The San Francisco call., 1899-10-11
BENSON BIDWELL, INVENTOR.

A bill of complaint will soon be filed in
The United States Circuit Court here as
the commencement of one of the most
important suits ever tried in any court.
Benson Bidwell. who claims to be the
original inventor of the system by which
all the electric roads of the country are
operated, is the principal complainant.
The Market-street Railroad Company OF
this city, the Thomson Houston Elec-
trio Company of Connecticut and the
General Electric Company of New York
are made defendants, and similar suits
will be commenced in several States. Bid
well charges that the defendant corpora
tions, as we'll as others, have made i'm
mense profits out of his inventions. and
the suits in question are based upon in
1rlngement of his patents. He asks for a
royalty Of 40 per cent on the net profits
The bill of complaint is quite volum-
nous, but in substance the suit involves
the validity of the patents by which all
the electric railways in the country are
operated. 1t is claimed that Benson Bids
well actually invented and obtained
patents covering the present system of
electric roads. and that his patents are
now being infringed here and elsewhere
1t is claimed that the local company is
operating under a license obtained from
the other companies made defendants in
the suit
In brief, the bill of complaint sets forth
that prior TO the 18th of August, 1884
Benson BidWell invented a system for the
operation of electric railways by which
the electro-motors of the cars are pro-
PEELED, and the lamps located in the cars
are llshted, by the use of single current
OF electricity transmitted from a power
station along the line; that he was the
original inventor of the same on thar
date ne applied for a patent covering
Nr-hf fc,
granted on May %, 1885. On February 16
1881. he applied for letters patent cover
ing another feature'Of the system which
consisted Of a metallic line circuit com
posed or tubular conductors combined
with movable brush. This invention
was patented September 23, 1884
on August H. 1884, Bidwell filed another
appHcauon for letters patent covering
other features of his system. including
generator at the side Of the line. metallic
line conductors separate from the rails.
tdNehns current collectors attached to
the car, polarizing switch by which the
car Is reversed. circuit wires by which
the ends of the line conductors are CON
nected With the feed wires. supports for
sWltching line conductors, and a system
OF gearing direct from the car motor to
the axle Of the car.
1t is claimed that the two patents
actually obtained, and the application
above referred to, cover practically ali
the features of the electric railway
where.
Bidwell has demanded royalties and
damages and has commenced suits
against them in other States also. but hv
reason of III health and lack of funds has
not been able hitherto to prosecute a
fnal hearing. He claims that these com
Panies have entered into an alliance to
deprive him of the benefit Of his inven-
uons; that they have organized a great
trust which sells to various companies
throughout the country the right 10 use
and operate electric roads, and covenants
70. protect and defend their licenses from
all claims by reason of Bdwell's patents
It is alleged that the Market-street Rail-
way Company, the principal defendant in
the pending suit, is operating under such
a contract. The purpose of the trust. it
Is claimed, is TO establish a monopoly and
discourage and prevent Individual effort
Not a car, ii IS claimed, could be oper-
ated without the use of Bidwells patents
He asks the court to decree that he was
the original inventor of the system Of
propcllng, lighting and heating cars by
electricity, setting forth his claims in de-
tail; that II be decreed the Market
street Railway Company and other de-
PENDANTS are infringing upon his rights
and that an account. be taken of their
profits and the complainant awarded
damages accordingly.