Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1898-10-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Employer and Driver-War and the In
ventors Volcanic
France.

Thirteenth street and turned sharply
into + street The two giant horses
reared upon their launches as the
driver suddenly drew back on the reins.
But il was too late. He had turned the
corner so swiftly that he had not no
ticed the short, stout man who was
trying to get out of the way of the big
horses. The little man held his UNI
brella up as a shield, but in vain. The
nearest horse struck him and knocked
him backward into the street. Luckily
the speed had been checked sufficiently
SO that the horses did not tread upon
the PROSTATE form.
A policeman rushed up and jerked
the terrified driver from his seat.
Crowds of citizens rushed to the aid Of
the fallen man and assisted him to his
feet. He commenced to swear vigorous.
ly in spite of the profanity ordinance
which made him eligible for arrest.
"Offieer," he cried angrily as he
brushed his clothes, must a man wear
fender when he crosses the street? Is
there no protection from these ignorant
drivers of beer wagons? Here, you
idiotic driver! You're a this, and
that and something else also! Can't you
see, you unprintable thing, you? How
dare you ruin my clothes by turning
that corner so sharply? How dare you
laugh at me, you so and so? I'll have
you arrested. I'll have your employer
fined. Officer, hold that man until his
employer pays me for the damage done
me. Any man who will employ such
an ignorant blookhead rs a driver ought
to be compelled to pay fine of 81, 900.
I'll see about this, pumpkin"
The driver, at first afraid to look at
the man he had knocked down. pushed
his way through the crowd to beg for
leniency. Suddenly he gasped
cts the MASTER" he cried IAN l
never see him. l lose mine job sure
here
"Oficer, +" interrupted the short, stout
man, "let the man 90. l will settle
with him. And never mind what l said
about filming his employer. The man
drives for me. ;"
The short, stout man was connected
with we'll known brewery in Wash
ington and presumably squared things
with his driver later that night.
War and the Inventors.
Commissioner of Patents Duell says
he noticed slight decline i'll the appli-
cations for patents during the war and
attributes it to the fact that many me-
chanics who are inventors enlisted, for
since peace has been established applica-
tions for patents are again normal. The
war naturally stimulated the minds of
inventors and as consequence hun
dreds of applications have been filed for
military apparatus and engines. In
some future war some of the things for
which applications for patents are made
will be valuable agents, but many are
the work Of oranks aud have no value
except TO the student of psychology.
Some of these applications are anus
ing enough. One from a minister of the
gospel in Texas, accompanying bomb,
which, it is claimed, will destroy the
largest battleship the moment it strikes
the deck, apologies for the fact that
one of his profession, whose duty it is
to save souls, should have invented SO
destructive an engine. He explains,
however, that the quicker the war is
ended and the more destructive it is the
more souls will be saved, thinking per-
haps TO conduct conversions in the same
manner that the Irishman converted the
drowning Jew, who, after making him
repeat the Greed, thrust the poor Hebrew
under the water, rejoicing that he had
> saved one soul.
Volcanic France.