The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-10-21
CURIOUS Things
INVENTED BY Man
He Has Made Everything from Tooth
Pick TO a Cyclone


The United States nation of inven-
tors2
SO than it is to-day. II you have the
slightest doubt that the spirit of the de-
visor OF the wooden nutmeg and the bass
wood ham still survives at the end OF the
century, take a. look at the Official Ga
zette of the United States Patent Office.
There is no more interesting reading.
Here, for instance, is the aromatic tooth
pick 1t looks like a fountain pen-but
it isn't Cunningly concealed in the quill,
is a fountain meant to contain quantity
OF pertaining or medicinal substance,
which is released by pressure upon the
point OF the pick.
Thus, if one wishes delicate aroma to
be d:ffused about his presence when ne
picks his teeth on the sidewalk in front
of a $5-a-day hotel after he has eaten
25 cent dinner on a side-street, he has
only to load his engine with the proper
ammunition and prod away.
Conversely. if you have a friend or reia-
tive who needs medical treatment and re-
fuses to take it. all YOU have to do IS to
insert the medicine in the quill and pre-
sent him with half a dozen picks: he'll
anything about it.
But that's nothing: in these days
everybody smokes and nobody carries
matches. When a man wants to light
a cigar, ne asks on an average. three
persons OF his acquaintance for the loan
of match In doing SO, he walks about
lao feet for each match secured.
a CIGAR LIGHTEK.
Suppose that he smokes twenty-four
cier C7a1-- will no ?56i1
ABOUT two-thirds of a mile, walked daily.
at great cost of his employers time and
! his own energy. To remedy this condi-
ton Of affairs, 4 clever Bostonlan has de-
| vised d. cigar whose tip contains a. fric-
| tional isniter-that is 20 say. q. cap OF
| phosphorus and other st,Iffs similar to
| that used in making matches.
| With the self-lightng cigar all you have
| to do is to elevate one foot by placing
| it on a chair or otherwise. draw the cigar
| from an inside pocket, where it has lain
! hidden from friends, and scratch the bust
| ness end brishly against the base of your
| trousers. Thereupon the cigar lights of
! its own accord, and continues to burn
| iiercely to the end.
! You might INK the phosphorus would
| interfere with the delicate aroma OF your
| Partaga or Henry Clay. but the inventor
| says it won't Some people are too par
| tlcular, anyhow.
Trains frequently run away They are
/ not going to do so any more. if an inven-
| Tor from Duluth. the zenith city OF the I'M
| saited seas, has his way abe ut IT, He
has devised a rail-sripping train anchor,
with a groove to pass over the fange of
the rail and bite the rail when the anchor
is under strain
Use this device and absent-minded c,rs
left unhitched will no longer wander off
by themselves. or kick holes in their sta
| bleS to get out
| IN the early days OF railroading. when
oao ooys used to tie strings to the smoke
stacks and lead the engines off into the
woods to play with. this invention would
nave been invaluable.
| FOR THE BICYCLE.
Now. there's bicycling. Evervboa,-
knows that bicycling is canahIa of -,
| provement. When you ride a wheel rha
WIND is always against you. the sun is
always not, springs are infrequent and
glasses OF beer are smaller than in the
good Old days OF our fathers
| wv therefore,, man from Cleveland has
patented an umbrella support. It can be
affixed to any bicycle. Curving graceful
~ from the handle bars, it holds above the
seat an umbrella. which can be extended
| al VIII TO ward off rain or SUM-
Inc umbrella is not devised for the
scorcher. The scorcher's nose protrudes
ten inches beyond his front wheel and the
| umbrella would be SO far behind him that
it would shade the track where his hated
| rtVa! was coming in hot pursuit
! However, there are bicyclists who do
! not scorch, and the inventor has doubt
| less considered their comfort rather than
that Of the twenty-mile an hour men.
| You've heard Of the El,niraI Reforna-
| tory OF New York State, Of "Paddler''
! Brockway, gentle-souled man, and the
| pain it has given him to inflict pain Mr..
| Brockway and his admirers and irnitators
VIII be pleased to learn that Edmund and
| Ulysses a. De Moulin have invented what
| they, with singular blindness to their own
interests, Teebly call an Initiating de-
| vice.
! 1t is the intent of the Messrs. De Moulin
/! that their machine shall usefuly serve
I. all college secret fraternities in the Uni
i ted States.
| A SPANKING MACHINE.
| When candidate has been blindfolded
| and impressed with the dignity of the oc-
cason he is placed upon low platform.
! assumes an inviting attitude by stopping
| and grasping two handles which arise
| about four inches from the platform.
| Then his tormentors stand hack a good dis
lance, turn the button and the nerciless
| electric current does the rest
In the machine as actually invented
| there is fIap-flapper attached 70 the
| spanker. This Is intended to make a
! tremendous racket, which induces the in
! itiated to think that he is being hurt more
than he is. But in the wider use OF this
machine by the Brockways of the future
one can easily point out certain improve
ments. as thus:
l. Quadruple the electric power
q Remove the p-fapper. as the
groans of the victim will make quite
noise enough.
9. Increase the weight of the spank
ing-paddie.
This machine will ill lons-feIt
want-not felt. however, by those upon
whom it is uied.
M0ONcHIN PIC WJlEE