New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-04-09
A CENTURY OF PATENTS.
THE CENTENNIAL OPENED BY PRESIDENT
HARRISON.
MANY wELLKSowN INVENTORS AND MANU-
FACTURERs PREsENT-INTEREsTING ADJ
DRESSES BY COMM ssIoNER MITCHELL.
SENATOR PLATT, SENATOR DANIEL
OTHERS
AND OTHERS.
tpY TELEGRAPH TO THE -RrBusE.I

900 TO 900 people in the Academy Of Music, com
monty known as Lincoln Hall, when President Har-
rison formally opened the centennial celebration OF
the passage Of the law which Is the foundation OF the
American patent system. But while not great III
numbers 1t highly representative audience, from
the view Of the inventor and the manufacturer Oh
patented articles There were many people from
distant points present including liberal representa-
tion NJ women. About $50 season tickets had been
sold to non-resdents, embracing every part OF the
country, who are either inventors, manufacturers or
patent lawyers and nearly every ticket was represented
by two persons
The President appeared on the stage in a suit Of
black diagonal with double-breasted frock coat and
gloves of a dark brown shade. He was greeted warmly
by the assemblage and when John Lynch, EXON
gresham from Maine, as chairman of the executive
committee of the Patent Centennial, brought MIN
formally before tho meeting he proceeded with clear
and brevity to state the proposition, with some
preliminary detail, that civilization had taken great
step forward when 1t came to recognize by law tho
fruit Of the mind property This sentiment was ap-
pauded with great vigor. The President added that
this recognition disnctvely the feature OF the
patent system Of the United States Then, with two
or three further observations In this lne the speaker
declared the opening of the celebration.
After the prayer which followed, the President ex
cused himself to the audience on the ground of urgent
public business awaiting his attention, and he called
upon Secretary Noble to preside in his place.
The essay reading then began. Before 1t was
ended at hafpast 5 o'clock. Mr.. MITCHELL the Com
missioner of Patents; Mr. Wright, the Commissioner Of
Labor Justice Blatchford and Robert 5. Taylor, OF
Indiana had edited the assemblage with learned dis
cusslons of the benefits OF protected invention to
civilization and Senator platt, of Connecticut lead
ing member OF the Senate Committee on Patents. had
talked extemporaneously and most interestingly on
tho same subject
At the night meeting there an increased at
tendance and two addresses Of striking interest were
made By senator John W. Daniel, OF Virginia, and Mr.
Willis the Assistant Secretary Of Agriculture
Tomorrow there will again be two slttngs OF the
congress The day session will be presided over by
Frederick Fraey president OF the National Board OF
Trade and OF the American Philosophical society AT
night Professor s. p. Langley, secretary oil the sml-
sonaa Institution, will preside. Many papers VIII
be read.
Friday the centennial anniversary of the signing Of
the patent law By President Washington, will be tho
day OF greatest popular interest The venerable Dr..
Toner who is now engaged upon new life OF wash
ingtOn Is to deliver at Mount Vernon, whittier tno
congress and many invited friends are to be carried by
steamers an address upon washington as an inventor
and Promoter OF improvements" In the early AFTER
noon the Ordnance Foundry at the Washington Navy
Yard is to be inspected Later H. the afternoon the
President will review the Regular troops stationed
bereabouts tho District National Guards, and two or
three independent military organizations. Az Friday
nights session Professor Alexander Graham Bell VIII
preside and moro addresses will be made
The vast fund OF information comprehended by tho
numerous papers Is to he prcscrNon Ill perhahe' i "
in souvenir volume.
CARROLL d. Wright the Commissioner Of Labor, spoke
unon the subject OF the relation Of invention to labor
and said in part:
We arc living in the age Of mind intellect, brain.
which 1Gdsy Is Nas a o nG and wealth Of Pulse
struggle for the mastery, and the former wins any sne
the to the snd bper rather than to the
Rothschds and Astors 1t Is only natural ana iosioi
chat under such sovereignty invention Should MOI OILY
typify the progress OF the race. bu. nay oES
| marked Influence upon the morals OF The peoples
mixed influence, but on the Whole win ue eOVa ,S
working has learned that, from rude lnstrnen.
OF toll, he has become an intelligent exponent o.
ling animal conentment, but IS something more ana
wants the contentment which belongs to te oeSs en-
vironment The mistake should not be made Oh d, as
signing the of strikes and controversies 10 retro
Or to any desire to destroy the grand results Of past
Inventions How "A new system shall be established
with perfect justice 10 capital and to labor recognizhs
rho moral forces at work contemporaneonsly with TIC
Industrial and the perfectly just distribution OF pros
relative to the use Of inventions Is tic great problem
OF the age. Machinery Is young-n igt, Is oiI2 uio
fOrerunncr Of more golden deeds That the worhs
9G not receive he Justice e a. se Of S
| Commissioner Mitchell had for his theme The
Firth and Growth Of the American Patent system
The patent system, he said, had stimulated inventive
thought had stimulated men 20 transform their think
ing into things, had encouraged men to disclose the
inventions and enabled inventors to make their efforts
fruitful and saved them from the folly OF instructed
| labor
Justice Blatchford who is recognized the Patent
| expert on the bench Of the United States Supreme
| Court spoke on a Century Of Patent Law He
| summed up as follows:
| The principle which the patent laws are based
| is 10 give the Inventor exclusive right, for a
limited time In consideration of his fully disclosing
his Invention 80 that ~ may be made ana used y e
| tnis stimulus there has. come into existence the
brilliant T o. i Inv |f f s hSye con
arts, and to the material welfare Of nations and in
small part and It is quite Certain that in he future
American inventors Will do their full share toward
illustrating the 6eneicent operation Of the patent
shall be another centennial celebration like the ono
occurred no dlmnuti0n Of the importance and value
| Of American Inventions
Robert 5. Taylor, of Fort Wayne. lrd, had for his
topic Experimenting Inventions of America The
first epoch was Just century ago. save year. he
said and the epoch of cheap cotton CLOTH caused
| by Whitney's invention Of the cotton-gn. Forty-sx
| years later the sewing machine opened the epoch
| of cheap clothes Robert Fulton opened the epoch
| of cheap travel The railroad and locomotive fol
lowed, and the Chicago limited the legitimate
| descendant Of q padde-whee steamboat. Franklin
was the foremost in the great field OF electricity
whose subjugatlon was begun by Morse. The steam
engine, said the speaker the breath and muscles
the telegraph the nervous system OF the body polite
But the most gratifying Of all inventions was the
telephone which introduced the epoch Of neghborshp
without propinquity and heightened life by saw
| Ing time The epoch Of news came In with Hoes
cylinder press Of new dimension for cities with
the vertical railway, and Of cheap food with McCor.
mcks reaper. There vas he concluded no more
beautiful invention than the typewriter. the sewing
machine Of thought, which clothed our IDEAS as the
sewing machine clothed bodies.
senator Plat closed the afternoon session with
| speech on Invention and Advancement
Senate, Daniel was the first speaker at the evening
session, which was opened by Secretary Noble. lie
spoke in the highest terms Of praise Of the Patent
Office and Its worth, and pointed with pride TO the
long list Of inventors from the Southern States The
inventions OF the cotton gin and process for develop
lug steel had greatly aided TO develop the resources Of
| the south, which was rich In raw materials. The
last decade Of Southern progress had been a revela
ton and a revolution. The intermxture OF southern
brains and Northern capital would make the south
| the EldoIad0 OF modern invention.
Assistant Secretary Wllfets OF the Agricultural De
partment then made address In which he spoke Of