River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-03-17
MANY PATENTS ISSUED.
The Annual Report of the Commits
sioner shows Great Increase
in Inventions.

Washington, March 15.-The report
of the commissioner of patents for the
calendar year 1s91 was laid before CON
gress Monday 1t is dated January 81
and was prepared by Assistant Com
missioner A. p. Greedy, who was act
ing commissioner for several months
preceding the death of the late Com
missioner Butteryorth. An abstract of
the report follows:
In 1887 there were received AZ. Gel appli-
cations for patents, and. in addition, a
large number of applications for designs,
trade marks, etc Patents granted amount
ed in number TO 23.T29, including designs;
G5 patents were reissued. 1661 trade marks
registered and IA labels and 16 prints The
number of patents that expired was 1926
The total expenditures We're 81, 122. $40 the
receipts over expenditures, s252. 7gS The
total balance to the credit of the patent Of
flee in the treasury of the United States
January /, 1898, was 4,791,43S
The influence of patented inventions is
most strklngly shown in the creation of
new industries of enormous magnitude
since lSS0-this is, within the term of nat
ents now in force. but very recently ex-
pired. OF these new industries. the most
noted are those connected with the de-
velopment of agricultural Inventions The
manufacture of electrical apparatus and
supplies began to be of Importance shortly
before 1880, and in that year 76 establish
ments. employing 1721 persons, and pro
ducing an output valued at s., G55, 036 were
in existence. In 1880 the number of es
Establishments had increased to 1S9. en-
ploying 9,4S9 persons, and producing an
output valued at $19,1147i4 In the eIer-
trio light and power industry, as reported
in 1885, there were but three establishments
In,
sons and producing an output valued at
$S45, 400 At the close of 1894 there were in
the United States 2.124 centraIstations sup
plying electricity for light and power. and
7475 isolated plants. total Of Q, 500 estab-
lishments. The capital invested in these
central stations is stated to have been
S25S, 265, and the capital invested in the
isolated plants, though not stated, was
probably not below $780, 100000 A conserva-
tive estimate of the number of persons en-
ployed a that time in this industry would
not be under 5000
The use of electricity for power purposes
has found most noted development in the
electric railway The first electric street
railway in the United States was put In
operation little more than ten years ago.
In 1880 of the $500 road miles of street rail-
way in the United States nearly all used
animal power. The total mileage of cleo
trio railways in the United States UP to Oc-
tober, 1897, was 10 765 miles, out of a total
mileage of 15,71S. of which but 947 miles were
horse car lines. The total capital invested
was $S46 131, 691
The great development of the bicycle in
dustry has come since 1890, as a result of
the inventions in pneumatic tires made
about that time. In 1890 there were report
ed as engaged in the manufacture of BIZ
cycles q establishments. In 1895 more
than 200 establishments were engaged in
vf,y, f,f
of wheels for that year is stated to have
not been less than 500 600. The production
1897 was over 100000 wheels. In 1850 a
large proportion of the cycles used were
imported mainly from England In 1897
the exports of cycles and parts of cycles
o England amounted to a value of $2,13S,-
49l, and the total exports amounted TO
n value of &C. 9027S6