The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-11-21
CLEVER WOMEN INVENTORS.
More and More Patents Taken Out by Then
IOf Late

taken out by women in the last five
years are yielding profitable returns
/ The woman who invented satchel
oOttomed paper bags, for Instance
had an offer Of $50 900 for the patel
ortore che lett Wasull glon. y sIm
| ple glove buttoner IS brlr ging to NJ
woman inventor an income of - OOC
4 year. A woman CLERK in a depart.
mrnt store invented parcel dellvery
system which netted conslderab able re.
turns. Ole New England milllner.
herself an inventor, enjoys the right
to several patents that represent the
ingenuity OF the women operatives L.
her employ. She shares profits with
the inventors, aud one Of the device 5
first put in operation IN this factory
brings in 800 600 a year.
Ii often happens that woman em
ployer. from familiarity with the ma
chinery or business methods in use,
thinks out some time and labOr-ssv
ing scheme. She shows the model 10
the mAnger of her department. He
tells the firm Of its merits and they
arrange with the employe for the ex-
elusive use OF the invention The
employe goes on quietly with bei
york 10 the store or mill. The pub
he never hears of her, but success has
oeeu p stimulus. aud she keeps on
the lookout tor further inventive op-
pOrtunity.
Much of woman's present activity
in inventions is ascrioed to the better
educational facilities now obtainsble.
The college standard in high and
popular courses in sloyd aud manual
training have taught women TO use
their hands as well as brains. Not
wi,hstandlng this, large proportion
Of the more successful women lnven.
tors are those who have had only me-
dium or limited educational advan
tages, but have been daily toilers in
the various lines of industry. a
RhOde Island woman invented an i'm
proved buttonhole cutting machiDe
that measures the distance between
the buttonholes automatically, with
much profit and convenience to gar
ment makers. A lock with 5000
combinations Is wOmau's invention ;
slso letter box for the outside of
homes that shows signal when there
is a letter inside for the postm4n to
collect, an invention now 10 constant
use. A woman has just perfected a
valushls apparatus tor removing wool
from skins by electricity, showing
that women are quick to adopt the
modern facilities Of the age to prac
ticsl purpose.
The woman inventor must never
lose sight Of prscticality If she would
succeed. Other women brain work
els may st times indulge in dreaming
aud theOrz Dg, but the woman inven
tor, however high her fights of fancy,
mach always come back to the prsc
tica. Many women's inventions are
submitted to the Patent Office, ac-
companied by elaborate models, but
so conspicuously lacking in some
vital principle as to be unsvaillng.
A good many are rejected on the
score Of absurdity, but, according to
official testimony. the women aspi-
rants do not differ from the men IN
this respect. Many women submit
practical specifications and fail to
score success, not from lack of orig
inality. but because the inventor was
ignorant of previous patents covering
the same point No matter how bril-
liant an inventors ideal msy seem he
ia advised to>sesrch thoroughly the
Patent Office records before making
a model. Some women have taken
out five snd six patents for widely
different purposes. A California
woman, whose first invention, in ear
ly youth, was a corset, has lately pat
ented several inventions relating to
reservoirs and irrigation.
TIE North west. the Middle and the
Eastern States have produced the
most active women inventors. The
South has Welded the fewest number,
but the Southern women who have
entered the field at all have been
financially successful. Two impor-
tant aids to agriculture were the in
veution of an Alabama woman. A
working woman in North Carolina
succeeded with q culinary invention.
A Florida mstron patented useful
car heating apparatus. A Texas wo-
nan invented novel folding tent,
and another Southern woman iuger
exercising device, of value to musi.
clans. A Western widow patented
a method of desul phurizing ores an.
other invented composition solder,
of use to metal workers.
Women inventors from the big
cities have almost invariably patent
ed articles pertaining to the elegance
of dress and housefurnishings. Those
from the country districts and vii
lages have been active in the way of
dress. drafting patterns, novel devices
for adjusting portieres and curtains
and patents useful 10 the manufac-
ture of artistic goods. Many facilities
for clerical use have been patented
by city women, such as safety envel.
opes, improved typewriting appli-
ances, copyholders, letter openers,
etc Most of these women were em
ployed at some time as clerks in bu.
siness effices and felt the lack of co.,
veniences which they afterward sup
piled.
A number Of women school teach
ers are successful inventors and have
patented educational systems and
devices; also kindergarten imple-
ments, erssers, school bags and book
rests. Women from the small towns
in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Dakota and
Illinois have been prolific in invent
ing household conveniences, washing
and cleaning apparatus, facilities Tor
sanitation, garment bindlngs'snieias'
fastenipgs and dress Improvements
New Englsnd women have brought
ont attachments and improvements