The Washington times., 1901-09-29
LEGACIES FOR INVENTORS.
English Fortunes Left for Those
Who Perform Certain Feats.

The Diacoverer of Cure for Con-
sumption VIII Receive 5000 .
Year-A Substitute for the Cruel
Horse Bit VIII secure $4,000.
II Dumont. the young man who
has just invented a steerabIe airship, were
a Briton he would be entitled to a prize
of $4,000. besides his own profits He
would have won the Melton Payne
award. and a committee would now be
settling up the conditions prior to hand
ing him the money.
When Melton Payne. the famous anna
teur aeronaut. died he left n legacy OF
$4,000 In trust for the first Briton who
should invent practicable navigabie air
ship. The prize has been tried for un-
successfully by over dozen men. and a
good many thousands spent in the proc
ess. The nearest to success was Captain
Greene's attempt. which ended. however.
in the serious accident to the inventor at
Exeter, when he and his machine col
lapsed-
A committee OF experts Is to be chosen
to decide on the genuineness Of any air
ship. and it is said that, strictly. the ma
chine has to be heavier than air. and not
SO, even Dumon't vessel would be barred.
There will be a good many tumbles be-
fore that $4,000 is won.
There Is $4,000 year for life, and the
residue to your heirs waiting for you IL
you are anything of a naacemakc- That
Is the price offered by an eminent Swede
Edmond Neillssen-to anyone who shall
be instrumental In persuading the Powers
to give up war for good and all, and do
away with ornaments Of every kind II
will take a great orator with very strong
and original views to bring this of, and,
according to rules, he must persuade Rus
sia, Great Britain, France. Germany, Aus
tria. and Italy to do away with all soldier
and sailor men. except the bofyguartis of
the courts. Nothing Is put in about the
other nations. who would presumably
follow suit
A good many men have had a try for
this result, the one nearest the mark be-
ing famous London journalist. But
they didn't succeed and it looks fas II that
$4,000 would look for a claimant se-
very long time. which Is held in trust. Ii
all in British Government bonds When
Mr.. Neillssen dies the money is to re-
main in trust till somebody wins 1t, no
matter how long hence.
There is a certain 5000 year. outside
all personal profits. standing ready for
the man who finds a genuine cure for
consumption. This Is the gift of the late
Sir John Bean. the famous physician and
scientist. The Bean award amounts to
175,o 900 In Government stock. He left this
legacy In trust, to be awarded to any
British subject who may discover a cure
that is considered genuine by commit
fao of tha x,f {c{, Nd xr.
British Medical Council The interest
amounts to 5000 per annum, and there
are always plenty of starters" working
at the great problem. and a good many
fortunes have been spent in the pursuit
The cure. according to rules laid down
by the will, must be able to heal seven
teen cases out of twenty, all In the sec
ond STAGE of the maiady. This is about
the best bequest there is. for the great
doctor calculated that, out Of the 1000
people that die of consumption every
year in Britain alone, at least IS 5000 would
be saved. Besides that s155, 600. it has been
limited more than once in high places that
the man who can stamp out consumption
will get baronetcy at least, If not
peerage. For saving 5000 lives a year he
ought to get a dukedom.
A British prize. open to all the world.
and mo fayors,' is the $500 offered by
Mr.. Henry Scudamore, the famous noun
taineer. for the ascent of Mount Everest.
the highest mountain in the world. Mr..
Scudamore died two years ago. but the
SIS, 900 is still open to he climbed for-bal-
looms barred-by any man OF any nation
Everest, which is 5000 feet high, or
nearly as tall as two Mont Blancs piled
one on top of the other, has killed seven
would-be climbers during the last twenty
years. and has baffied many scores more.
That expert mountaineer. Mr. Whymper.
has made the best record, though not
necessarily for the s25, 900; but the summit
has never been reached by mortal man.
and it is doubtful if any human being
could live for half an hour at such an alti-
tude, even if he got there. But every now
and then somebody has a try. seldom get
ting much more than half way up, how
ever. The ascent, If successful would
cost about 81. .00J and take a week.
Although there is a cash prize for a
practical submarine boat, it is not such a
large ones, ,O0o-but it is intended to help
an inventor. without much money of his
own. to get his invention patented and ex-
plotted. Mr.. Graham Shaw dedicated this
prize for all time, ten years ago.
The rules are that the submarine must
be able to stay under water at least two
hours without rising. must travel seven
knots an hour, and be able to carry and
torpedoes. 1t must also accom-
modate at least three men, must be in
dependent of any other vessel, and steam
as a motive power is barred. The prize
is restricted to British subjects. There
have been three or four attempts at
really sound submarine. but none have
come of in this country. and the boat
that wins the prize must not be. in the
opinion of experts, a copy of any for
eign invention
One of the oldest awards ever offered,
and which is likely to stay an offer for
good many years yet. is the $4,000 offered
by the late Murray Price, the well-known
writer on Sociology" He left si5OoO in
cash to be awarded to any man who
should be instrumental in bringing about
the abolition of the game laws. which
were Mr.. Prices pet bugbear.
He also left a perfect library of manu-
scripts and information on the subject.
which are at the service of anyone who
likes to try for the prize. and start the
agitation This is the will so strongly
fought in the Probate Court by Mr..
Prices heirs. who thought they could find
better uses 10 put the money to. but the
will was upheld, and the $4,000 is at the
disposition of any energetic gentleman
who can prevail on Parliament to quasi
he game laws.
But among humanitarian awards-and
here are plenty of them-the SIS. 900 dedi-
,ated by Mrs. Vaughan Pritchard is about
he best That sum will be paid over by
he trustees to any man or woman who
nvents a substitute for the bit in a
lOrses equipment and makes IL universal