The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-28
WOMEN AS INVENTORS.
Feminine Brains Succeed in Winning
Famc and Fortune. ~

| as successful in the field as men. Men
acquainted with the field say that fully
| IS per cent. of the patents taken out
| by women in the last five years are
yielding profitable returns. The woman
who invented satchel-bottomed paper
| bags, for instance, had an offer of 500,
| 600 for the patent before she left WASH
! ington. A simple glove buttoner is
bringing to the woman inventor an in
| come of $4,000 a year. A woman clerk
| in a department store invented parcel
delivery system which netted substan-
tial returns. One New England milii-
ner, herself an inventor, enjoys the
| right to several patents that represent
| the ingenuity of the woman operatives
in her employ. She shares profits with
| the inventors and one of the devices
first put in operation in this factory
brings in $4,000 a year.
1t often happens that woman en-
ployer, from familiarity with the ma
chinery or business methods in use,
thinks out some time and labor saving
scheme. She shows the model to the
manager of her department.. He tells
the firm of it's merits and they arrange
with the employee for the exclusive use
of the invention The employe goes on
quietly with her work in the store or
MILL The public never hears of her,
| but success has been a stimulus, and
she keeps on the lookout for further in
ventive opportunity.
Much Of womans present activity in
inventions is ascribed to the better edu-
cational facilities now obtainable. The
| college standard in high and popular
| courses in sloyd and manual training
have taught women to use their hands
| as well as brains. Notwithstanding
| this, a large proportion of the more
| successful women inventors are those
who have had only medium or limited
educational advantages, but have been
| daily toilers in the various lines Of in
| dustry. A Rhode Island woman invent
| ed an improved notwithstanding ma
| chine that measures the distance be-
| tween the buttonholes automatically,
with much profit and convenience to
garment makers. A lock with 5000 COM
| binations is a womans invention, also
a letter box for the outside of homes
| that shows signal when there is a let
| ter inside for the poetman to collect,
an invention now in constant use.
| woman has just perfected a valuable
apparatus for removing wool from skins
by electricity. showing that women are
| quick to adapt the modern facilities of
! the age to practical purposes.
The woman inventor must never lose
sight of practically if she would sue
coed. Other women brain workers may
at times indulge in dreaming and theor-
izing, but the woman inventor, however
high her flights of fancy, must always
come back to the practical. Many wo-
mems inventions are submitted to the
patent office, accompanied by elaborate
models, but so conspicuously lacking in
some vital principle as to be unayail-
ing. A good many are rejected on the
score Of absurdity, but. according to
official testimony, the women aspirants
do not differ from the men in this re-
spect. Many women submit practical
specifications and fail to score success
| ~o+ IL - ,s.rs,, 1A,,A I11
cause the inventor was ignorant Of pre-
vious patents covering the same point.
No matter how brilliant an inventors
idea may seem, he is advised to search
thoroughly the patent Office records be-
fore making model. Some women have
taken out five and six patents for wide
| ly different purposes. A California Wo-
man whose first invention, in early
youth, was a corset has ately patented
| several inventions relating to reservoirs
and irrigation.
| The Northwest, the Middle and the
Eastern states have produced the most
| active women inventors. The South has
| yielded the fewest number, but the
| Southern women who have entered the
| field at all have been financially sue
| cessfully. Two important aids to agri
| culture were the invention Of an Ala
| bama woman. A working woman in
| North Carolina succeeded with a cul-
| patented a useful car heating appa-
ratus. A Texas woman invented a
| novel folding tent and another South
| ern woman finger-exercising device of
| value to musicians. A Western widow
| patented method desulphurizing ores,
another invented composition solder
of use to metal workers.
Women inventors from the big cities
have almost invariably patented arti-
cles pertaining to the elegance of dress
and house furnishings Those from the
country districts and villages have been
active in the way of dress drafting pat
terms. novel devices for adjusting por-
there's and curtains and patents useful
in the manufacture of artistic goods.
Many facilities for clerical use have
been patented by city women, such as
safety envelopes, improved typewriting
appliances, copy holders, letter openers,
etc. Most of these women We're en-
ployed at some time as clerks in bust
ness offices and felt the lack of con-
veniences which they afterward sup
piled.
A number of women school teachers
are successful inventors, and have pat
| ented educational systems and devices,
also kindergarten implements, erasers,
school bags and book rests. Women
from the small towns in Wisconsin.
Minnesota Dakota and Illinois have
been prolific in inventing household
COnVeHleuceS, Washing ana cleaning ap-
paratus, facilities for sanitation. gar
! ment bindings, shield fastenings and
dress improvements. New England wo-
men have brought out attachments and
improvements that have to do with sad
dies, harnesses and vehicles; also the
needs of barn and garden. They have
invented butter workers. plumbing APP
planes. brushes for cleaning and fire
kindling compositions, toys, games
puzzles and amusement knick-knacks.
A considerable proportion Of the fak.rs
goods, novelties and trick pastimes sold
on the street were originated by wo-
men. They sell the patent right prompt
ly to the proprietors of news agencies,
who include such small gear in their
stationers and confectioners supplies.
A fair proportion of the speciality goods
inventors and makers are women.
Many whose trademarks are registered
at the patent office have made fortunes,
either through shrewdness in putting