The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-03-20

does not appear once or more on the list.
At the present rate he will reach his thou
sand in two or three years. There are
many prolific inventors who have taken
out patents by the score, and few men
are up into the hundreds, but Edison
holds clear lead in the race.
The first patent law in the United States
was enacted in 1890. 1t covered ''any use
full art, manufacture, engine, machine or
device, or any improvement thereon, not
before known" In the law now in force
the language is 'any new and useful art.
machine, manufacture or composition of
matter or improvement thereof" The
first patent was granted July 81, 1890, ''for
making pot and pearl ashes" Only two
others were issued during that year. By
February 81, 1898. when the law was
amended, the total number of patents
granted had increased to fifty-five. One
of these was to John Fitch "for propelling
vessels by steam" A. few years later
Robert Fulton gave the first practical start
to steam navigation.
During the first fifty years Of the repub-
lie the whole number of patents granted
was II, 427. More than twice that number
are now issued each year-a hundredfold
increase. The aggregate from the begin
ming to the present time is nearly 450, 600
During the current fiscal year fully $4,000
patents will be granted or about 500 per
week. Nothing better illustrates the mar
velous growth of the country and the men
tai activity of our people.
In the early days patents were granted
by ''the secretary of state, the secretary of
war and the attorney general, or any two
OF them" The present system, which has
increased to such enormous proportions.
was established in 1886. Up to 1861 the
life of patent was fourteen years and I'M
der certain conditions it might be ex-
tended for a further term of seven years.
1t was learned by experience that the ex-
tension privilege was liable to abuse, and
in 1861 the term was changed to seventeen
years, with no renewals
A brief paragraph will show the growth
OF the bureau as now organized. 1t was
established in 1886 with a commissioner
and total force of seven others. The
first year ABS patents were issued-less
than the work of week in the present
year of our Lord. At this time nearly
600 persons comprise the official and
clerical force. The receipts last year were
Sl,2sl,7 rs and the expenses s., o52. q56,
leaving a net surplus of $22S, 722 For
than selt-sustaining.
The average inventor is more or less of a
Colonel Mulberry Sellers. When he gets
apatent he imagines that there's millions
IN it." A very few inventions bring large
fortunes-to somebody-and perhaps 10
per cent: OF the whole yield moderate re-
| turns. The great mass are disappoint-
ment, resulting only in vexation of spirit
Tens of thousands OF patented articles
have only purely theoretical value.
They are not practical. or the ''long-felt
want which they are designed TO meet is
limited, and the investment of time and
money proves a losing one. In a multi
tude oi cases nothing is ever done beyond
securing the patent.
As general thing inventors are lean in
| purse. II needs money to push new
thing. Unless capital can be induced to
take hold OF il there's an end on I" Al
though the number Of patents that have
proved remuneratiye IS small as compared
/ with the whole, the profits aCcruing from
them have been enormous. As 4 rule the
inventor gets but little of the money.
me hons share goes to further enrich the
! capitalist who supplies the means to find
or make market. The men who gave TO
the world some OF its greatest inventions
have died in poverty. \ few only have
| been fortunate enough TO secure a COM
petenCT.
Next to the application of steam to navi-
CATION. the first great invention on the
records of the Office Was the cotton gin,
! patented by Ell Whitney in 1894. Up to
/ the time this came into use the separation
| OF cotton seed from the fibre had to be
done by hand-a process tedious and ex-
/ pensiye The value OF Whitnev's inven-
uon Is unreasonable. Nothing has done
| SO much 10 cheaper all the products of cot
| Ton. Many Improvements have been made
! but the cotton gin OF today embodies the
same prime PIE that was thought out BY
IN Whitney loo years ago. Before
! Tie year ls0D there were also granted
! patents which reyoiutionized the cardiug
and spinning of wool and the manufactures
| OF nails. Later on came the sewing
machine, the yUlcanizatiou of rubber.
| power looms Tor weaving and knitting. the
I p-aai1s machine, the lathe for turning
irregular forms. the mower and grain har-
! Nes'er, the electric telegraph. the tele-
! phone, the clothes wringer. the screw
making machine, the steam drill, the i'm
provenents IN railway appliances and Il
| thousand others of lesser note, all of
| Which SO largely contribute to the COM