The National tribune., 1898-12-08
Queer Inventions.

patent was granted to a Chicago man
not long ago for an electric hog -kiilIng
apparatus. The continuance is so devised
that the unsuspiciouS hog sticks his head
through an aperture in an electrically
wired compartment closes a circuit by
butting his head against a metal sheet,
and, with his head firmly held within the
| aperture by drop apparatus, practically
commits involuntary suicide. This may
look silly and impracticable, but the in
vention is said to be now in use in numer-
Gus Western pork-packing establishments.
Several years ago queer genius in
New England got patent on tomb
stone-a metal affair involving numer-
Gus queer kinks and designed to resist
wind and weather for many thousands
of years. The patentee has died since
the issuance of his patent, and it is said
that one of his patent tombstones adorns
his own resting place i'll small Alassa-
CnuSettS village, with the following IN
scription wrought in the metal:
Here lies Wendell. an inventor by trade,
And this, you will see, is an invention
he made.
'Tis strange to say, though it's most
truly said.
That he made it while living and en-
joyed it when dead.
During the last Sioux uprising. when it
was feared that the dancing OgdlallaS
would make very extensive sortie from
their Pine Ridge headquarters, farmer
in northern Nebraska got out patent on
a combined plow and cannon. 1t was de-
vised for use against the Indians. While
blowing in his fields the crafty agricul
turist provided with one of these contriv
ance5 could, by simply turning his pillow
upside down load up small but effective
cannon wherewith To scare or to shoot nos
ing Indians. The cannon was provided
with an ammunition box and all OF the
or 20
ing OF the piece.
Another peculiar patent issued to a
Western farmer is called a chen pusher."
1t is intended to prevent hens from
scratching and "monkeying around i'll
garden patches. Hooks OF peculiar con-
struction are attached to the hem feet, so
that when the hen digs into the ground
she is inyoiuntarily pushed forward by
the hook and-spring apparatus. just
what occurs in case the hen happens
To be headed for the garden-patch is not
told by the patentee in his application,
but it is to be supposed that the farmer en-
ploys small boy to keep the hens headed
the right way by means OF prodding-
pole.
He must have been very languid man
who got out patent on "Self-bowing
hat" The man fitted with one of these
patent headpieceS who is too weary to re-
move his lid in salutation to his women
acquaintance simply presses a spring at
tdched to the Drlfn OF the nat anu OH lies
the chapeau describing the conventional
arc in the air and then returning to its
resting place on the owners head.
An invention for the scarifying of rats
was patented not long ago. The patent
is nothing more than papier-mache cat
provided with luminous eyes. The papier-
mache cat is plunked down before rat
hole, and it is said that peering rats in
variably flee in terror at the sight OF the
imitation cats blazing orbS.
All sorts and conditions Of patents have
been granted to farmers for rendering the
lob of milking cows easy. Orville Grant.
a brother of Gen Grant, got out one of
these patents. The fact that it wasn't
particularly practicable was made mani
fest by Gen. Grants description of how it
worked.
"Orvile tried the thing on an unframed
cow, with no respect for patents said
Gen Grant. He didn't look SO pretty
when he got through, but he knew
sight more