Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-10-20
AMERICAN INGENUITY.
The Patent ONCE IA Record of skill, Eco
nomI.s and Invention.

The applicants for patents during the
wear 1874 outrln the record of any preNt-
our year. reaching the high water mark
Of 2.l5n. Invention is certainly not on the
decline, and the man with an idea and
model is in stronger evidence than ever.
In no time in the history OF the patent Of
flee has there been any sign of II marked
relapse in inventive ingenuity-here ana
there perhaps i parenthcsis-as in times
OF panic and trade stagnatiCn; but, as a
rIlc. each year as II comes aions added
recruits To the army that never halts IN
the march of progress, The following
table marks the line of increase for each
decade since 1870:
For ten years. beginning ISin average is
l.lS5.g. for ten years, beginning lNo, aver
axe is S.>>i.2; Tor ten years, beginning
1861. average is n.1245; for ten years, be-
ginning 1870. average is 22,a5s.5; for ten
years beginning lS>n, average Is S,ilSs'
for eight years. beginning lSo, average Is
Il. i19.o.
From the character of the patents
granted aud numbering 2S,,S IN lN', says
the Ago of Steel. II is evident tina, III" fer
tile mind of the inventor is frucuiying IN
every iicld OF cndr9Vor. Ingenuity l. not
exclusive II iSn,ates nothing. II covers
every imaginable form OF device, ana mas
its improving hand on every type oi tool,
machine, Implement or apparatus hetptui
to industry or contrihutory To the comfort
annual report OF the commissioner OF
patents we have a list Of devices that are
as diversified as WAS the population OF
Noth's Ark, and i'll the literature OF IN
sNUuity nothing more clearly uem"h-
strttcs the ubiquitous character OF inNen-
tive genius. |, ranges from a shawl pin
TO "A monster crane. and from mouse
trar or i lemon suueeLer, 10 tubular
boiler an electric motor, or n superb To-
cumotive II represents the democracy
OF genius in which nothing Is too small 10
De important or too great 10 oe uh"P-
pronchablr. Everything is its property.
AZ pareS "A potato and shells peas anu
rir,ls me planet with telegraph cables.
The Commnnest and cheapest form OF
tool does not escape its improving manu-
and It is equally as available III nthz
ing the epoch making discoveries OF SCI
enCc. IL creates new industries as w 'te
case OF the bicycle. the telephone, eirctri-
cal appliances. linotype machines. etc
AS il mas been doing it will continue TO
do kecpins' pace with discovery ana de-
claring nothing is unimproNao!e that man
= has devised or constructed In war as III
; peace il is equally potential and lrrepreS-
: sible II plans arms of precision and pro-
n,ls explosives under the waters ana
. above them, conceives and fashions a
| murdernus pellet of lead and gives the SUR
5 reon a Roentgen ray 10y which the bullet
can be located and life be spared.
In the list or patents Srint"u III io''' Wv
T bulk Is divided between improvements OF
I old devices and the utilization OF new
i ideas The nut lock. for instance, Is non
. orcd with not less than leo new patents
/. the common horse shoe with Is; the pumI
with Is and the ubiquitous valve with 10
= and more. Rivcts have claim on Il, ah'
$ drills on 81. The wire stretcher has rec
4 ord OF ~ and the homely wrench Is ac'
Q countable for "a. The gas engine claims n
Il and the steam boiler 81 Car couplings an,
+ tenders represent host Of patent seals
and bicycles and parts are plling patents
G without any chance NJ roofing them in
: The saw and the wire nail machine. th'
Y chain and the Conveyor, the radiator anC
: the rotary engine, the lathe and the hoist
n and even the voting machine TO protec
: the sovereign voter from the usual pill
d LACE of his rights are all included in wha
l. may h" termed practical patents. Neari,
= every States and Territory is represente'
- in the issu, of last years patents, IRON
t wyoming with a modest HIST OF six
New York with a claim OF SI&. Forty
(! four foreign countries are also represent
= ed from China with "A claim OF two, u
u the Crited Kingdom with list OF &c
y Egypt secured one, and Germany Sl
> Mexico slated nine and Canada Ss.-Nev
York Commercial