The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-28
PATENT FAKIRS.
Unprincipled People Who Frey
Upon the Public.
An Insight Into Some of Their -,eceitful
Methods-A Desperate Set Of Cranks
That Should Be Carefully
Avoided.

on the making of patents there is no
end, like the making of books. The
bookmaker and the patentee are half
Dfothers, tne one making machines for
the convenience of mind, and the other
making things for the convenience OF
hand. Both sec through the same
glass, and both see the Elusive vision
of wealth and fame The distinction
is that book-making and patent-mak-
ing, which are failures, produce an
army of desperate cranks, whose per-
sistence of purpose is equaled only by
the uselessness or impracticability of
the book or patent. This age of In
yention has, however, produced one
class of inventors, called ''fakirs.'
which derives a livelihood by its
schemes to draw the coins from the
pockets of the better classes of in
ventors
The patent fal<ir in some cities is be-
coming numerous, prosperous and bold.
1t IS only question of time until con-
gress viii have to suppress him.
The patent fakir," as distinguished
from the legitimate agent, is so called
because he runs an agency that is
pure falle. Anyone can become a
fakir, and he doesn't need much llnowl-
edge of either patent laws or mechanic
al laws The Legitimate patent agent
Is a MAN of wide knowledge. easily
commanded. The fakir simply rents a
suite of rooms and puts up his sign.
Then he frequently begins the publ
cation OF a patent paper. 1t isn't nee
essary for the paper to have any cir
rulation. but it is a good idea to send
out several hundred sample copies to
known inventors. Then he watches
legitimate patent journals closely, and
the publications and reports from the
patent office. and when an invention is
found that ii is possible, he thinks. to
induce its originator to back it ND to
the bottom of his purse, he writes him
ticlliSh letter. lie says something
of this sort: That he has regarded
with deep interest your valuable in
vention." Continuing he may say he
will be glad to put the article on sale,
and model will help him greatly.
The last paragraph of the letter is TO
the effect that the agency" is publish
ing paper of general circulation. and
that description of the patent will be
printed for ten dollars; for like
amount the reading matter viii be
adorned with cut of the invention. .
which is the property of the inventor
after used once, but TO properly and /
cheaply advertise the invention it is /
necessary to purchase six thousand I
circulars at two dollars per thousand. /
which the agency" viii mail to inter /.
ested capitalists. Here is a bonanza /
for the inventor for only thirty-two /
dollars, Publication in an illustrated .
journal and introduction to the wealth .
necessary 20 make his invention mar .
ketable. So he replies to the circular /
and incloseS the necessary amount
This is how the agency" plays its !
part When the thirty-two dollars is /
received a cheap cut is made and about .
two sticks OF descriptive matter
printed. About three hundred circu-
lars are printed, bundle of which is
sent to the inventor and the remainder
fed to old Boreas from the housetops.
The paper may have little or no circu-
lation, but still its circulation is gen
eraL" The model of the patent which
is forwarded is placed on exhibition"
for sale. and thus the agreement is
kept and no law is violated.
Thus the agency is about twenty
dollars better without much hard
work When one stops to consider the
number of inventors who
accept these proffers of help. it can be
seen how prosperous the business may
BE-
II IS srta that one man who has been