The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-05-05
MISTAKEN INVENTORS.
Practical knowledge Necessary to
Complete Suocesn
Muc', Mental Labor Often Spent In vain
BY Ambitious Persons Who Aright
Have Dccn Successful In
Smaller Ways.

The fact TINT very large proportion
Of patented inventions are n disappoint-
nent 70 their originators because Of
their failure TO yield profitable return
for time and money expended on them
is q subject often discussed by inventors
and those who are directly interested
in their work 1t Is probable that in no
other field of human effort are there SO
many bitter disappointr,cnts, so many
crushed hopes and so much of genuine
hcartachc as among inventors AL
though thousands of them annually
achieve success and criteron a career Of
prosperity, other thousands find little
or no rcwnrtl; the devices from which
they confidently expected afluence have
only added to their poverty.
Many an intelligent nnn tolls for
years, says the New York Journal, de-
nying himself all the lllxuries and most
OF the comforts of life to bring out an
invention seemingly full of promise,
but destined to utter failure. The
reasons for this extended area Of disap-
pointment are not very numerous nor
hard to find. First among them IL in
sufIlcicncy Of practical knowledge on
the part of the inventor. For example,
man who knows nothing of the prac-
teal work Of steam engineering may
invent and patent O device In that line
which will appear to him. and other
professionals, to be great advance
on existing methods for generating or
utilizing steam, but which viii be con-
demncd by the most competent judges
In all kinds of machinery tho same
cause Is a prolific source Of disappoint-
nent.
The thing invented may be very in
Genious, rnay have cost a vast deal Of
mental labor and may attest tho intel
l,ctual superiority of the inventor; but
if it be deficient in practical utility, II
its Introduction viii not be profitable
to those for whom it is intended, it goes
to the lumber yard of oblivion Persons
who are utterly ignorant of gunncry
frequently invent something In that
line, but they very rarely attain success
The Same rule holds good in all the in
dustrial arts, including agriculture,
mining, manufactures, building
and railroading. Brilliancy Of intellect
and originality in conception nra cFa~t
by lack of practical knowlodg. 49,,
CT reason why failure is 80 f.Y1r.-;
encountered is lack of CAPT. q, - ~
feet, construct and demonstTa,., a.s-:
Inventions Of great value ore i.'i,2,; dor
mant because q good deal {, >,,,.'
would be required to show. L., wore.
what they are and what advantages
they possess
This is especially true Of invontiona
that menace great interests. When o
pntent threatens annihilation of vast
value, when it proposes to sweep away
plants thatrcprcsent millions OF dollars,
capital hesitates to develop 1t, for its
Introduction means eight to the dcuth
between gigantic conflicting intc.ests-
In catering to the demands of fashion,
elegance and luxury there ore many in
ventions brought ont that do not pay,
because there is not and cannot be a
large demand for them. The best ele-
n1ent CT success In u patent Is ndapta-
ton to q, universal or general want To
do some simple thing that is done by the
masses, and to do il cheaper nnd better
than before, is to succeed.
To furnish healthfui and innocent
amusement in q new end attractive
way, and DO it at small cost. is to put
money in your purse. Anything that
the people will recognize as meeting
want tastefully ar.l cheaply will find
purchasers. Some Of tho most profita-
bic patents-paying the best in proper
ton to the time and money expended
have been the simr. ,st things, SO sim
pie that almost everybody. on seeing
one Of them, wonders why he or she did
not think OF IL long ago