Griggs courier., 1893-10-06
ALWAYS INVENTING.
AN INGENIOUS MAN WHO IS USUALLY
DOING SOMETHING.

E~L0.sy Nay Ee-TwO EVENINGS y. III :
Eoccc So, Va. Va - 80.
Hat 1t not Deen that my family went
-. CT town o Short time ago and left me
homeless and despelldent, l would never
have beer ehls to write this story. AS it
was v"s wa over Ly the entrcatics of a
--iend end y-cc::t TO i...-c with him and his
little fa,nily-for awhile.
It pleases me to meet gcniuses. I like
to touch shoulders with men of ideas,
and that is just what this friend of mine
might be labcled-a man of ideas. Ibid
not know It before went to his house,
hut then discovered he is an inventor.
What he invents is immaterial; suf-
fee it to say he invcnts in the full sense
of the word. If he works out an idea,
and when the model is perfected itdoesn't
do what he thought it would, he makes
it do something else.
It's q double back action style of in
venting that is destined to fill long felt
wants or leave IN aching void. The in
ventor is not to blame for either of these
happenings, his business being -:gclu-
sively to invent.
We wee sitting in his dining room the
first evening I was ct his house. The
servant had just cleared the dinner table,
md my friends wife was looking after
the youngsters and keeping their nurse
out ct mischief.
George was looking intently at one Of
the gas tips, and his brain machinery was
grinding exceeding fine material, could
see.
"Wcll, whst is it?'' asked, looking up
and around for stray June bug OF some
other bird of plu1nage.
''I'ln just thinking" Gcorgesa rather
drean.ily, 81 can improve on that gas
tip. I'll do it. I've got it sure" Then
he began drawing things on piece cf
paper that looked like Ieformed church
steaples. He said they were gas tips.
For a day or two George ate very lit
tie. I afterward learned this is COM
mon with inventors, as they are able to
go for weeks at q time withDut touching
u morsel. Their brains stop working
when their owner eats. There's no mon
ey in eating except for the dealers in
edibles.
When George came back to- earth and
food, he had /: model in his pocket. 1t
was the tangible outcome of lis think
ing
"Isn't that splendid?' he said, with
ecstasy, holding: it up before me. His
black eyes glistened.
eyes, it's very pretty" Ireplied.. Twill
It worls?"
"You bet it'll work. The uscs will
get large and steady fame. with no
waste of gas and with onc-third the usual
pressure. I'll show you.''
George got up and adjusted it ta tho
chandelier. He got out matches and
then turned out the remaining gas jet
Fully IA matches were struck while.we
sat in the dark. I held my breath be-
cause my hold on sclemnity befitting the
occasion was fast loosing.
He said many things which I could
not be led to repeat The sanctity Of a
private home should not be invaded. It
was,his right to say things. as he paid
the rent.
The thing did NOT work. I could see
that, even though Il was dark. He re-
lighted the gas and sat down. You can
never tell what an inventor is going to
do, so said nothing. Oh, I believe I
did ask him sif there'was an opening in
the end for the gas toooze through. I'm
not sure, though, bnt know George
didn't answer.
He finally secured o couple of feet Of
small rubber hose that he had used in
another experiment and fastened the gas
tip OH one end. He thought perhaps
there was an obstruction that water
wozld clear away. The other end of the
hose he attached to afaucet.
/ Z stood by like any well behaved in,
vited guest. George turned the water,
and it shot through in first rate shape;
Thefact was the gas tip was splendid
sprinkler. Even Georges wife acknowl,
edged that, and she gave up acknowledg
ing anything cut his inventive failures
years ago.
'.Ry graciousI' George exclaimed
''isn't that dandy sprinkler? I'll gel
that patented" Then he laid it down.
It was tho next evening Georges wifi
said that her expensive music box wa
| VUv VI O4OO4 0Au WVN1O AOu pNdys l III
valnabls instrument was put on the ia
bic, and George peared into it for abou'
five minutes.
mo wonder; I see what's the matter,
George remarked as he left the room
He returned with four or five nipple
ments that for all I know belonged to-
kitchen range.
He unfastened . couple of screws am
then-yes, and then! The case was full
of snarled up springs, things that looket
like comb teeth and various odds an,
ends that one would never suspect hav
ing been within 10 miles of the house
minute before. Tears ran down tA
cheeks of Georges wife and dropped i
ON the cylinders.
"What are you trying to do-spolan
rust the works!" George asked. Then b
dickered and dickered until he ha
about a bushel of pieces of machiner
strcwn about. Georges wife retired
and fell asleep on q lounge. My hos
worked until o'clock in the nnornin
and then gave it up.
left the next day. It was impossibl
for ma to remain longer in the hous