The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-01-19


of the files filed me with surprise. For
instance. there have been granted 5,872
patents in the electrical line and the
new applications are seldom less than
$50 per month. In clothing the patents
have been 2, AIT; in boots and shoes,
5, 100; in harvesters, 6, SOC; in fences,
ASS; in railway caS4, 6, sos; in laun-
dry work. 1898. and in stoves and
heaters the astonishing number of 8, 238.
Even in baths and closets there have
been I,207, and in all machines for
working metals over IS, 600, and the
number is increasing rapidly. With all
this the speed of the examiners has been
greatly increased. When Commissioner
Seymour took charge April 1, 1898, one
examiner was seven months behind,
quite a number three or four months
behind and 8 two months behind. Now
none is so far as month behind and
very few more than few days.
A Subject For Jokes.
The patent Office report was long a
perennial fountain of jokes, and con-
gressmen still smile at that droll letter
which western man wrote to his rep
resentative in answer to long explana-
ton on the latter's votes: Dear Sir
Your course is approved. Send me
patent Office report. - A. D. Richardson
relates that while in New Mexico he saw
a wagon load of these reports and other
documents put up at auction and bought
by very stupid looking Mexican for 81
cents Wondering what such man
could want with such arid literature, he
sought information and learned that
oo &oIIox-y had fho71o for f17o1
Back in the forties and f1fties the patent
Office report was the great reliance for
making scrapbooks and for amusing in
genious children. In our parts we used
to cut out the wheels and curious pic
lures and paste them in a thousand fanci-
full combinations on the walls of the log
cabins, and even now in the garrets of
many old farmhouses one can find vol
umes bearing the patent Office label on
the back, but within pasted with recipes,
stories and old jokes from Brother JON
athan, Gleason's Pictorial, Major Jack
Downing letters and the newspaper
squibs of Prentice and John Phoenix In
1856 there were issued. 80, $50 sets of
three volumes each, which aroused SO
much criticism that the allowance was
rapidly reduced, and in 1871 it was
withdrawn altogether. Now the Office
issues a Weekly Gazette of patents and
the drawings thereon, which goes at So
per year and has 1000 subscribers.
Valuable Patents.
Everybody knows that Thomas Jeffer-
son was the father of the patent office,
and that he had deal of trouble in get
ting it started. He has also been charged
with the paternity of the Democratic
party, but it was recently stated in con-
gress that an alibi could be proved.
However, this is DEPRESSION. In start
ing it he made the rules so stringent
that only three patents were issued the
first year. The original act was approved
April 10, 1890, and no distinction was
made between citizens and aliens. For
IL years one solitary clerk did all the
work, but in 1902 Jefferson named as
superintendent one DR.. Thornton, a sci
entific crank of the very crankiest kind,
who settled every question by snap Judg-
ment on the moment, and was accused
of administering office discipline with
a club. There is a story that when the
British captured the city they had a
cannon trained on the patent Office, when
DR.. Thornton rushed out in front of the
muzzle and exclaimed: care you Eng
lishmen or only Cloths and Vandals?
This building contains treasures for the
benefit of the world, and if you fire on
it let the first shots pass through my
body" Be that as it may, the British
did not modest the office, but in 1885 it
was burned The present building was
completed in 1867, and ten years later
suffered by fire but this time there was
very little loss. 1t is known, moreover,