Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-15
The AMERICAN INVENTOR.
America u More Profile of Inventions
Than Any Other Country.
london Engloesrlnsl

london Engineering
OF all the countries IN the world none is
so prolific IN inventions a. America.
There are several reasons for this. The
ease Of obtaining patents and their cheap
ness holds out 10 every man the chance OF
creating for himself piece of property BY
the exercise of MS brains. The high rate
OF wages iGsures the inventor OF labor
saving appliances patient hearing from
capitalists, while the Independence OF
thought and feeling which peryades all
classes leads TO original views and 10 bold
attacks on difficult subjects.
Hence every one Is a potential inventor
espeC ally II he nave an Acquaintance with
science or manufacture. Whatever mans
occupation, he must daily tnd himself
called lpOn 20 do so or 10 suher many
thlngs from which he would gladly emsn-
cipate himself. The proverD says; " There
Il a remedy for every Ill but death and
seeing how many ills there are. the oppor-
tunitles for dcv,sinG remedies are not only
nulnberl6ss. but thew are present 20 all.
The unenterpislng bear with patience
the lnconveniences that surround them,
but those Of active mind busy themselves
in deyisiug sxpsdlents 10 tighten the bur
den OF nfe. and look for their reward I'M
der the provisions Of the patent law. The
inventor Is the greatest heuefActOr Of the
human race. and especially Of that part Of
II which Ii INDECENT he is the real friond
of the poor man. and indeed almost his
only friend
II Is when we compare the condition of
the poor today with that Of previous
ages that we see how much tho inventor
has done for humanity. 10 know how
hard life must have been before the adj
vent If machinery, We have only TO I'M
acme q family set down on an island and
called up5n 10 provide all their food and
clothing without the aid of modern me-
CEauical Appliances TO plough and reap:
10 tnrcsh winnow. and grind; 10 ralse
cattle. KID aud dress them; 70 shear,
card. sp.u. and weave tdeir wool; TO
make and mend their clothes; to
provide soap, candles, tools, cut
lery, eartheI ware, paper, pencils, mails,
medicines. leather boots, ropes, and the
Thousand and one things that are needed
IN "A home. Evidently II could not be dene,
even # labor were continued from dawn
20 eve and then extended far INTO the
night. And THIS under the favorable con
ditious OF yeOman's family without rent
10 nav. How much worse must II nave
been under the eNactjonS Of feudal land
lOrl' Two thirds 81 what We consider ne
cossaries must have been omitted from the
list Of tina, dav. and 20 sore tot! must have
been added scsnty fare and insufficient
clothing.
During the term OF his patent the IN
veutor. or h.s assignes, NAV make money
ont of II. but when n expires II practically
becomes glft 10 the masses. he pro-
durrug power Of the wOdt has been H.
creased many fold, without any cor
responding increase In the consuming
power of the upper classes. The wealthy
do not cat moro bread and meat to-day
than they did years ago. Yet tho output
Of those commodities has been vastly aug
men:ed. and they are consumed IN large
uuau'lups bv a section Of The population
winch once seldom got flesh food, ana
often went short of bread.
Aud 81 Of nearly every other INDUSTRY :;
the working classes taSe the bulk Of what
H. produced. for the yery good, good rea-
son tina. they are able. by the and OF ma
cnuerv, to turn ont several times as much
/ worh M a dav as could their forctstbcrs.
| At the same time that their production
! has increased thor actual labor has dlmIu-
| l~hel. A man with a heavy Job in foot
! lathe not only worked slowly but pain
! fully.
! When the long dav was done every
| faculty was exhausted aud be trampei
| home 10 rest. expended both in bod, and
! mnuG. Now he looks on while the lathe
| does the work, and IN the evening DIS
! cu~,,s the provisions ~ the EMPLOYERS
/ haulhtv act. HIS hours, too, are shorter
/ fhau they we're. while the appreciation or
/ gold which has taken place has enormous
| iy increased hls wages by Rugmentlng
their purthasiug power.