The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-03-14
THE INVENTIVE YANKEE.
Connecticut Takes Out More Patents
Than Any Other State

4uGu any Ob46I GeANo-
Washington, March 14-,Ehe annual
report of the commissioner Of patents
for the calendar year 1897. was laid be-
fore congress today. In 1897 there were
received 1861 applications for patents
and in addition a large number OF ap-
pICationS for designs, trademarkSA etc
Patents granted amounted in number
to %, 729, including designs, 60 patents
were reissued, 1871 trademarks reE-ls-
tered, and IA labels and is prints. The
number Of patents that expired was Il
926- The total expenditures were ST.
122, S45. the receipts over expenditures
1852, 79S. The total balance Of the credit
of the patent office in the treasury Of
the United STAKES on January /, 1898,
was S4,971,43S.
In proportion to population more pat
ents were issued to citizens of COnnec-
ticut than to those of any other state
one to every 7S6 inhabitants.
Next in order are the following. Mas
sachusetts; District OF Columbia; New
Jersey; Rhode Island; New York
To the residents of England 706 pat
ents were issued; to residents of Ger
many 551; Canada 2S6 and France 222-
The number of applications received for
examination during the year was great
er than for any otner in the history OF
the office, yet the report says there was
no increase in the fac ilities or force for
doing the work Applications awaiting
action December % last numbered H.
$50, due to the inadeQUacy Of the Office
force. For the ten years beginning in
was 1856 and for the eight years be
ginning with 1880, it has grown to A.
479 per year"
The report continues: THE inffu-
ence of patented inventions is most
strikingly shown in the creation Of new
industries of enormous magnitude since
18S0-that is within the term OF patents
now in force, or but very recently eN-
pired.
"Of these new industries, the most
noted are those directly. connected with
he d
tons
The manufacture of electrical ap-
paratuS and supplies began TO be OF
Importance shortly before 1880 and in
that year rs establishments. employing
/, 721 persons and producing an output
valued at 81. O65, 305 were in existence
In 1890 the number of establishments
had increased to 1S9, employed $3.50
persons and producing an output val
ued at SIS, ia, ia
In the electric light and power in
dustry as reported in 1880 there were
but three eSta bliShmentS in the United
States employing 229 persons and pro-
ducing an output valued at S45S. 400
AT the close of 1894 there were in the
United States 2,124 central stations sup
plying electricity for light and power
and 7.475 isolated plants, a total of $3.50
establishments, The capital invested
in these central stations is stated TO
have been S25s. 2S9, 256 and the capital
invested in the isolated plants. though
not stated, was probably not below
5000, 900 OO0 A conservative estimate Of
the mum Der OF persons emp loTeQ at
that time in this industry would not be
under 45, 600.
THE use of electricity for power pur-
poses has found its most notable en-
pIoyment in the electric railway the
first electric street railway in the
United States was put in operation lit
tie 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 electric railways in the United
States, up to October was 1.237 miles.
1.-THE telephone in 1880 was just be-
ginning to be commercially known.
At the close of 1896 there was in the
United States 976 telephone exchanges
and S32 branch Offices. using $50, 845
miles Of wire and employing 1925 per
sons. The total amount stated to be
invested in telephone property in 1896
was 81, 500 000
THE great development of the bicy-
Gle industry has come since 1890. as a
result of the inventions in pneumatic
tires made about that time. In 1890
manufacture OF bicycles p establish
ments.
In 1895 more than 200 establishments
were engaged in the manufacture OF
cycles and the output Of wheels for that
year is stated to have been not less
than SOC. 900. The production in 1897
was over 1 COO. 600 wheels.
In 1880 a large portion of the cycles
used were imported mainly from Eng
lard. In 1887 the exports of cycles and
parts Of cycles to England amounted to
a value of 81 .491, and the total e<-
ports amounted to q value Of 5000. 1885,