The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1901-01-25
PROFITABLE PATENTS,
About Ono Invention in Twenty fv'
Pays Expense of Patenting 1t.

About One Invention in Twenty five
Pays Expense of Patenting 1t.
An article by the late E. V. Smalley,
in the Century, tells how patents afe
taken out at Washington, what they
cost, and what some OF them yield to
the inventors.
The progressive development of in
ventive genius in this country, as in
dicated by the number Of patents issued
each year, has been by successive waves
rather than by regular and continrl-
ous advance. Taking the first year Of
each decennial period, we find that in
1900 the number of patents granted was
IL; in 1910, 223; in 1920, 1855; in 1880,
554; in 1S4O 473; in 1850, 800; in 1860,
1888. The great increase in inventions
during the decennial period $4,000 is a
remarkable feature in Patent Office his
tory. This period was one of rapid ma
tional development, and was charac-
terized by the great extension of steam
transportation, the general Introduction
Of the telegraph, and the perfection of
the sewing the reaper, the
mower, and many other valuable de-
vices. During the Civil War the pro-
duction of patents fell off, but no sooner
had the volunteer troops returned to
their homes than a wonderful fertility
of invention was displayed. Ideas that
had been developing in the minds of
the soldiers during their life in the
camps We're put into models by the
thousand and sent to Washington. In
1865 the number of patents granted
was 6.616, and in 1867 it had run up to
1905. 1t remained for time at about
that annual figure, being, in 1870, 49,
947; but in 1876 the year of the Cen
tennial Exposition, which powerfully
stimulated inventive genius, it reached
the highest number yet attained, II, O26.
Then there was 4 steady recession, and
by 1880 the patent crop had fallen back
TO- 1901. Since 1888 the number of
patents annually issued has exceeded
10000 During the calendar year 1859
there were issued 25.527 patents.
One of the old examiners in the Pat
ent Office estimates that about one in
ventien in twenty-five repays the cost
of taking out a patent. Yet invento;.s
as + class are sanguine men, and no
knowledge of the enormous percentage
Of chances against them will deter them
from multiplying ingenious devices.
Every one expects a fortune from his
particular piece Of mechanism. Ev-
cry one has heard not only Of the enor-
| nous sums realized from the great in
| yentions Of the last half-century. but
also of the large returns yielded by
things apparently trif1ing which have
struck the public fancy or met the pub,
lie need. The toy called the return.
ball, a small bali attached to Ar elastic
string, is said to have produced profit
Of $4,000 year; the rubber tip on
lead-pencils has yielded competence
to the inventor; more than 81, 900 coz
has been earned by the gimlet-pointed
screw. the inventor of which was q
poor that he trudged on foot from Phil
adelphia to Washington to get his pat
ent; the roller-skate has yielded 81,
600, 600 after the patentee spent $125,OO(
in England fighting infringements; The
dancing Jim Crow is set down for S75,.
600, and the copper tip for children'l