The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-04-07

for new or improved electrical machin-
cry and appliances Many of his inven-
tions have also been patented in for
eign countries. To increase the number
to a round thousand is said to be the
goal of his ambition. He recently took
out eight new ones in Single week.
Patents are issued once q week ION
Tuesday,, and it is rarely that Edison's
name does not appear once or more on
the list. At the present rate he will
reach his thousand in two or three
years. There are many other prolific
inventors who have taken out patents
by the score, and few men up in the
hundreds, but Edison holds a clear lead
in the race.
During the first fifty years of the re-
public the whole number of patents
granted was 11,427 More than twice
that number are now issued each year
"a hundrcdfold increase. The aggre-
gate from the beginning to the present
time is nearly 45O,oOO During the cur
rent fiscal year fully 25, 900 patents will
be granted, or about 500 a week. Moth
ing better illustrates the marvellous
growth of the country and the mental
activity of our people.
In the carly days patents were granted
by "thc 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 SCI the life of patent was four
teen years, and under certain conditions
ha VI rI co.. g.,
of seven years. 1t was learned by ex-
perience that the extension 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 COM
missioner and total force of seven
others. The first year 436 patents were
issncd-lcss than the work of wec,s in
the present year OF our Lord. At this
time nearly 600 persons comprise the
official and clerical force. The reccipts
last year were Sl.2Sl ,72S and the ex-
penses S1,o52, $50, leaving net surplus
of S22s, 722. For many years the bureau
has been more than self-sustaining.
The average inventor is more or less
of Col. Mulberry Sellers When he
gets patent he imagines that there's
u million in it," A very few inven-
lions bring large fortunes-to somebody
and perhaps ten per cent. of the
whole yield moderate returns. The
great mass are disappointment, re-
suiting only in vcXation of spirit. Tens
of thousands of patented articles have
only purely theoretical value. They
are not practical, or the ''long felt
want" which they arc designed to meet
Is limited, and the investment of time
and money proves Il losing one In
multitude of cases nothing is ever done
beyond securing the patent.
As q general thing inventors are lean
In purse. 1t needs money to push n
new thing. Unless capital can be IN
duced to take hold of it there's an end
On IT," Although the number Of patents
chat have proved remuncrative is small,
as compared with the whole, the profits
accruing from them have been enor-
NOUS. AS rule the inventor gets but
little OF the money. The lions share
goes to further enrich the capitalist
who supplies the means to find or make
a market. The men who gave to the
world some of its greatest inventions
have died in poverty. A few only have
been fortunate enough to secure COM
petencc.
The inventive genius of the people of
the United States outstrips that of any
other nation on the globe. England
approaches us most nearly in this re-
spect. Every other country is ont of
sight in the per cent. of patents issued
to population. Looking ut different sec
lions of our own country, we find that
o,676-ncarly half of all the patents
issued last year-were to the five states
OF Massachusetts. New York, Connec-
ticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
Twenty-four other states of the west
end south did not have as many in tho
aggregate as New York. Connecticut
took out last year one patent to every
700 population; Mississippi one to as