Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-04-11


long distance telephone possible, the
Bell apparatus being good only for
short distances. The monopoly of
the Bell company is now held under
the Berliner patents, and the ambi-
tious clerk is well to do.
Thomas l.. Wilson of New York
was a dabbler in experimental chem
istry. He hit upon cheap method Of
making carbide of calcium, which up
to that time had been known only as
laboratory product. and the dis
covery has brought him wealth, cal
cium carbide being the source OF
aceteylene gas.
DR.. Bell, the telephone man, was a
school teacher. He took the first
John A. Logan and offered him half
working model of his telephone to
interest for $500, saying that 1t
would do away with the telegraph
and that there were millions in it.
Logan said: 81 dare say your machine
works perfectly, but who would want
to talk through such thing as that,
anyway? / advise you to save your
money, young man Telephone stock
is worth today $80,000,000 or some
such sum, and Bell got several mill
ions of the money. He offered a
tenth interest to an examiner in the
patent office for 800. 1t was refused.
That tenth interest was worth ST.
100000 within Is years and the man
to whom it was offered is still exam
lining patents at $4,000 per annum.
Edison was o telegrapher when he
made his first important invention He
took it to a company on Broadway,
New York, and the manager told him
he would pay $4,000 for it and not a
cent more. The future wizard was
astounded, never having thought of
receiving such an immense sum. He
feared the check might be bogus and
was sure of it when the paying-teller
of the bank refused to cash ii Off
hand. However, when he secured
identification the money was handed
to him. It was the greatest day in
Edison's life, and, though he has re-
ceived millions since then for his
ideas, he has never been made so hap
py by subsequent success.
Hugo Cook of Dayton, Ohio, was a
worker for wages in that city when he
made the invention upon which one of
the most efficient cash registers in
the market Is based. He receives a
royalty of 81 apiece, and enough are
sold In a year to give him an income
of about $4,000.
W. L. Bundy was matchmaker
when he invented the workmen's time
recorder, which is now coming into
use all over the world for the purpose
of keeping tab" on employees in fac
tories and other business establish
ments. Large capital has been in
vested in the continuance, and Mr..
Bundy is rich man.
Westinghouse, who invented the
air-brake, was a machinist. His idea
was worth many millions to him.
Gramme, Belgian who invented
the ring dynamo. was a carpenter by
trade, employed in the making of
models for electric machines. He
could hardly read or write, but he
bought a dictionary and book on
electricity and tried to teach himself.
His invention revolutionized the man.
ufacture of dynamos, brought him
fortune and made him famous.
These are only a few out of many
instances which serve to show the
opportunities that are open 20 the
workman or the toiler for days wages
who has mechanical turn of mind
and keeps his eyes open. There are
fortunes literally waiting to be picked
up by anybody who has the luck or
ingenuity to see them. The patent
office at Washington is an institution
whose doors are open to poor and rich
alike, and many man who is strugg.
ling for bread and butter today will
be enjoying wealth few years from
now. thanks 10 new ideas, which. IL
they happen to be good ones. will al.
ways find ready market.