The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-06
THE RESULTS OF INVENTION.
Z. v shepard Says without u People
Would Be 3.kvinE in Cnverns.

Would lie 1stvinE in CnVerns-
The inventor. who has received much
criticism, unkind and otherwise, from the
world AT large in the past finds IN r V.
Shepard. Chief Clerk Of the Patent Of
fee. an enthusiastic defender and apollo
sist. Mr.. Shepard. who is a close student
Of industrial pFegT;ss. believes that civ
iIization IS absolutely dependent upon in
yeution for its advancement. Mr.. Shep-
ard, discussing the subject this morning.
said.
81 wonder how many people realize that
were il not for invention we all would
today be living IN natural caverns, IN
trees. or under a bush. II indeed We were
living at all-lapping up water like
dog, eating our food raw. without cloth
ing, with no means Of defence other than
a stick torn from a tree OF a rock 70
throw at the swaTming Wild beasts No
race living possesses so little inventive
power as to live so nearly in the condition
OF an unintellgent ape as that. Even
those who live in the most primitive man
ner possess sufficient powers Of mind TO
make spear, a bow and arrows 10 fash
ion some kind Of a hut to string together
something for a body covering. ana yet
all these require at least a cutting instru-
have devised, and the products OF its edge
are made useful only by someone's con-
ceptien, which is an invention.
''Th" man who conceived the idea OF
producing fire by rubbing together two
pieces OF wood was greater Beuefactor
to mankind than the inventor Of the
steam engine OF any OF our sO-caIied great
Inventions. In fact, today we have only
improved upon the original match by
covering the end Of the wood with a sub
stance requiring less friction TO cause ig-
milton, the principle involved being the
same Chauncey Smith makes the fol-
lowing remarks concerning the utility Of
matches:
1t is less than fifty years since tie
little articles called matches have come
into use. They are now so common and
so cheap that we use them almost as we
do air and water. without thinking at all
Of their real value. How few OF US
there are who do not use them every
day and many times a day, and how in
convenient IL would be not to have them
But, when I was a boy, nobody had
them, nobody could have them, for they
did not exist. In the country houses. at
least. the greatest care was exercised not
10 let the fire go out upon the hearth, be
cause N such case II became necessary
to SEM to a neighbours, often at a dis
tanCe, for a fresh brand. Every night
the live Goals upon the hearth were
carefully buried IL the ashes 20 preserve
them alive for the morning In spite Of
this preCaution. the fire was often lost
have been sent many a time. in such
cases. to a neighDors in a cold morn
ing 10 get a burning brand TO start the
1T
Of taking any pains 70 preserve a fire, for
it is easier to start new enc with
match than to preserve an uId one 4
very common way Of lighting a candle
in the house when darkness came on was
10 take. with the tougs, a coal from the
fire-wood fires were then used-and blow
II, applying the wick OF the candle TO it
al the same time. Sometimes IL could
be lighted very readily. but OftentimCs it
could be done only by the exercise Of a
good deal Of skin and patience. 4 great
deal Of vexation and trsd Of nerves and
temper has been saved 10 the world by
the invention Of matches. and the COM
forts OF our homes increased in many
ways Perhaps, therefore, the compa1-
son I suggested betWeen friction matches
and Sunday schools is not so incOngru-
Gus as it may at first seem.
There were some devices known in
those days for obtaining a light or fire
aTtifirially. but they We're incOnvenient,
somewhat expensive, and not in general
use. The finder box was one OF them
A gentleman not much older than
myself told me not long since that when
he was in college one Of his classmates
was rich in the possession Of finder
box by means Of which he could strike a
and he gave me a humorous account Of
the process of striking a light involving
considerable skill. much patience, and,
as he said some swearing.
a great many boys have been taught
in Sabbath schools not 20 swear. but
great many more have doubtless. by the
use of friction matches. escaped numer-
GUS occasions and temptations TO swear,
and wives have no doubt by this inveH-
ton been saved from innumerabIe scoId-
ings for not covering up the fire properly
al night
Nature provides for man air 70
breathe, water 20 drink. fish flesh. and
certain kinds Of fruits auAvegetables 10
eat-the FIRST is fun Of germs which in
veutiou strives 70 combat. the. second is
through the products of mans genius
made hot or cold to suit the taste, OF is
favored with one Of the multitude Of So
Cis-y-s manufactured extracts 10 render
il paIatabIe or nutritious The food re-
quires % be transported, collected. pre-
served fresh. prepared for cooking. placed
IN patented vessels over a patented heat
IT. and served. every utcnsi used from
the moment the food starts from its ma
tive place until it rests beneath the
clothes of the diner. all the product OF in
ventive genius, in the satisfied stomach
Of the eater. every article is the result
Of invention
While needles as we know them. have
only been used some 900 years, their an
cestUrs the splinter Of bone. the spine Of
a fish, the thorn, were made use Of-that
H.. were invented 10y some early genius
before the dawn Of history
But for the invention Of the time piece
to- aIu the early astronomers in making
their observations. and without the luVCQ-
tive genius Of him who discovered that a
maguetizcd piece of iron set upon pivot
would always point in the same direction,
America would still be undiscovered
We marvel at the work Of the huge
printing press which takes in at one end
the roll Of paper and delivers at the other
the complete paper, neatly folded. but
without the genius Of the men who first
thought Of the paper and ink the machine
would be without utility, and the world
would be the sufferer by the lack OF all
the multitude of articles now made from
paper. Moreover, without the invention
of the alphabet we today could not avail
ourselves Of the other ways Of transmit
ting thought than by word Of mouth. for
even the knOtted ropes Of the PeruviauS
and the wampum belts OF the Indians are
species Of written language.
Those who have not realized the meal
cUlablc benefits 10 mankind or invention