Washington sentinel., 1901-05-25
INVENTIONS
R'pid serIdes In the Past Hundred
Years.
By Pabick O'FaYYsH.

OF invention, and the year 1900 a
the banner year in the Paten
Office.
The inventive genius developed
in the United States within barely
a generation may be ascribed Il
the originality OF the American
people, coupled with the stimuli!
OF great financial rewards guaran
teed by favorable legislation.
The American patent system
which had its birth one hundred
years ago, has witnessed a wizard.
Like Transformation in mechanical
appliances, in the utilization Of ma
ture's forces, and in all the conven-
fences and accessories OF life. II
We consider the stride from the
primitive plow, with which the an.
clients tickled the soil, to the mar
velous farm implements Of today;
from the burnt brick Libraries OF
Babylon and Nineveh to the superb
treasures in movable types and
sumptuous binding that stand,
piled tier on tier in our magnificent
Congressional Library and many
other extensive libraries through
out the country, we may truly
realize how the world has pro-
gressed. Yet the most wonderful
part Of this advancement has been
made within the period just men
toned.
During that time we have had
the discovery OF the telegraph, the
electric light, and ali the various
uses OF electricity. Within the
same period we have seen the evo-
luton Of the PRINTING press from
the clumsy hand lever contrivance
OF Franklin's time, to the marvel
GUS Hoe machine which prints and
folds 7s.ooo copies of complete
eight page paper in an hour. In
that time the locomotive engine,
the steatnboat and the luxurious
sleeping car have supplanted the
primitive modes of travel which
preceded them, and we have sS-
vapced from the old spinning
wBeelto the wonderful weaving
looms and knitting machines of
the present day.
Besides all these we have had
the discovery of the telephone,
which conveys the human voice,
in conversation, hundreds OF miles;
the phonograph, which records
the sound OF the voice and repeats
its tones at the will Of the operator;
the sewing machine and the type
writer, which revolutionizsd meth
DDS in important branches Of busi-
ness, and even the convenient little
luciier match which replaced the
flint and friction. Let any man
try to imagine the condition OF life
and society If these patented dis
coveries had never been made, and
he will measurably appreciate the
benefits OF the system that inspired
them.
The first patent law was enacted
April 10, 1890, and under it the
Secretary Of State, the Secretary
OF War and the Attorney General
we're the tribunal to determine the
question of granting a patent. It
was not until July 10 OF that year
that the first patent was issued,
which was to Samuel Hopkins for
a new method OF making pot and
pearl ashes. Since that date more
than 100, 900 patents. besides thou. /
sands of trademarks, prints and
labels, have been granted. Under
the law of 1890, which remained in
in force until February 70, 1903,
only 81 patents were issued, and
the latter date a new act effecting
some notifications was passed,
which stood until 1896, when the
great law that really created the
American patent system and
marked an epoch vas enacted.
Under the old English system a
patent was simply grant from the
Crown, and the patent was not
even prima facie evidence Of nov
city, so that the inventor had to
maintain his rights as besthe could
in the courts. The American laws,
previous to 1896, were afflicted
with similar detects, but under the
new acts of that year the Patent
Office was given quasi judicial
as we'll as executive functions, the
patent being adjudicated upon in
advance, and possessing, as soon
as granted, the attributes OF pat
ent which, under the old system,
had been tested by expensive liti-
CATION. Thus the patent acquires
an immediate commercial value,
and thus, under the stimulating
effect oI fostering laws and large
profits, inventive genius has been
developed aad great results have
been achieved.