The National tribune., 1900-03-29

Among the bad was the Common Law VI
England. which has prevailed 10 ia.se
extent over the States and been fehueuleu
bv statute. This is proyerblaliE SO III 'iie
g District of Columbia, which SUBJECT VIII pe
treated in a later letter; but among lhe
o,,stoms adhered to, which We're oil re-
deemabIe order, were the Patent Laws iof
the protection of inventors. and as women
inventors of All early day hid their talents
under a bushel, or gave their ideas TO some
male member of the household 10 make a
commercial success, the law does not seem
TO have been regulated by SEX. mere
fore. in these later days. when woman
work has taken Il broader range anu '.e
has learned that the products OF her DFaiii
are hers and not the property oi lle mex VI
kin. she has found 10 her delight lilat u'eie
is one place in the machinery ol Inc ooH-
ernment where sex or previous c3hoi'oii
was forgotten an insertion. and she S'atlos
there in her place in The world on an equai
footing before tie law.
When we were irving 10 have Cong 'ssS
recognize the women inventors al Hie
World s Exposition and resolution pass'e''
Congress TO that effect. it was carried "u'
by tie Commissioner of Patents II thiS
wise: Models were in the exhibit under tiic
snitial names of The inventors. ard there
was 10 possible way Of deciding "helhef
ii was by man CT woman- y clearer deiii-
onstration OF the obliterat.on of sex could
not have been made.
At the Exposition in Atlanta. however,
a fine exhibit of models and charts oil Wohi-
ans inventions was made
Al the Worlds Exposition foretaste oi
what might lie was given in the W oman
Building. After il was learned that The
Government exhibit in that line would be
a failure. the Lady Board of Managers went
TO work and an excellent collection was
made: but the exhibit at the Atlanta Expo
sition was the first ever made by Govern
ment of woman's inventions.
Congress in 1890, Immediately after the
ratification of the Constitution. enacted
statute which authorized a patent 10 invent
ors and discoyerers of any useful manulac-
turing engine or machine, and those VINO
should devise any improvement thereon not
before known or used.
In 1S49 the Office was placed under the
supervision of the Secretary of the Interior,
where it now remains.
The born inventor is very liable to be
dreamer Up to date we have not heard OF
any woman coming forward with a ma
chine for perpetual motion"
1t was also a man who brought his new
process for embalming TO the Patent Office,
accompanied by dead body as model,
which he requested be put in a glass case,
and resented it highly when the privilege
was denied him.
Very many curious letters come TO the
officers of the Government. The following
is a sample:
March 13. 1873.
"HoN. SIR, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA:-l announce to
you that / am inventing Perpetual Motion:
/ have once had my patents stolen. or L
should had my machine in running order
before this. and ] have altered my plan, SO
that it carries shaft and wheel, and when
constructed on large plan it will move
machinery, and being on new plan and
different from all others. and am sure OF
success. which hope to place before the
world soon. Though, IN consequence OF
poor health and not having the means TO
work with it, will take some months longer
to accomplish ii.
Il might write you the plan. but ] am
wish TO ask few questions, which hope
you will answer by writing as scon as YOU
receive this.
"fst. Has there been a patent applied for
or granted on perpetual motion?
"2d. Has the Government a bounty Offered
to the inventor?
I'D. When the machine is in perfect rul;-
klg order and sure that il will go with
out Stopping. will you and a man from the
Patent Office come on and grant me a pat
ent and fetch Inc the bounty, if there is
sae:
s4th. Is there aay way that | can have
Rlne TO get the machine completed before
sthers can apply for Patent?
please write soon. and address -"
We have, however. found some resource
fui pateniees in women. One woman pat
ented a crimDing machine. which she de
clared might he also used as a paper-cut
ter, skirt-supporter. a paper-fiie. child I
pin, a bouquet-holder, n shawl-fastener, o.
book-marl;
II is readily seen hy visitors al the Paten
Office who look carefully and inteligently
into the subject that women in this 19ti
century have caught the aftergIow of III,
fore-world. There were many years O
slumber and folding of the hands sine
that age when women carried on the indus
NiiN hSliS NAii' AiiE iOutStiA sllli
hunted, strictly following their profession
History gives us the running story o
women rs conservatorS in the days whel
the world was Young. as knowledge runnetI
back. In that fa--0ff time women were tn
miiicrs. and ground the corn between tw
stones. Does not the Bible give the hin
that two will be grinding AT the mill, an
one viii he taken and the other left?
is not the principle the same in use Il
day Of reducing corn 90 meal:
When the wise man said, "She consider
eth the field and buyeth It; with the fru
of her hand she planted the yinyard," h
did not say that these women cleaners la
stepped out OF their sphere, hnt he did sa,
Give her the fruit Of her hands: let her uw
works praise her within the gates" All III
wonderful results of agriculture, that bega
in that primitive time. can be traced
woman and her digging stick" Whe
she loosened the earth with her stick an
dropped the seed, she became the first plo,
man and farmer.
She went from shoemakcr's 10 tailor
patterns, geomeiricians, architects, artist
When the time came in the evolution Of /;
fairs on earth and commercial value W.
added to the products of the hand, Il
pendulum swung TO one side and man