
that Judgment might be his guide, his never
tagging industry and strict attention to DUTY
together with his most infiexible principles OF
justice, enabled him, a. nothing else could. to
deport himself with undertaking propriety and
dignity every occasion and made him the
great leader he was
During the summer of 1851 Mai. Lawrence
Washington resigned the ofhce OF sdjutant in
| spector OF the militia Of Virginia, with the
rank Of major. to which position he had his
brother George appointed, with the pay Of ESQ
military commission. With his usual assiduity
he at once set to work to fully inform himself
Of his official duties and to acquire by study