Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1901-05-30
QUEER NEW YORK STORY.
Why n Fortune Goes negginR In
That CITY of BustIinR
Thousands

Owing Si,OO0.OO0. That sounds like
n serious debt, but IL there Is no one
TO claim the money IL may not amount
to much after all
Five years ago the courts decided
that New York city must pay q royalty
for the use of a patent which. for
long time, il had been enjoying free.
1t has taken ever since then to figure
out exactly what New York owed.
and the announcement is now made
that, with Interest rcckoncd in. the
sum the city will have TO pay is a. little
over Sl00o,OU0. The only thing left to
do now is to find some one who has
a right TO call for this money aud give
a receipt, says the Little Chronicle.
About 40 years ago steam fire en-
gines were first used in Nes York
city, and for some time o. seemed inn
possible to regulate the pressure OF
water in such n way as 10 keep the
hose from bursting while the engine
was at work. Accidents to the hose
were constantly happening just at the
most critical moment I'm a fire, and
yet slillful inventors who were study
ing the matter could thinl, of no way
TO prevent the trouble.
One day very young mechanic had
an inspiration. lie had never had any
very wonderful ideas before that. and
there is no record that he had any
other, later, but he happened to think
of a good plan for keeping the fro
engine hose from bursting.
Ia futnr..N.T ........ f..s...r.
invention and secured a patent. but
the city Of New York, having seen his
apparatus. coolly adopted Il: other
cities followed the example, and the
result is that the relief valve invented
by the mechanic has been used ON our
steam fire engines ever since without
his getting either fame or fortune
for H..
lie had no money 10 fight New York
city with, and long ago he sold out
his rights for small sum To q man
who for years has been known as
one OF the most eccentric personalities
In New York city. Ills name was II. r.
Hadlock; he weighed 800 pounds
wore long curly hair, liked TO appear
at breakfast IN a dress suit and do
nll sorts of queer things. One of his
fnds was to live at the hotel and oc-
cupy the very room that used tn be
Daniel Wcbster's stopping place whom
he was in New York. but if Mr. Had. |
lock was peculiar in some WAYS. hr |
had good brains under his wiq-lilc |
curly hair. and his great knowledge |
OF our patent laws, made many ppopl. |
who knew what he was seeking fur feel |
sure that he would some day compel |
New York city TO pay for its infringe /
ment on his patent.
So as the years went by and trials |
and retrinls tool, place. one man after |
another advanced lladluck the money /
10 go ON with the fight taking in re- |
turn his promise for a slice of tho i
fortune ne expected TO win in the /
end. New York city Is not the ca icrt /
opponent in the world 90 overcome. |
and from time 10 time Hadlocs found |
himself face 10 face with some of the |
most brilliant lawyers Ia the country. |
but he held his own against thc,l and |
finally won
And then before his success had'l
taken n form TO benefit him he died |
The mechanic Is believed 20 bc dead,
n Mr.. Hadlock had any hci.s they are
yet 10 be discovered; the various pco.
pie who have advanced money in the
matter are scattered no one knows
where. II Is likely that during tho
long years Of waiting they have lost
faith and forgotten ull about &c.. per.
haps destroyed the paper which would
prove their claims, About quarter
OF million has been spent in the fight,
but even N this We're all paid OF, there
would be nice little pocket full left
for anyone who had a right TO de-
mand Il,
rs II stands, however, there is a
against New York for 81 .O0O.-
boo with strong prospect that the
city will be none the poorer because
NJ II