The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-22

one only asked SO a week because sne
mixed the excitement, but her case Is an
exception / could tell you of man who
mas spent nearly 10000 demonstrating the
practicab.lity of his FIRE escape, and dust
ana smoke destroyers cost nearly as mu-h
chaser
The huge sums that have been spent
recently In the attempt to introduce now
methods for paving or lighting streets
"ouid stagger anybody but a born promo
Ter As for electric cars, locomotive air
power cars. etc, everybody knows that
they cost fortunes to Introduce. but also
mat they amply repay the companies that
win success with them. and that is always
a temptation.
Everybody knows. also. that men with
new motors to put in cars are willing and
even anxious to run the cars free for
months. In the hope of finally getting a big
paying contract. That side OF It does not
enter here, but their expenses. as may he
seen, are extravagant. II was recently
said by great engineer that electric COM
panies within the past Ave years have CIV
en- away over 81, 600 900 In showing possible
customers how IL IL dore'
Take very simple case in Industrial
invention. Before any one would buy 4
smoke consumer l was interested In X had
to be affixed gratuitously to a dozen fac-
tory chimneys II was success. but be-
lore tniS was demonstrated the company
had TO squsnder almost $4,000.
Sometimes a model or an actual ma
chine has to- be carted about to every con-
siderable city I'm the Union in order to
bring 1t to the doors OF possible buyers
and tour OF this sort. which IL the com
monest occurrence possible. means an cut
lay OF thousands OF dollars. could name
such tour which absorbed over $500 in
'sweetening' dinners alone. New buildings
special workshops and so often have
to be built in order that such things as
novel hoists, elevators. the rolling OF steel
plates. or crushing and smelling OF iron
may be seen at work to advantage.
"a single practical denomination OF q
new, heavy projectile made before govern
ment officials seldom costs less than 10000
for the one day. ! have seen over 1000
pounds OF some particular ammunition
biazed away in forenoon at specially
erected targets. costing quite as much, and
could name one torpedo demonstration
that, for the day. cost over $4,000. this
sum including a special train. a chartered
steamer. copious refreshments and the
hulk OF an old armored warshp that was
to be torpedocd.
II have refrained from speaking OF such
gigantic experiments a. the Bessemer
steamboat. the whole of the center OF
which swung in an even position, the OBJ
ject Of this design being to prevent sea-
sickness I haven't mentioned II because
the experiment was made In England. but
1t cost the sum of si0o,00O In ALL and was
a complete failure. just as was the ex-
pensive French Hagin boat not long since,
though the small models In each case
worked perfectly.
Leaving out many such ruinous prac-
teal experiments the fact remains that
during the year 1879 something like S3o,-
600 has been spent In showing on, In every
part OF the world. often at the most re-
mote gold fields. the merits of rival ore
crushing and metal extracting patents
THE new long-ranae gun which cele-
brated inventor. whose name Is known all
over the civilized globe, has been trying
unsuccessfully to introduce into the arma-
ments OF nations. has cost couple OF
fortunes. All the money that he makes
out OF the profits of his successful gun,
which has been on the market many years
now, goes into the demonstrations OF the
new one. He keeps pegsing away. and In
the end ! believe he will be at the top
Of the heap. but | often wonder why he
does not give up In disgust and live COM
fortably on his royalties
''Fldison In an inventor who rarely makes
a mistake about the practical money-mak-
ing side OF his works He frankly admits
that nothing goes out of his hands until
he feels sure that he will offer manu-
faeturers something that will bring In a
financial return. In fact, II may be doubt
ed III ne Goes NOT reJect AT an carry stage
any invention which fails to show a mon
ey-making side.
But Edison is a rare genius. most In
yentors fall in love with the products of
their brains and never give thought to
their practicahility. That In really what
has brough. about the present situation.
The public has so often been guided by In
ventions which arc worthless. that good
money has to be spent to make thcm look
at a worthy Improvement - Frederick w
Hunter. In New York News