Waterbury Democrat., 1901-04-15
HE PATENT OFFICE
One of the Most Important Branches of Our Government.

0AAS ~A eA0 ASoI AA pSA cetAA e
 Branches of Our Government. Founded by the Framers of the Con-
 stitution and Carefully Nursed by
 the Officers First Placed in Charge of It.
 Washington, Feb 15.-For the first time in two score years the patent office has sufficient room for the transaction of it's voluninouS and increasingly important business. Tho interior department build- ing, one Of the most beau tiful structures in this city, was oyercrowded for many years, and it's magnificent corridors were disfguTed with book racks and other official inn pedimenta. But when the new post office department edifcc was con structed, and that department was moved from its quarters opposite the interior department, the building which it had occupied since 1s46 was taken possession of by the interior department; and this gave an oppor- tunity for the commissioner of pat ents to so arrange the working force of his office that business might be carried on in a systematic manner. By wise provision of the consti- tuition of our republic (article 1, par- agraph 8 of section 8, the congress was given power to promote the prog ress of science and the useful arts, by securing to authors and inventors, for limited times, the exclusive right to their respective writings and dis coyeries. This portion of the con stitution was obtained through the efforts of James Madison and Charles Pinckney, and was the beginning of the patent system. The first general law providing for patents was passed in 17e0, and the first patent issued was to Samuel Hopkins, July 31, 1790, for making pot and pearl ashes.
 Under this patent law the office fees were paid to the state depart ment clerks who made out the pat ent. The fees amounted to $3.70, and ten cents for every 100 words for fl- ing the specification. The chief clerk of the state department issued the patent and received the fees as a part of his salary. Under this law, which was repealed in 17e3, there was no patent office, and not even a division of patents. A new law was passed in 1793, and several amendments made thereafter. The issuing of pat ents, however, still remained in the state department.
 In 1900 the department of state re- moved to Washington and took up it's quarters at Pennsylvania avenue and Twenty-irst street; and in May, 1902, President Jefferson appointed William Thornton as clerk at $1 400 per year to have charge of the is suing of patents. This William Thornton was an interesting char acter, especially to inventors and Washingtonians. An excellent por- trait of him hangs in the commissions er's room in the patent office. Thorn ton had charge of the patent affairs from 1902 to his death in 1928. He was an intimate friend of Washing ton. and was by him appointed one of the three commissioners to survey and lay out the federal capital. Thornton's house, at 1881 F street, was one of the first private residences to be erected in Washington.
 He was an Englishman and was born on the island of Tortola, his uncle being at that time president of the island. He first met Washing ton at Philadelphia and became a warm friend of the Father of His Country" and his home on F street sv, IUoel,,o o+o1 booopoa o foy,,i1;.y~ ,.o sort of Washington when he was president.
 A story is told of him that during the war of 1912, when the British cap- tured the city of Washington and de- stroyed the capitol building, loaded cannon was trained upon the patent of flee for the purpose of destroying it, and he is said to have put himself be- fore the gun, and in frenzy of ex- citement exclaimed: "Are you Eng lishmen or only Goths and yandals? This is the patent office, depository of the ingenuity and inventions of the American nation, in which the whole civilized world is interested. Would you destroy it? If so, fire away, and let the charge pass through my body. The effect is said to have been magical upon the soldiers, and to have saved the patent office from destruc- tion.
 In 1891 Thornton assumed the title of superintendent, and was so regis tered in the government blue book, but it was not until 1880 that the law recognized the title by specifically mentioning the office
 The 1910 congress authorized the purchase of building for the post of flee and the keeper of the patents. Into this building, where the post office now stands, Thornton moved the rec ords, etc, of the patent office.
 In 1916 the personnel of the patent office consisted of Superintendent William Thornton, 1,4oo; Clerk Will liam Elliott, $500; and Messenger Ben jamin Fenwicl1, $72 per annum.
 pr. Thomas Jones, who succeeded pr. Thornton as superintendent of the patent office, was born in Hereford shire county, England, in 1774. In 1926 he founded the famous Franklin Jour- nal at Philadelphia. On April 12, 1928, he removed to Washington and took charge of the patent office under