Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-05-16

mar A MILLION PATENTS. !
American Inventivenoss as Attested
the Records at washington.

American Inventiveness as Attested by
the Records at Washington.
"How the Government Promotes In
genuity" is tod by Charles F. Benia-
min in St Nicholas:
The Patent Office Is a faithful servant
to those who seek to benefit themselves
and the rest Of mankind by new and,
useful inventions. 1t has put tho whole
| method of proceeding to obtiin patent
into set OF printed rules. instructions !
and suggestions, and sends a copy,
without barge or postage, to anybody
in the United States who writes for
one. In this pamphlet is folded full
sized sheet of specimen pen drawings
of machine, with description of
| them, and these many youngbter with
| a taste for mechanics or mechanical
| drawing would prize. There is weekly
| gazette, containing picture and a
short account OF each patent granted
since the last issue, besides much other
| information, and this gazette the
| Patent Office mails at the rate OF five
| dollars year, or ten cents single
| cory. 1t mails for ten cents full
sized printed and engraved copy OF the
| draw logs and description Of any patent,
| new or old. hound volumes Of these
| copies mRy be examined 10 nearly eyeryN
| public library in the United States.V
| Suppose that person is interested IN
| that class Of machine known as q TYPED
| writer, in which there is yet muohA
room for improvement. He may de-
posit Ave dollars at the Patent Office
and receive by mail a printed AZ
engraved copy OF every new patent l1f
that class, at the cost Of ten cents ench,{l
80 long as his depoait lasts or is req
| Ia. a NTH AvW
the 4, 800 or more subylassee into wbichy
inventions are divided, and list on
these suhclasses will be sent for tenS
cents. Lastly, for two dollars the
Patent Office will send him 20 tiokets,z
each representing ten cents, and on
each of these he can at any time pug
his name and address, and the particu Il
lara Of any patent or issue Of the weekly
gazette he de.ires, and mail it to the
office, instead of sending full written
letter with q dime inside. Some Of
che bright and ambitious boys and
girls Of the country have already found
out the ways and uses OF the Patenf
Office, and the rest are welcome there
as fast as they learn to come. ~
Among the nearly half milli%'an
patents granted since 1880, there
all sorts Of devices, ranging from ~, ~
sublime to the ridiculous. L. q thkre
ia new, aud has to be thought 81,
and may be of some use, a psten Eas,u
granted for It. Should II prove Il es ,
Important, the country is the gel faayy,,
IL it never comes into use, NOBODY w. Va;
hurt but the inventor, aud even TO tpa 10Y
1t may be the stepping stone to soISII'..
thing valuable. The first patent Iny
bRrbed fencing wire would have bdn
dear bargain for 300, but upon III
patent and two Others that quiokly fol
lowed it one man made profits of no
, less than $4,000, 600, and possibly L
grent deal more Patents on devioeS
for navigating the air have long heen Il
laughing stock. but lately comics ii
. them are more in demand, for gresh
scientists are experimenting in thit
| fed.
People laugh at the nearly 2,50N
patents on churns, but intelligent
foreigners tell us that the America.f
appetite for butter is one OF the wonh " +
OF the modern world. This love OF buttef
accounts for the attention given oil
! inventors to churns. There are some 4, SCI
patents on devices for coupling and un,I
coupling railway cars but what school
child does not know that the Americana
nre the greatest builders and users al
!, railways on earth2 The collections NJ
the Patent Office tell an interesting
story of the history and habits of trjc
) people of the United States. Thd,
story has been written by persons whoda
! chief purpose was to better their owl,
condition by honest and useful exerA
else of their talents.
, While nany havesucceeded in that or
ject, many morebave failed ;{but IL thl
! efforts that have ended In failure ball
5 this article would today be LEADING
poorer lives, and would have beforA
them DINNER prospect for theil
futures. None understands this betfef
than the prosperous inventor, as hf
T strides on to fortune over the failurev
of those who have fallen by the wayE
? side.