davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06

lions for patents on al sorts of things. NEG
Abe rr"tihle * that mary - the applicants
are totally unable 10 explain their inVeh-
lions ty him. Recently q man called mere
with a psStebnard model Of an engine. II
WAS 4 good thing and il worked. ii"
could work 81 all right. and knew where the
different parts fitted in. but he could not
90 save him explain how the thing worked
or what the new features OF il were. The
result was that I had "a master all the
technical points uf the Easieboarf machine.
get into the spirit % II and evolve a de-
s.ripticu tor the benefit OF the Patent Of
fee.
1t requires at least a year. a. y rule, TO
get Il patent through. The Office i behind
with the work. and there IL = long nstura!
DELAY while the patent officials go through
all the records OF past inventions. Examine
them and make sure that the new thing ~
NOT an infringement CI some other patent
Ard IL there is possible chance for an ob-
lection the Patent Office makes %. Il l. a
ncceSsary rr-c3uri"u. Ar:i then it dsvolves
uron the petit'ouer 20 show that the Thing
h. has invented y nor and useful. Often
This requires a vast amount of work and a
long time"
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
To My Old Trunk. = >

COMPANION of my many tours.
Now battered. worn and rUsted,
Your locks and straps
Have lived through scraps,
when others would have busted.
You've been i'll used by many hands;
You've braved all sorts of weather,
in one-night stands, OF many lands,
And still you hold together.
I've used you sometimes as a desk;
More often as q table.
When friends Of mine,
With song and wine.
Have made nv room a Babel.
And when the hours Of mirth were done,
The guests all homeward started.
I've packed you tight and through the night
We also have departed.
Long NAV we be the best Of friends
Two comrades none may sever
\ players life.
Is lonely strife.
His journey lasts forever.
And when the final curtain falls,
When DER the Styx Pm ferrisd,
I'll hut request that / may rest
In my Old trunk deep buried.
Harry King Toot'e in the Mirror.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06

for burns. or course, the foil served its
purpose very well. but In most households
such an article IS seldom tu he found.
Aud even il the foil is obtainab.e. It is
rather difficult to properly apply it.
"Parafine or wax candles can he
melted and poured over the burns. This
quickly hardens and forms q coating
through which the air cannot penetrate.
This treatment also relieves the pain.
care should be taken that when melted
and ready 10 pour on the injured parts ~
j. not too hot. one argument against the
use of psrafiue is that il is removed with
difficulty.
\ these remedies are merely prelimi-
nary precautions taken before the arrival
Of the doctor. In eases where the burns
are extensive I should advise the applica-
ton of -four or linseed oil. Keer, the m
-jursd person a. quiet as possible. and uut
of the air. and send for the doctor 1t
once. Where the burns are slight. and the
doctors services are not required, he
Carron oil nr collodica will prove excellent
remedies. II would be a wise precaution
Il. have n bottle Of either lotion ~ hand.
Wl;cre n patient is suffering from inha-
lat;ou 81 smoke, heated milk will aid in
r~pviving him
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
HARRY pRUFROCK:
Who Wcrkej Out Little Inn
rrovementS in Furniture That
Bring Hima Big Income.

\ successful Young s. Louis inventor is
Harry rrufrock, d Manual Training School
graduate. and 4 son of William Prufrock.
the furniture manufacturer. Mr.. Prufrocs
has confined his inventions 10 one line
that Of furnitTre-conCerning which he has
a practical educition.
The most successfull of half a dozen in
V~eHtions that he has perfected is a de-
tachshle mattress and supported woven
wire spring for use on bed lounges and
bed COu, hes. NJ. PrufroCk SAYS he Is col
Letting royalties on some 2a,oGA of these a
year; eighteen manufacturers one of
whom is in England and one in Canada,
using the patent in their business.
Mr. prIfrOck says he invented the spring
mattress to NEE; a demand which he
found existed while he was on the road
Tor his fathers house in 1925.
You have seen those old-tIme couches"
he said. THE kind that open out and fur
nish a bed for extra company. They are
very good things. bat the trouble with
them * thai they always look Ike cotIches,
and they always have a ridge in ;he CEN
ter They are not comfortable. for either
ou- person or TWO. MY customers asked
me- why We didn't get out something thar
world not look like a bed couch. and
which would not have the ridge in the
cenier-somethinc that causes nis
tired backs. family rows. ard the breaking
of lifelong friendships.
Il thought the suggestion = pretty good
ore and began TO work on il. I made a
number of experiments before | got what I
wanted Then | hat it patented. The
couch does not lock like a bed: there is no
ridge in the middle. and both the mattress
and the springs are easy To- get at. So
there Won are. | found q ready market for
IL here. and went over 10 England, where
| had also patented IL. | had to look a long
time before I found an EngIish manufactur-
~ who would take the agency. bu; ! finally
found one. they are fearfully slow in
England They don't dn things over. there
like We 10 them here. An article has tn
h. :" many years old. like wine, before
they consider il worth taking up"
Two patent hinges. also for use on bell
couchss. are others OF Mr.. Prufrook's in
yertions. one is designed for touches whose
owners dislike 10 walk around them ia open
them. II is an ingenious device nv which
the co-ch can be opened from either side.
The other is so constructed that the couch
does not have 10 he drawn away from the
wall TO be opened. the spring throwing the
top forward A ball-besring caster for
heavy furniture is another invention. but
MIR. Prufrock saws It is no, a perfect one,
and he is nos making efforts TO pu, il on the
market until he has improved II.
My inventions are what might be called
simple ones" says Mr.. Prufrock. but none
Of them were accidental. The ideas had to
be worked out. and always there had to be
kept In mind the cost OF production. the IA
cility of application and the ability to i'm
press upon the manufacturer. the dealer
and the consumer the necessity for the i'm
movement"
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
LOUIS A. HOERR:
Who Went About Being an In
ventor IN Quite Ell Unorthoj0x
Way.

Louis 4. HoeTr planned a career az an III
v-utor. and has succeeded 10 an extent
which set at naUsht the predictions of the
wise friends of his youth. Mr.. Hoerr grad
uated from the Manual Training School in
ls9i. Within the past :Wo lears he has in
vented some twenty-siN new things in con
nection with railroad equipment. About
twenty of these have been patented. and
most Of them are in use by various rail-
roads.
one Of the most successful Of NIr. H0err'S
inventions is q pnrGmatic locomotive track
sander. j, j. nov in use on nearly all the
trunk lines of the Middle Wes, and West.
The patent was sold 10 a Philadelphia con-
Germ almost before it had been granted.
Another inventiou-Or rather two other In
v~-ntionS that have met with great success
are his flush and outside doors for freight
ears. They are designed 10 give better pro-
lection to the contents Of ears by abso-
lutely excluding dust. CinGerS. sparks and
rain. The flush door fits into u facing when
in place. and is exactly fush with the out
side of the ca. To open it u crank is turned.
throwing the rear Of tho door out OF the set
Ting and allowing il to ran back on an irou
runner AZ the top. Tit outside door lJoks
like the ordinary outside ear door, but in
side Of /, there Is a system Of strips that
makes the introduction of sparks and rain
almost impossible.
Among the other inventions that AIR.
fIosTr has perfected are e safety truCk-eud
casting. a burgiar-proof door guide. a pueu-
matte locomotive bell ringer. 81 new coupling
for locomotives. and an Improved locomO-
tive truck, the principal cisim fer which is
that it's construction requires about one
third of the pieces used in the oli-t!me
method of construction. thus decreasing the
cost and enhancing the strength of the
truck.
Mr. Hoerr is not an inventor by chance
lie planned ID career aiouI that line long
before hts school DAYS We're ended. aud ne
lifted himself for II in an original way. He
worked for a time III a candy machine fac
tory: then he worked in a street car fac
tory: then in "A tobacco machine factory,
then in q mill machine factory then in =
steam engine factory. Then he worked for
d lime in a local patent attorneys office:
next he studied architecture. craftsman
ship and civil engineering. He attended
night school for two terms and then began
his life work.
Il met with all sorts ~ direfui prsdic-
lions he said. Il vas tod that ! dill not
have the power or applicatioh. that l
Jumped around TOO much; that / ought 20
AXE up one thing and stick 10 IL. and the
prophecy was made that ! would not
| amount To a row Of pins. | was often re
minded Of the old adage. Jack OF all trades,
master Of none But those who undertook
10 advise me did not know the aim | had.
They did not know that my seeming skip
ping about was but part Of a direct plan.
| am satisfied with the results. Nine years
ago | was making So a month: now ! clear
up about ss.1p a year. And l am pretty
young still"
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
EDWARD c. MElSSNER:
Who Designs Hand Tools That
Are Operated ty Compressed
Air

How TO make tools go by wind is one
art in the practice Of which Edward Z.
Meissner, a Manual Training School gradu-
ate OF 1872. is finding fortune. Mr.. Meiss-
ner has patented some twenty inventions Of
and improvements in pneumatic mmer
drills and chiseis.
NJ. AIeissrer did not Intend to De an in
ventor % pneumatic tools when he quit the
schoo!roo.n. He had an idea that he would
he an electrician. ana spent. some time in
that business. Then he became employed
in the service OF the Terminal Raiir oad As
ISOLATION and soon found that thece We're
numerous tools IN use in the shops mat
were slow and crude. Believing that there
was money In the Improvement of them. h.
began io study how they couiG be i'm
proved. He tried his hand at hammers and
drills ard chiseis. hut never quite got the
hang of TIN best way IN which to improve
them until he hit upon the idea Of employ
ing compressed AR as the motive power.
This idea came through eSUcrimenJilg on
an Improvements in the manner Of ringing a
locomotive bell. Compressed air seemed
Just the thing. and he invented and pat
ented a pneumatic hell ringer. Then he de-
e4asd that he would NY the use OF -eone
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
INVENTIONS ARE THE PRODUCT OF
RIPE MINDS, NOT OF CHANCE.


Principal n Manual Training school and President of tho :. Louis school Beard
Iycruors-1h" inventions that amount to anything in tho industry and science
though. long and careful application. and stud~ss experiments They are oyolu-
tons from Grade ideas They are he proaprs "f rt minds not, of haare. They
a" -rav; tbs not accidents
Tn rw-r or erru,r m Whatever branch j.. 80 10, prrr"re m. Young
aianmr Tran#= School for instance, ,r, l. 40 HnyerIrY. The tr"y il. .,at
the ruris IN 1" a!,oo"ns and workshop. are Ht mn Of MP c>~uenr~
They az here Hr lean fundamental Iurvpa~ Gh, SIZE t~rr d" ht, their
minds Developed" Learn the Use" OF The tools of J- trade vhe'i'G tH, r"Hs
Every -IGtatu- knows that chiGcu have wtHu1> Al s.ru> tr.s Hu his life
a boy wants r, en<Ige H. various induie. As one time for instance ne wants
To te a driver. when he gets TO he "a little Older he wamN Il" be-
a farmer or perhaps a railroad man; he MAY. later want 10 h an elevator
wants 20 be a musician or d carpente, or Il blacksmith. or a preacher. or a
LAWYER OF a DOCTOR He has all sorts If whmsd during his urnatvc reoi Par
cms see this. and they frequently Imagine, that n" mas = special bent FOR What
he fmdcs most In nearly every case. these earlier wttms do not indicate any
rffuy Whatever except THAI the boy k growing in mind as well as in body. that
n is becoming acquainted with the fact that there are many industries and pro-
ngors in life. L * not safe TO intepre: these wnin~a as Indications OF what he
viii take up
W. tell the parents. of 1hes: boys To pay 10 attention to whhm~ We tell
hem neither to encouaee nor discourage them Their whole duty is to see that
the min of the hoy is evenly developed. Pt him school where he an acquire
opi sufficiently 70 enable him to know something Of what he wants TO do in life
Bat rs education SHOULD be even lie should be allowed 10 Learn that life
{s nany-sdedt hing and hiatt the man who would succeed mus have a good
general knowledge:
Zach hem Row things have bn ioe and how hey can l." the same things in
The same NAY, For instance Sc have in the Manual Training School the parts
Of ompound engine that the pupils arc building. But hy are rot making those
parts according TO their OWE ideas % how they should he made They are closely
ououinE tbs patterns furnished them tw. the expert in such matters who is heir
TEACHER. TO let the boys follow oHcinaI ideas would be- to make a fanure Of this
cor,ou,s engine L, woIS MOI run The hos ire anrrui,ss they'd moi know
except in "A vague wa, what - compound engfne is But by helping TO hud one
under the direction Of a man who does know, they are Earning, m after awhile
they will be able to design and build one themselves. when they have reached
that stag Of heir education thew VII he tine lime Cor hem TO make experiments
Only by acanrfnsa thorough knowledge CT w 4 thing is done, car a person he
in a position TO evolve "eihs"ntE " i"tn for The" Improvement Of the me'hod or
donc that thing.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
YOUNG ST. LOUIS INVENTORS

rr.. ~.d air a. a motive power FOR light
tools To II" used IL machine shops,
The iirst thing ne invented on that "rde,
was d pneumatic hammer. IL Wv mt I'll
right. bat he admits that 1t was a ernie
thing. and that It lacked n" ,sSeutiai
quality Of SrariinG hard use for Il long
ti.ue. He had rot made \ ar@fui study 81
hammers. and dii not kn,w all there Vas
., know about their weak .'oiIts- He
learned, H"weve-. after ~ had zen ~
ps-imeruns for some time.
Now p. has hammers of all sizes. anc
also chisels and drills. most Of them 70.
hand work Some of them are very rapid
smaller ones be.Ts capable Of delivering
from i.SH' g." 5.tvp strokes a minute. To Ths
Sn.ia- EepIuli" man he showed. by using
tH'u uU It block -; east iron. how these
,h'S-ls. hammers and drills are opersteG-
Nitl the smaller chiSeis-which are much
Ike the h=nm-T-he rnipped off grooves
J.: the cdsi-;rou block more rapidly than d
hoy vita e ifckkHif, can whlttlc notche:
ia ID rictr-H"N top Then he took up one of
the large hammers. which has a speed Of
about ~" taps "a minute. ard Knocked on
great blocks Of the iron. The hammers
az" used Tor driving rivets in boiler plates.
architectural iron, and such things. The
otiselS are FOR the purpose uf chiseling III
iron. Tire drills are for both wood and iron.
Unit The Introduction Of compressed air
as 81. motive power said Mr.. MeissDsr.
hand power was the only power for small
er tools OF This nature. Large hammers
and drills We're operated by steam. but not
smaller tools. Consequently the work was
very slow.
The success IF my inventions has been
highly satisfactory To me There were man.
difficulties To overcome before they were
perfected. and many costly experiments hal
." b" made. ! think compressed air * t.,
~ The motive power Of III" future. II is
Ga us infancy just now. of course. Their"
viii ne places where steam must he used.
also where electricity is essentially the hos
power. but compressed air will make many
iuruads upon tho field of each. ard before
many years il will he almost :. universal
power. especially for light work. Md. do
you know that there j. very little difference
In the essential principles of construction
between the large tools Of TODAY and thu
little foot-power plueser that dentists use
That plUGgcr is the father 90 all the pncl.-
matte tools in use to-day"
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06

man las recently r'gf-r-"l u high rttSSur"
air compressor. wh!cL pumps air ;H p pres
sure If a..,1 pounds tu the square inch. and
stores il in steel tubes for the purpose Of
furnishing motive power for iurandcscNut
light plants. small machiner.. automobiles
and for various other use- som" OF the
other things that NE. Thurman nas In
vented arc
Compressed air motors ;"- street railway
cars and AUTOMOBILES
Special ma hine-y Icy th- -,oaruicai
compression Of ai-.
Pneumatic and uthe- labor saving .!n'i'"s
n railways among Hnich IS "H arrange
meut ~ which 'ir engineer in Oh" cab II
a ln.oUuoilv- can Grange the pos ION o.: hi-
electric headlight 81. HAT ih~ light fa}@
viii follow Tire curr"~ o. ;G- track
! compressed sir huu~- rl.4;.Ia. oitt~1
sweeping and I-r"y.tilrs aui wall vi-suins
device.
THiS Ia, u.Ma'i is uu- co. thr H.9-i recent
If Nr Tul-lauu-- Inventions aaI o"" 'i
,h- mo-. %uriiu-. Tt- cati'-- swr-r-r ~"l
renovation. ta- m1.H jl- appearance ~ ar
ordinary mechanical carpet SwrvYr1- rNr-ri
that ia it there j. 90 c1mpartnen' "A'cA
collects tn, dG~, a. it IS taken from the
carpet. Connected with The sweeper IS -
small glass 'ub". IN NNf'4 IN iii-'' ~ 40
used in fun.igdting or diS'neeci:ug the car
ne, Is kept aud automatical!y filtered into
the body of tne sweeper. Their are no
brushes 10 he sweeper. A rubber nose
connects the tank OF compressed air with
tn. sweeper. and d button liz The handle
regulates the current The air Is sent
through the body OF The sweeper. down
through the texture Of the carpet and then
back into The sweeper. where il finds an
outlet after u has deposited its load OF
dust. brouGht up from the carpet and the
| floor beneath, in the dust receptacle.
Mr.. Thurman WIS. until a wear age, chief
mechanical engineer for the Missouri Pacific
and Iron Mountain roads and got his idei
OF compressed air As a house Cl"aner from
the use that was made of il in busting out
railroad cars. But before the system could
he used in the house IL was necessary to
devise means OF keeping the dust IN the
machine. and il required considerable study
and experimentation.
Another invention OF Mr.. Thurman has 10
DO wit ringing a locomotive bell. His
| plan. wrick is III practical use. consists Of
a system az ball hearings by which one
pull Of the bell rope will cause The bell ~
! ring twenry-ifree times. y system for 81
| tirely Illuminating the machinery o, d loco
motive by ircandescent lights = auoth =
Thurman invention.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06
IN CASE OF BURNS, WHAT TO
DO BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES.
The Use of Parafhne, Coodion and Carron Oil.

Many lives arc los. every year through
ignorance OF what 10 do for persons who
are severely burned. \ little knowledge
of what to do before the doctor comes
will prevent much needless suffering and
often save lives. The information in this
article is given by a surgeon who has
made many hurried calis 10 fires To render
aid TO the injured. He said to me when I
asked him what Was the best thing TO do
for burns:
Man times i persons clothing is is-
nited from the flames of a gas stove or
careiessly dropped matches. In such cases
the person Is usually a woman: not that
women are more careless than men. but
their flowing house gowns are more east
ly ignited- TIL majority of women. when
they find their clothing In flames. viii
start TO run away from the danger.
Such a procedure is quite likely 10
prove fatal. II the person il alone. a quilt.
rug or p%ortiere. or any large wrap, should
he thrown about the body. Then. by lying
upon the floor and rolling over. the fames
can he quickly smnthered. IT some one
is near at hand To give assistance. 81
much the better. In any case. the first
thing To DO is To see that every spark o.
fire is extinguished. That duty performed
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06

the clothing should he removed from the
burned portions of the. body. There are
many lotions that will relieve the pain.
The one main point that should he kept
in mind. however, * 20 keep the air from
the burns.
Nothing is better than hoUr 10 protect
the burned surface from the air. Make
liberal use OF the -four and cover every
part of the body that the fire has reached
When this is done. cover the patient with
wraps, protect him from all drafts, and
when the doctor comes he will dress the
burns. Almost any kind of oil is excellent
except. of course. kerosene and similar
oils. The very best oil that can be applied
is linseed. This oil. mixed with lime
water. forms carron oil, an old remedy
for burns which has been in use over 2J
years. Immediately upon application ear
ron oil forms a. false skin or film over the
burned surface. which ehsctualIy pre-
vents the air from reaching the injured
parts. Collodion Is also an excellent lotion
to apply to burns. This preparation is an
tiseptic. and also a iisinfectant. II keeps
the burns absolutely dean, free from air,
dirt and microbes.
Not long ago. in one Of the city hos
' pitfalls. silver foil was used a. a covering
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1900-05-06

ST. Louis men OF wealth are quick to
that give fair promise Of success. ard aft
or they orca get Interested in an inven-
zion. they will stand by the inventor until
he mas finally made the thing a go" or
has given 81 Up. one of the best-known OF
the ST. Louis hackers Of inventors is
.AdoIphus Busch. Mi. Busch has been be
finc' a number OF inventors. and il at
the present time. and he is said 10 have
rasped a rich reward. for the reason that
he never gives up while there is the least
sembIance of hope OF success. This trait
OF ct. Louis rich men has been a part OF
the history OF the town, at least ever since
Charles 7. Choutssu. Gustaye 4. Booth
and Pierre Chouteau stood back OF Benja-
min Brazelie I'm his perfection OF the first
rne1lma.ic hammer. II Is safe 10 say that
at The present time there are a dozen
rich men Of st. Louis furnishing the
''Sinsws of war to inventors who are try
ins 20 complete the details of some new
device.
And this is aside from the big commercial
and Industrial enterprises that stand ready
a, all times TO buy good Inventions. or TO
spend money for the development of good
ideas. 4 large number of 81. Louis manu-.
featuring concerns have in their employ
men whose official titles are not Indicated.
but whose time is largely devoted 10 ex-
per,nenis on improvements and the de-
veicpmsnt Of new ideas in the line of man