The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-25
MONEY INLITTLETHlNGS
sutLI INTENTIONS THAT HAVE
BROUGHT FORTUNES.
Profit. OF the Copper-tocd shoe-A FOR
tune From shipping Tags ana An
other From Railway Tickets.

NJ small thiuys can be found than AMONG
the records at the United states fatch1
Office I'm Washington; lnere alS "
seen certain small objects which, by
iu,tv turn of affairs or perhaps py the
Ingenuity of the inventors, nave become
kroWn Throughout the Jmtel STATES ana
evcn throughout the world, ana nave been
me means of nlling the pockets DOtn OF
a.. Inv.ufors and their representatives.
Ia feet IL would seem as IL inventors OF
email objects have been far better PAID
Than skilled mechanics ana engineers
WHO have spent months and years IN
,'srfecfinx elaborate mcchanisms. Ger
faiulv. in proportion 20 the amount OF
work done. the lot OF the inventor OF
small objects is more 70 be desired tna.l
that OF the man who spends the best
part OF his life over an elaborate .nacn-
Inc the merits Of which are tarully
recognized, not, perhaps until the invent
or. through worry and sickness, - an no
CONDITION 10 enjoy the fruits on ms tVii,
1t wodid seem also as II the inventors OF
small objects which have paid, nave not
ae "a rule. been inventors by profession.
They have been for the most part persons
who by sheer luck have stumbled upon
an idea which somebody else mas TecOs-
uizel as "A good one Without the tusscs-
ton of this somebody else "ho IS
usually the one who prohts. tne sr .',s,,
idea. though born, would rarely gro"
20 maturity. 4.
4 story current NJ the Patent once Is
told Of an old farmer UP in Maine ne ne
children Of the old fellow, ike many
other children before and since, haa d
way of kicking the toes out OF ~.
shoes. The farmer was OF an lheenioJio
turn Of mind. and he cut OUT q cVuPio
of conner strips for each pair or shotS,
which were fastened over the toes ana
between the sole and the upper, me
pian proved so successful that the farm
eh found that where he had beeh p9S lis
three pairs of shoes one palt NohiN 80 80
fee. There happened along ayour ~, -
time "a man from the CITY win an -
10 business. lie prevailed on tiie OH ~,
man 90 nave the idea pitchteni s,a .,o
was done, and between SJVVD anu SlV pl,-
0.D was made out Of IL. nov y. g. ore, re-
Old man got Is not known, put 10 y pr
sumed that the promoter got the la.sel
Tart. The record at the Patent Diiice
shows only the drawing OF the INVENTION
as patented on January ), 1913, by George
A. Mitchell. Of Turner, Me-
Another similar invention which made
a great deal OK money was the metal
button fastener for shoes. invented anu
introduced by HeatOn, Of froNiieHee' l..
l. AT the time it was cons deicd a me
Invention. for the old sewei button was
continually coming of. IL has grddually
grown in popularity since IT'S lntfoauc-
ton in 1862 until now very rev SHOES
with buttons are manufdetL ed WITHOUT
the Heat9n appliance.
lly comparatively simple arrahsehtii
the shipping tags In use all over the
country to-day were made posslplllty.
The chief trouble with paper tag was
the almost unavoidable tearing out OF
IN. friug hole before the package ar
rived az its destination. 4 cardboard
reinforcement. round in shape, ON each
side of tne tying hole was all that was
necessary 20 make the shpplng Tag "
success This was the invention or
Mr.. DennIson, OF Ihiladeip nia, VITO nus
made a fortune out of a lucky nNe MN
Hfna ID fHnWsHf
The livisiorr of the Patent Office which
examines applications for patents on
TOYS and puzzles receives more comm u-
nirafi0ns bon RECORD 90 worthless objects,
perhaps. than any other, except some or
the divisions on mechanics, whose oih-
ciais have 10 deal with crank inventors.
The chief examiner Of the division OF
TOYS cites many instances whore fortunes
have been made on puzzles and similar
objects. The pigs IN clover puzzle hdi
curious history. The inventor, cram
dall, put lt ON the market beioEe tne
patent had been graniti, or, III la't'
even applied for Other people recos-
nizing tir value OF the invention from "A
financial point Of view. formed compa-
Mics and began manufacturing the puI-
zl.s iu even larger quantities Tran cram
dIlls company could tuTn them out.
CranlnI of course. contested for his
r.ehts ana prayed for am Injunction.
Tho claim was put into interference,
which ls "a long process and one when
tires both the patience Of the depart
ment and that of the attorneys. The UNI
fortunate part OF DO for Crandall was
that tno craze fDU the puzzle was over
before fhe Interference was settled. TINS
is the same CrdudIll who invented on.
famous chIilrtu's building blocks, with
drtc-failet edges. which had shch a Fu"
and are popular even to-day. The niteen
puzzle was meyer patented. and the de-
uar'ment has no information I'm regard
tO ifs inventor. several people claim IT,
Fortunes We're made by 10 for half a
dozen concerns, and most OF the profits
We're pooketed by tho manufacturers.
The return BAH. "A wooden ball fast
euDt 90 thin strip OF rubber. with a
/ wooden ring at the other end, which was
patented somewhere I'm the sixties, had
rlsu of popularity which nettel lbs
inventor $4,000. ana il IS sold widely
to-day THE patent has now expired
| The flying ton. round tin affair with
wings wound with a string and shot uf
in the air. made fortune for its inven-
tor Several years ago n puzzle appeared
which attracted considerable attention
10 consisted OF two double painters hooks
| which. when fastened together In a GER
tain way. could not DE taken apart, eN-
cent by one who had seen 10 done. II
is said that this Invention came about
hv the mcrest chance. a painter was
standing ON his ladder scanOld across
I tine front of o. house. He had occasion
| 90 use pair of hooks, and picking them
! I4U UIINNFIIN. INiNMEIEI LllfiA III SUCH Il
manner chat IL was several hours before
bee could get them apart. He forthwith
/ hal drawings made and He'd an appica.
ton for q patent, when was granted
| 80 figures are known at the Patent OF
flee. but 10 SIS supposed that he made a
lplarge sum OF money for the puzzle was
sold for Twenty-Five cents IN all parts
| of tho East. and 10 cost much less than
q cent 90 manufacture.
y discovery which has been the means
of hrlu-lug forth a number Of Inventions
both great and sLall. was that of Good
year. tAe rubber yulcanlzer. 10 was not
until the Goodyear discovery of the Vul-
.latiOu or rubber Ia 1874 that rubber
could Doc used except In a very primitive
fashion Then 10 was found that. by the
Use of sulphur at a certain temperature
rubber could Doe moulded, shaped. anC
worked into any form. Immediately
atter THIS discovery che Application
e.. rk at the Patent ONCE having charge
to- such matters was besicged by hun
dIeia and hundreds Of applicat Ous fOi
Inventions with the Goodyear discovery
as "a basis. They related chiefly 10 mat
ters oil form 40 which il was desired tC
WllN rubber. After that time the rubber
blanket the rubber OvcrsnOc, the rubber
band followed one after the other IN
rapid succt sslOn. and since that dime
there has not been month that some
patents have rot been granted for dit
ferfut forms OF rubber. Now applications
afe coming in &C the rate of four or flye
..lir. involving many applications OF
tie flc tubing or cushioninS prin-
ciIi are now pneumatic Dlan-
kcts. put matte pillows 81 al des zip
tons pneumatic sOled shoes for RUM. ng
and jumping, and pneumatic bartender
guards.
A recent invention which has come into
prominence within the last two or three
years Is the tin cap on the top or beer
bottles. This appliance is steadily taking
the place OF the rubber cork with The
iron thumb lever. IL is found that the
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