Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-24
JEFFERSON AS AN INVENTOR.
Opposed to Patents, He Gave to the World
Many Proofs of His Ingenuity

Many Proofs OF His ingenuity
shomas Jefferson was himself an
inventor, but, consistent in his be-
lisd in the natural right of all mankind
70 share useful Improvements with
out restraint, he never applied for
patent.
His first original device was fold
ing chair, which he used to carry to
church in early days, when services
were held in the court house at Char
lottesville and the seating convent
ences were insufficient. His grandson
tells us how he would mount his
horse early in the morning during the
latter years of his life, canter down
the mountain and across the country
to the site of the university and spend
long day there, directing the work,
carrying with him walking stick OF
his own invention, now familiar to
all, composed of three sticks, which,
being spread out and covered with a
piece of cloth, made tolerable seat"
Mr.. Bacon, his overseer, in his remin-
iscences says: "His servants came
with him and brought seat, kind
of camp stool of his own invention.
After Mr.. Jefferson got old and feeble
n servant used to so with him and
carry that stool so that he could sit
| down while he was waiting for any
| body, or attending to any work that
was going on"
He invented the revolving chair, now
| familiar and necessary article Of
| furniture in all offices and counting
| rooms. The Federalist newspapers
used to call it "Mr. Jefferson's whirl-
| i-gig," and declared that he had de-
| vised it 80 as to look all ways at
| once"
He also designed a light wagon, or
sulky, with comfortable seat and two
wheels, with which he drove around
the country when he was too feeble
to ride horseback.
Mr.. Jefferson invented the copying
| press. He writes to Mr.. Madison in
1877: Having a great desire to have
portable copying machine, and hay
ing studied over some experiments
with the principle of large machines
made to apply in the smaller one,
| planned one in England and had it
made. 1t answers perfectly. l have
set a workman to making them, and
they are of such demand that he has
his hands full. l send you one. You
must expect to make many essays be-
fore you succeed perfectly. A soft
| brush like shaving brush is more
successful than sponge" He also
sent a copying press to the Marquis
| of Lafayette as 4 present.
| Another of his inventions was a
hemp break, which he says has long
been wanted by the cultiyators Of
| hemp, and as soon as | can speak Of
| its effect with certainty 1 shall de-
scribe is anonymously in the public
| papers, in order to forestall the pre-
vention Of its use by some interloping
patentee."
| He invented pedometer to measure
the distance he walked. He sent one
| to James Madison, with the following
explanatory letter: ITO the loop at
the bottom of it you must sew a tape,
and at the other end of the tape a
amalf@iIook. Cut little hole in the
bottom of your left watch pocket, pass
the hook and tape through it, and
down between the breeches and
drawers, and fix the hook on the edge
of your knee band, an inch from the
knee buckle, then hook the instrument
itself by swivel hook, ON the upper
edge of your watch pocket. Your tape
being adjusted in length, your steps
VIII be exactly measured by the in
strument."
His most important invention was a
plow. Mr.. Bacon, his overseer,
says: "He was very ingenious. He
invented plow that was considered
q great Improvement on any that had
ever been used. He got great many
| premiums and medals for it. He
| planned his own carriage, buildings,
| garden and fences, and many other
things. He was nearly always busy
upon some plan OF model"
Jcfferson's plow received a gold
medal in France in 1890. During his
European tours he had been struck
with the waste of power caused by the
bad construction of the plows in
common use. The part Of the plow
called the "mouldboard," which is
above the share and turns over the
earth, seemed to him the chief seat
of error, and he spent many of the
leisure hours of his last two years in
France in evolving mouldboard
which should offer the minimum of re-
distance. He sent the original design
to the Royal Agricultural Society of
the Seine. The medal which they
awarded for it followed the inventor
to New York, and eighteen years af.
terward the society sent him a superb
plow containing his improvements
Chicago Record-Herald.