Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1895-11-01
INVENTIONS By WOMEN,

The lists of patents granted to women which
has just been issued by the Patent Office sag-
gests several interesting conclusions. The in
ventons of women are shown to have steadily
grown in number from one i'll 1909 to over three
hundred i'll 1898, and there is little doubt that
this growth will be continued. The manner in
which women are making their way in every
industry as shown by the census of 1890 is the
best indication of their capacity and their OPP
portunites. The number of women engaged
in gainful pursuits, according to the census, in
creased from 97,257 i'll 1870 to 3II ,6S2 in 1890,
and the increase was much greater in many
occupations in which they had hardly obtained
a footing at the earlier date The increase was
especially striking in such occupations as
scientific work, dentistry, engineering, inven>
ton and design, and this increase in these
classes undoubtedly affords hint of the reason
for the increase nthe number of patents grant
ed to women
One of the simple lessons of these facts is the
new field which is open to the average woman
alongside of the average man, Whether wo,
men are equally origal with men or not, they
often have all ;ntutive faculty for solving diff
6culties which is part and parcel of the faculty
of invention so far as that is distinct quality
OF the mind. There is nothing to prevent USE
full inventions by women and the making Of
fortunes through patents, It has been we'll
founded criticism upon the advocates of political
and social rights for women that they have
concentrated their energies on obtaining those
rights instead of doing the things in art, in
science, and in economics which would natur-
ally prove their fitness for them. One of the
best proofs that women capable of COM
peting with menin the worlds work will be the
increase in The number of their inventions, and
probably nothing would add more to the
reputation of the sex than to have a womans
name enrolled among the list of prize-wnners
which has attracted so much attention in the
National Recorder.
Another lesson of the increased number of
inventions made in recent years by women is
the same as, that recently referred to in these
columns-that the inventive faculty is growth
from surrounding conditions rather than a
special gift The proof of this lies in the fact
that inventions OF women have related chiefly
to the subjects with which they have to do.
The woman inventor 10 more sat down and con-
ceived the scheme of some instrumen outside
her special calling and interests than the man
inventor, The first patent granted to a wo-
man was for a method of weaving straw with
silk or thread, and the next was for a corset.
Women have the almost exclusive possession of
many paths of industry and their genius ought
TO lie along these paths. The sewing machine,
the typewriter, the furnishing OF home and the
methods of household labor ought to be i'm
proved by the inventions of women. Woman
in every occupation upou which she enters
ought to apply her mind to improvement aud
Invention and with the growing variety of
occupation ought to appear as much more
frequent applicant for patents i'll her goldSn
~. Not.o Il