The Press., 1893-11-16
ALWAYS INVENTING.
AN INGENIOUS MAN WHO t5 USUALLY
 DOING SOM- i4lNl.

DOING SoMLi4liNl. \ story That Shows What Terrible Af- fiction the Disease of Unprof:able I'm genuity May Be-Two Evenings In the House of an Inventor.
 Had it not been that my family went out of town short time ago and left me homeless and Respondent, would never have been able to write this story. As II was was won over by the entreaties of friend and went to live with him and his little family-for awhile.
 It pleases me to meet geniuses. like to touch shoulders with men of ideas, and that is just what this friend of mine might be labeled-a man of ideas. did not know it before went to his house. but then discovered he is an inventor.
 What he invents is immaterial; suf- fee it to say he invents ill the full sense of the word. If he works out an idea and when the model is perfected it doesn't do what he thought it would, he makes it do something else.
 It's double back action style of in venting that is destined to fill long felt wants or les;'. an aching void. The in- yentor is not to blame for either of these .,appenings, his business being exclu sively to invent.
 We were sitting in his dining room the first evening I was at his house. The servant had just cleared the dinner table, and my friends wife was looking after the youngsters and keeping their nurse out of mischief.
 George was looking intently at one of the gas tips, and his brain machinery was grinding exceeding fine material, I could see.
 Well, what is it?" I asked, looking uE and around for stray June bug or some other bird of plumage.
 "rm just thinking" George said rather dreamily, ''I can improve on that gas tip. I'll do it. I've got it sure." Then he began drawing things on a piece of paper that looked like deformed church steeples. He said they were gas tips.
 For day or two George ate very lit tie. I afterward learned this is com. mon with inventors, as they are able tc go for weeks at 8 time without touching morsel. Their brains stop working when their owner eats. There's no mon. ey in eating except for the dealers in edibles.
 When George c;lme back to earth and | food, he had a model in his pocket. Ii ~-was the tangible outcome of his think | ing.
 "Isn't that splendid?' he said, with ecstasy, holding it up before me. His black eyes glistened.
 "Yes, it's very pretty" Ireplied. evil it work?"
 r. You bet it'll work. The user will get large and steady flame, with nc waste of gas and with third the usua pressure. I'll show you."
 George got up and adjusted it to the chandelier. He got out matches an( then turned out the remaining gas jet Fully IA matches were struck while W, sat in the dark. I held my breath be cause my hold on solemnity beftting thu occasion was fast loosing.
 He said many things which I coul; not be led to repeat. The sanctity of private home should not be invaded. I was his right to say things, as he pai' the rent.
 The thing did not work. I could se that, even though it was dark. He re lighted the gas and sat down. You cal never tell what an inventor is going t do, so I said nothing. Oh, believe did ask him if there was an opening il the end for the gas to ooze through. Tn not sure, though. but 1 know Georg didn't answer.
 He finally secured couple of feet o small rubber hose that he had used il another experiment and fastened the ga tip on ore end. He thought perhap there was an obstruction that wate would clear away. The other end of tn hose he attached to faucet.
 I stood by like any we'll behaved in vited guest. George turned the water and it shot through in first rate shape The fact was the gas tip was splendi sprinkler. Even Georges wife acknowl edged that, and she gave up acknowlede ing anything but his inventive failure years ago.
 "By graciousr' George exclaimed ''isn't' that dandy sprinkler? I'll ge that patented" Then he laid it down.
 It was the next evening Georges wifi said that her expensive music box wa out of order and would not play. Tn valuable instrument was put on the ts ble, and George peered into it for abou five minutes.
 ''No wonder; see what's the matter, George remarked as he left the room He returned with four or five imple ments that for all I know belonged to kitchen range.
 He unfastened couple of screws an then-yes, and then! The case was flu , of snarled up springs, things that locke like comb teeth and various odds an ends that one would never suspect ha, ing been within 10 miles of the house . minute before. Tears ran down tn cheeks of Georges wife and dropped on the cylinders.
 l "What are you trying to do-spoil an
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