The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-06-08
Inventive Genius in the South.

have achieved distinction by inventions.
Some of the most noted of these are
Sibley, of Louisiana, Calling, of North
Carolina, Gibbs. Bonsack and .Janney OF
Virginia, Whitney and Law, of Georgia,
and James Ramsey of Maryland. Those
are few among many illustrious inyen-
tors of the South; nor has the inventive
genius of the South disappeared.
Col. William F. Beasley, OF Oxford,
North Carolina, now residing in the city
of Baltimore, is the inventor OF the locks
that are used to-day by the Government
of the United States, where the greatest
security is required.
Not only has Colonel Beasley origi-
mated device which is good lock, but
he has provided a greater safeguard than
the strongest of bolts-the certainty OF
detection Many clever thieves can pick
Il lock, however intricate the mechanism.
but few will do so with the certainty of
detection and punishment staring them
in the face 1t is an old saw that Figures
never lie," and it would be figures that
would confront the culprit, for all OF
Colonel Beasley's locks are provided with
a register, the state of which changes
every time the lock is opened. With
such device, the owner will note the
state of the register when he leaves the
| lock, and if on his return he finds that
| the register is changed, it will be obvious
| that the lock has been tempered with
| during his absence and it only remains
| to fix the guilt on those who had access
to it, rightfully or otherwise.
In the seventies Colonel Beasley be-
| came the owner of a patent granted to
Henry Clarke for a register which was
intended by the inventor for use rs a
"bell punch register" Several of the
| States, Virginia among them, at that
| time had law placing tax on all alec
| holic beverages sold over the bar, and
requiring every drink to berecorded upon
register, for which purpose the Clarke
Register was adapted. it being impossi-
BILE to "beat it, One day while exam
ming this register Colonel Beasley became
convinced that it could be used with a
lock, and at his suggestion Mr.. Clarke
made lock which is exclusively used
to-day on all registered mail pouches OF
| the Post Office Department, and by the
| Custom Service of the United States for
fastening cars conveying unappralsed
| goods in bond. This form consists merely
of paddock provided with q register
which is changed every time the shackle
| of the paddock is moved to disengage the
hasp. Colonel Beasley owns this patent
and has improved upon it and adapted
| it to many special uses. One of the most
valuable OF these is astationary regst ter
ing lock for car doors. Instead of the
loose paddock, which is liable to be lost
Or stolen, q casting. containing a regis
tering lock is adapted to be secured upon
the car door frame.
Another of the Colonel's inventions is a
bag and lock therefor, which consists
of seamless bag, preferably made OF
canvass, its top being folded upon itself
several times and having slots therein
which are in alignment when the bag is
closed. All of the parts of the lock,
which is q registering one, are entirely
contained in these slots III the top of the
bag, thus preventing the projections of a
metal paddock, which has proved to be
dangerous to those handling the bag, as
persons have frequently been struck and
injured by the old style paddock Of mail
bags thrown from moving trains. Not
only is this objection overcome, but the
construction is such as to render it i'm.
possible to effect an entrance into the
bag without detection.
In the use of any of the three forms
above described, the car or bag is locked
|
the register of the lock is taken. The
number OF the register when it reaches
it's destination is also taken, and if there
be a discrepancy it is obvious that the
car or bag has been opened. In case the
car or bag is to be transferred from line
to line, Or from messenger to messenger
the state OF the register may be taken al
transfer points, and thus the responsible
lty OF improper opening is fixed. This
renders the bag or lock OF great value tC
| the express companies for transporting
valuables, as thousands of dollars are
lost yearly by them through the opening
CT packages by messengers, and others
the abstraction OF their contents, anC
their subsequent resealing. This is Otter
done so cleverly as to defy detection un
til the package is opened by theconsignet
at which time it is too late to fix the re
sponsibility. The United States Express
Company and the Treasury Department
have recognized this and adopted the
Beasley Improved Lock and bag.
The latest of Colonel Beasley's inven
tons in his Key Hole Guard, whose very
simplicity defes description This little
device which can be applied almost tc
any key hole affords an absolute safe
guard against picking locks and dupli
cate keys. Its detective feature will rem
der it extremely valuable to Safe Deposit
Companies. When locks are needed fol
Safe Deposit Companies two keys are
necessary: one, the key to helock on the
door, and the other, to the lock which Sc
cures the registering cover cylinder. One
of these keys will be retained by ar
employee of the safe deposit company
and the other will be held by the box
| hn str Ill l.
upon either When the key hole guarG
is intended for private use upon a drawer
Or desk, lock already provided will
only one key is necessary, as the locking
mechanism will be dispensed with, anC
the registering mechanism alone retained
By this means a result will be accom-
plished, at small cost, which could only
otherwise be reached by the replacing O
the whole of the old lock with a register
ing one.
This valuable invention of Register
ing Safe Deposit lock, in which two keys
are used, Is broadly new with COlOne
Bcasiey, who deserves the thanks o
every officer of a Safe Deposit Company
or box owner, as it permits him to RESI-
assured that no one can enter the boxes
without his knowledge.
The above is from the Washington, D
c., Chronicle, of May Dist Having reat
the article, while in Baltimore the Other
day, we were desirous of seeing the sew
eral locks and other inventions OF Col
Beasley and made an engagement to cal
at his office and inspect them. We hav,
long recognized the genial and versatile
Colonel as a man of varied accomplish
ments but had never credited him Will
the inventive turn OF mind he has. In
deed his faculty in this respect approx
mates genius of the highest and mos
original order, and a careful inspection
and study Of the wonderful nature ant
complete mechanism of his inventions il
only necessary to convince one. Read
able as the above article is it convey
but faint idea of what these locks ant
registers are They must be seen to ~