The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-06-06
JEFFERSON AS AN INVENTOR.
Opposed to Patents, He Gave 60 the world
Many Proofs of His Ingenuity.

to share useful improvements with
out restraint, he never applied for a
patent. 4
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
a long day there, directing the work.
carrying with him a 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-
lscences says: "His servants came
with him and brought a seat, kind
of camp stool OF his own invention.
After Mr.. Jefferson got old and feeble
servant used to go 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
q familiar and necessary article of
furniture in all offices and counting
rooms. The Federalist newspapers
used to call 1t "Mr. Jefferson's whirl-
i-gig," and declared that he had de-
vised it $50 as to look all ways at
once"
He also designed a light wagon, or
sulky. with a 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
1881: Having great desire to have
n portable copying machine. and hav-
ing studied over some experiments
with the principle of large machines
made to apply in the smaller one. l
planned one in England and had it
made. 1t answers perfectly. l have
set 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-
.ore you succeed perfectly. A soft
brush Ike shaving brush is more
successful than a sponge" He also
sent copying press to the Marquis
or Lafayette as a present.
Another OF his inventions was a
hemp break, which he says has long
been wanted by the cultivators of
hemp, and as soon as 1 can speak of
its effect with certainty shall de-
scribe is anonymously in the public
papers, in order to forestall the pre-
vention of its use by some interioping
pdtentee."
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 1t you must sew tape,
and at the other end of the tape a
small hook. 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
will be exactly measured by the il
His most important invention was a
plow. Mr.. Bacon. his overseer,
says: "He was very ingenious. He
invented a plow that was considered
u 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 otner
things. He was nearly always busy
upon some plan or model
Jeffe2sons pow received gold
medal in France in 1790 During mis-
European tours he had been srrucp
with the waste OF power caused by tn,
bad construction of the plows IL
common use. The part OF the ploN
called the "mouldboard," which is
above the share and turns over tht
earth, seemed to him the chief sea-
OF error. and ne spent many OF the
leisure hours of his last two years il
France in evolving mouldboarc
which should offer the minimum Of re
sistance. he sent the original desig1
to the Royal Agricultural Society OF
tne Seine. The medal which they
awarded for it followed the invento,
to New York. ard eighteen years af
terward the society sent him q superl
plow containing his Improvement
Chicago Record-Herald.