Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-28

and the sewing machine combination be-
gan to have ready-made petitions sent in
from all parts of the country asking for
favorable action on the same. Every sew
ing machine agent, subagent, solicitor and
canvasser throughout the country, and
there were thousands of them. had orders
to have petitions signed and forwarded to
Washington, and instructions to have each
petition as numerously signed as possible.
AS may be imagined, 1t was not long before
the petitions began pouring in by every
mall The argument was used by the sew
Ing machine agents that the higher price
paid for machines was really blessing in
disguise; because of the cost theema-
chine would be carefully used. 1t was
strange that many subscribed to such a
doctrine, but they did.
After awhile the manufacturers of the
less-known machines found it would be to
thetr interest to offset the operations of the
combination by opposing petitions. They
argued, and their argument has been proved
by subsequent events to be true, that if the
extension of the patent for the four-motion
feed was refused, fair business COM
could be purchased for one-third of the
prices maintained by the combination, and
still leave fair profit for the manufacturer
ana handler of the machine. 1t was not
very d1Hcult for the ordinary person to
comprehend this. and then they began sign
ing ready-made petitions on the other side
In tour years it was estimated that enough
petitions were received on both sides of the
question to fill up room fourteen feet
square.
Certain it is that they were SO numerous
that the rooms of the committee patents
of the Senate-for the great contest took
place in the Senate, the House having de-
feated everything looking toward extern
sion or the pdtent-Were so crowded with
them that they had to be sent to the base
nent whence they were afterward sent
as Senator Hill said, to the junk shop.
The committee on patents reported against
the extension. and the four-motion feed be-
came public property, SO that any one could
use it. and. of course. the public got the ma
chimes for less money.
X X x X
Shippers and railroad men are more or
less worked up over the Supreme Court de-
c.sion upholding the law which gives the
federal courts and the interstate commits
sion the power to compel contumacious
witnesses to testify in rebate cases, even
though the evidence demanded be self-in-
eliminating. It, in effect, grants pardon in
advance to witnesses turning states evil
dence, and arms the courts with the au-
thority to punish them for contempt for re-
fusing to testify. theoretically, the de-
cision places it in the power of the inter-
state commission to put a summary stop
to the rebate abuse. Yet it would seem
that all Is not lost. Mr.. Murray Nelson a
veteran elevator proprietor and commission
merchant on the Chicago board of trade, is
one who thinks that business will continue
to be done at the old stand as usual Mr.
Nelson stopped off here last night on his
way nome from Florida. He had only Just
heard OF the decision, and was naturally in
terested in getting the particulars.
Veil, he remarked. when he had heard
The worst. Il don't know that it is going to
cause the boys serious Inconvenience. They
VIII Just have to swear to a few lies, that's
all That won't trouble them much L
don't think that, as a rule, the fellows who
rah m gould liz
tie things. That is, they wouldn't lie for a
dollar, but they might tell twelve lies for
five dollars"
* X !: :: *
good story is told of hunters from
Washington who went to the coast of
North Carolina to shoot ducks
There were six men in the party and
they had three dogs with them. They
hunted in couples. each two having dog
Shooting was good, and from each of the
six couples the sound of guns being fired
notified their friends of their success, for
they were only short distance apart.
Each couple We're somewhat indignant
because, whenever a duck fell, their own
dog failed to get It, one dog seeming to Sc
cure almost every one of the wild fowls
AT lunch time they all came together
We'll, what luck?" was the general greet
irg.
Elegant, but your dog got our ducks"
was the universal response
Then they looked at each other while
from out the little bay glided skif loaded
with ducks. in the forward end of which
sat the dog that had gathered them in.