The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-05-09
THOMAS JEFFERSON
Is an INVENTOR.
Never Took Patents.
BENETIT11D OTHERS.

Selected.
Thomas Jeffsraon was himself an in
ventor but, consistent in his belief in
tho natural right OF all mankind to
share useful improvments without te:
straint, he never applied for a patent,
writes William E. Curtis in his Wash
ington correspondence to The Chicago
Record Herald. His first original de-
vice was folding chair, which he used
to carry to church in early days, when
services were held in the court house
at Charlottsvilie, and the seating con-
veniences were insufficient. HIS grand
son tells MS how he would "mount his
horse early in the morning, during the
latter years Of his life, canter down the
thountain and Gross the country to the
site Of the University, and spend long
day there, directing the work; carry
ing with him walking stick Of bis
own invention. now familiar to all,
composed of three sticks, which, being
spread out and covered with piece Of
cloth made to,erable seat" Mr..
Bacon, his overseer, in his reminis
cences says: ..His servants came with
him and brought scat, kind Of
camp stool Of bis own invention. Al
tef Ms Jefferson got old and feeble a
servant used to 30 with him and
carry that stool, so that he could 81,
down while be was waiting for any
body, or attending to any work that
was going on
He inyented the revolving chair.
now familiar and necessary article o.
furniture In all Offices and counting
rooms. The federalist newspapers used
to call it "Mr. Jefferson,s xhirl.i-g,g," J"
and declared that he bad devised it "so
as to look all ways at once"
He also designed light wagon CT
sulky with comfortable seat and two
wheels, with which be frequently drove
around the country when he was too
feeble to ride horseback.
Mr.. jefferson invented the copying
press. He writes to Mr.. Madison in
1881: "Having great desire to have
portable copying machine, and bav-
ing studied over some experiments
with thesprinciple Of large machines
made to apply in the smaller one,
planned. one in England and had it
made. It answers perfectly. / have
set workman to making them, and
they are OF such demand that he has
his hands full. send you one. You
must expect to make many essays be-
fore you succeed perfectly. A soft
brush, like a shaving brush, ls more
successful than a sponge" He also
sent copying press to :he MARQUIS de
Lafayette as present.
Another Of his sinventions was hemp
break, which he says "has long been
wanted by the cultivators of hemp,
and as soon as I can speak OF its effect
with certainty I shall describe it anon
ymously in the public papers in order
to forestall the prevention Of its use by
some interloplng patentee."
He invented a redometer to measure
the distances he walked. He sent one
to James Madison, with the following
explanatory letter: "To- the loop at
the bottom oi it you must sew tape,
and at the other end of the tape small
hook. Cut little hole in the bottom
OF your lett watch pocket, pass the tape
and hook through it, and down be-
tween the breeches and drawers, and
fix the hook on the edge OF Jour knee
band, an inch from the knee buckle
then hook the instrument itself by its
swivel hook, on the upper edge OF your
.--