The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-03-14

| department of the government, are the
| descriptive papers and drawings OF one
| Of the most curious inventions ever con-
| ceived in the brain of an erratic American
! genius In all human pTOb3 bility there
| are not ten people living to-day who have
/ heard of The OTacular Wheel or Unique
| Center Table" invented BY one William
| o. George, of the City of Richmond Va,
| and patented in the year $50. yet this is
| the true and exact title Of a machine
| intended by Mr.. George TO revolutionize
| the vast subject OF matrimony. itself. and
| 10 place il upon a plain. practical and
| even scientific basis.
In spite of the fact that there could
/ be no more important invention than the
one at which Mr. George aimed. and no
| more practical way than his of putting
| his ideas into execution, the oracular
wheel, whereby the sO-called game of
equality was played. scored 50 signal A
failure as a popular invention that il the
faded blue parchment upon which the
description of the invention is written had
| not been discovered by the present writer.
| there is a possibility that. il might have
continued in oblivion for all time to come.
Mr.. George has detailed at some length
in his application for a patent both the
history and the description of his scheme
and appliances and the following tran
script OF certain passages in the original
application of the patentee will give to the
reader sympathetic and adequate idea
OF the vast daring and the great scope
Of his purpose. Moreover the naiyete
of the writer's style adds A charm to his
writings, even in so matter-of-fact a doc
ument as an application for letters patent.
To tell the truth there was an objection
raised by the Commissioner of Patents to
Mr.. Georges first application on the
ground that it contained Irrelevant mat
ter, and certain of the passages objected
10 We're afterward omitted in a revised
application. This same irrelevant matter.
however forms a not embarrassing chan
Ter IN the history of the invention. and
ds IL Is MED with the other papers in
the case is given in part below. Ii was
submitted in the latter part Of ApriI
iS'6' and reads as follows:
Remarkable Explanation.
To the Commissioner of Patents: The
petition of William o. George. Of the cit,v
Of Richmond, and in the county of Hem
rico, and State Of Virginia, respectfully
represents:
That your petitioner has invented \
table constructed upon new and usafui
plan, designed for use i'm the parIor ana in
other places, and so adopted as to con-
trive for the pleasant passing of the hours
OF company In novel and interestin.,
manner, which is done by means of a pc
GUITAR method or game, which your peti-
toner calls the game of equality, so-caIled
in consequence of its placing man and wo-
man upon an equal footing in an impor-
tant respect; it being a new method ar
process of effecting i desirable and useful
purpose in remarkable. novel, and enter
tanning manner. and one which will yiald
lasting happiness to society
There are in this world numbers of the
male sex so very nervous, backward, and
bashful as not to be able to declare their
affections for young lady, no matter
how deeply they may be attached TO her
Notwithstanding the lady may possibly
be both willing and ready 10 jump into the
gentlemSn's arms at the slightest declara-
ton of affection, still his dlffidence or her
modesty can and often does prevent its ac-
cOmplishment, thus destroying the fond
hopes and happiness of two beings per-
haps exactly suited TO each other.
ITO obviate the difficulty and make the
road to matrimoHy easy and certain is The
principal object of this invention For no
matter how diffident the gentleman NAV
at this table and play with an earnest de-
sire to catch each other their object will
certainly be accomplished, and that with
secrecy, safety, and dispatch. The said
table is also adapted to other useful pur-
poses. and is termed by your petitioner the
oracular wheel or unique center table
I'm order 10 understand the object of
the invention and insure perfect COM
pTehensiOn of the game. We must neces-
sarily refer and go back 70 the circum-
stances that originated the first ideas on
the subject, they being a sort Of lie Mot
d Enigma or passe partOut 70 the better
understanding OF the game.
How It Started.
"The invention originated thus: The
inventor read in a newspaper a paragraph
in substance as follows: AT wedding.
which took place in the western part Of
the State some years back, the marriage
ceremony being over and the company
having partaken Of a plentiful supply of
the good things 10 be found on such Oc- |
casions, they amused themselves as best |
they could In conversation until some |
what run out, when they set their wits to |
work TO find some more agreeable occu- |
patton. There being no musician present |
they could not dance. so II was proposed /
10 play some game, such as Pass the I
Thimble, Grind the Bottle, the Lawyer, !
Stage Coach, &c But neither OF these 1
games seeming TO meet the APPRECIATION I
OF the ladies. the company were al loss I
for somewhat to do until IL was happily 4
suggested by some one present That eacn I
unmarried lady and gentleman should be 4
required 10 confess 10 the oldest married 4
man or Mai. Dorlo the state Of their az l
fectiOns, in other words, who they were
in love with the Major DomO 20 b. hrst 1
sworn not 10 diyulge the secrets told him /
unless they prove mutual, IN which case /
he was 10 communicate only 10 the par
ties most interested. The company con- /
scnting TO this, the experiment com
nienced, and each one having performed 4
he task OF making the old man, oF Major 4
Domo their Father COnfezsOr. the result /
was announced followed Dy burst OF
dpplsuseb, which was that three matches 4
had been perfected. three couples made 4
hapDy. but which could not be ascertain
ed AT the time Dy any III tne pdfues .
principally concerned
II Was only after several weeks had I
elaDsed that the discovery was made, (
which happened in this wise: one Of those 4
ifinerant intermeddling ladies. yclept an 1
Cd maid. whose only Occupa ton consisted 4
in. croaking around the EeighDOrhoOd. hay
ing made several Intellectual attempts 70 \
find out and having passed few sicepless
nights thinking on the subject. went a.
4 deruler resort 70 the only mantuznaks i
in the place, and after much nnrss.ns 1
succeeded In picking out Of her the fact
that she Vas making three bridal gar
uents and who they we're for 81 course
the secret was out and few Ike light
ming The result Was that the three cOu-
pies we're soon after married 70 the great
delight OF their friends and 20 The eK-'l
eeeding snnoyaLcs Of the old maid. VINO
I regret 70 say was neither Invited. eI-
pectea. nor desired az either welding"
To Avoid TztiIing-
Mr. George then continued MS appilea-
ton a. follow. Having read something
similar 10 the above the idea occurred 90
the inventor that provided anything could
J. invented which would supply the place
OF the ola man O. cas5 Or dOnO that could
not possibly tell tlies. if would b most