Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-04-13

category of3an In vsptor, leaving itt' Others
for which we In Vermont may well clainn
that SO far as 1908 is concerned, tho
problem has been completely solved aud was
in practical operation upon the waters.
Samuel Morey, who invented the steam
boat at Fairee and Oxford, was visited by
Chancellor Livingston before 10Y. but the
exact date ] have not been able to learn,
and made an offer OF $1,000 for the right Of
using his invention on North river. The
offer of 800, 600 is not SO we'll authenti-
Gated.
The patent for this invention was issued
by President Washington. IL is singular
| in it's phrsseolo ~. Its a patent for secur
ing power by means Of steam, Morey think
lng that if he could propel wheel by steam
he might own and control tina right to do 30
whenever, and to whatever purposes, it could
be applied.
THE EDISON OF HIS DAY.
To Vermont belongs the credit OF having
given to the world the earliest successful
harnessing of magnetism, or electro-mag
netism as 1t was then called, or electricity,
as we now term T., through the Inventions
OF one Thomas Davenport, native OF Will
! Jamestown. This ingenious man was by
| trade blacksmith and worked at his trade
IN brandon until 1882, whan he beca ne
intensely interested in magnetism, and
many years lived, dreamed and worked, sur
rounds1 by the successful demonstration OF
his skin in tho development of various cleo
| trical apparatus.
In 1854 he made small electric motor
which worked succesafully, and which was
exhibited ia New York and there examined
! by Prof. s. Is. Morse. Davenport also in
| vented 81 wire telegraph with mechanism
| fn- liz, oil irlr, lrrn ttt
and at the other for registering tho signals.
! This invention was also examined by Prot
| Morse, and an article in reference TO it was
printed in the New York Recorder in 1887,
a paper edited by Prof. Morse's brother. 1t
| is the opinion of those who have given the
subject careful study that Davenport's 24
wire telegraph, "a wire for ench letter OF the
alphabet. gave Morse his first Idea OF the
telegraph us iiual developed. Up to tlnt
time Mor,e's thought hal gone 70 further
than tho Use OF magnetism with the wire.
What he really did wai to invent 80 alpha
bot enabling him TO dispense with ~
OF Davenport's wires, and use the re-
naming one. Davenport's first pa'eat
was dated February 70, 1887, aad was
broadly for the Use Of magnetism as pro
polling force. Mr.. Ellsworth, then the hea d
of the patent office wrote him the year fol-
to any oae for such invention. In 1910
Davenport published newspaper In Nsw
| \ ork. driving his press by an electric mo-
tor At that tins he declared that "the
power OF electricity is far superior to steam,
aud must and will triunpheuty succeed
a prophecy which, so years later, is be-
ing fulfilled. He made great numSsr of
electrical Inventions among them a circular
railway which embodied every essential
element of the mo- Tern electric motor, in
GLIDING the divided commutator, which IS
the only successful means which has been
devised for controlling the electric cur
rent. Prof.. Pope declares that six years
more OF such investigation would have
led logically to the production of the pho
uuCraph Davenport gave 10 years OF hi.
life to this subject, aud when Prof. Page
reported to Congress that tho cost OF
operating by electricity was vastly greater
than that of steam, Davenport became dis
outraged the want of public appreciation
disheartened him, and in 1912 he returned
TO Brandon aud resumed his toll at the
forge and anvil. Ha was simply few
years In advance o. his time.
ON WHAT DOES THE INVENTIVE PRINCIPLE
DEPEND?
In the concluding pages Of his paper Gov
} tional life on which the inventive principle
t OF The human mind depends 1t is not in
=, system OF governmental fatherhooi will
paterual care OF men, things and business
that the best results are reached. THIS car
) only accomplish the result or dwarfing th'
honorable ambition of mankind and BELT
Ting personal achievement. Tho invention
and improvements of the past century were
not born or conceived in the patent ottic-
Y at Washington or in any governmen
bureau, much less brought fortl
c by tbs order Of any public official. Thsy
t we're tbs resu Of the same impe ling force,
( tue same spirlt OF freedom and observation
which has carved a nation OUT OF forest
, preserved our libsrties, and givan us IN
= paralleled prospsrity Ths true principls il
= that OF individual responsibility and oppor
n tunity, with governmental care only SO Ia
= a. this is necessary for their protection.
i 1t has been said by some one that a sailo
t never improves his ship or a soldier his gun
Il A study of the patent otcs records certain
v ly confirms the visw That a governmen
b., ! commission does not necessarily constitut
II its holder an inventor. For illustration
J. Tho whole number Of patents issued to thos
t connected with the navy from 1870 up {
II tue war of the rebellion was seven, and t
= the army during the same period ~; th
- first one to the navy was Issued Ia 1871 an
= to the army in 1855; the total
/ the navy has been 93 and to the arm
t PA. Put this with tn, fact that in a
. nearly half million patents for 1nver
d lions have been issued 70 our psopls, an
1t the lesson is obvious. OF this number owe
10 5000 have been granted to citizens of Vel
70 mont, and those re erred 10 in this paper al
"a the earliest inventions of their typo an
= class.
Thus we see up among the fertile valley
y Of our little State an amopg the gree
10 hills where live hardy, thrifty and sci
Is reliant people, left to carve out their ow
'e fame and fortune, the ordinary citizs
Is grappled with the ,most important invs'
= tions of the age, has solved successfully II
y mechanical and industrial problems OF Il
s. century, reaping In many instances Ia
10 reward, some with unusual distinction, al
10 many with gratifying honors.
J. In the discussion which followed the pap'
i the fact was brought out that the frat moo
Is ern paper making machine, on the prime
n pies now in general use, was built and use
? | in Rrattlaboro This inyention of Samu