River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-06-12
A TOWN OF INVENTORS.
New britain, Conn, Is the Abode OF
Many Geniuses Who Are the own
ers of Numerous Patents.

is the gilt OF invention a, prOduct CT
the soil? A strange question, perhaps,
but. not so foolish as it sounds when
read In the light of recently tabulated
patent statistics. These figures show
that an overwhelming percentage of
the inventive genius of America-in-
deed of the worlds to lie found with
In the confines of the state of Con-
nectlcut, and, what is more remark
able, that much of that percentage is
restricted to the city limits of New
Britain, says the Chicago Record-Her-
aid.
Since the United States patent laws
were enacted LAT inventions have
been patented by 344 New Britainers.
Within a ten-year period one patent
was granted each year for every 367
inhabitants of the town, nearly three
times as many as the general average
for all the, rest of the state. Why is
this so?
The offices of the New Britain patent
lawyers are an interesting spectacle
almost any day of the week. Here one
finds many geniuses, queer and other
wise.
There is the woman genius with the
combination automatic crib and rock
ing chair. 1t is brilliant idea, and
ought to sell like hot cakes at three
dollars each. No family can possibly
get along without one of them, and the
woman sees fortune in her grasp.
She is but specimen of hundreds of
others.
Heading the long list of successful
New Britain inventors is the name of
Justus A. Trout, with a record of 121
patents. Mr.. Trout has made a great
fortune out of his inventions, all APP
parently insignificant trifes. 1t is the
manufacture of these very trifes, how
ever, which constitutes the financial
and commercial strength of Connec-
ticut. Indeed, Connecticut inventions
have been restricted almost exclusive
ly to mere trifes.
George E. Adams comes next in the
list with &c patents. It is scarcely pos
sible for the modern man or woman
of any station in life to attempt to
dress without recourse to some one or
other of Mr.. Adams inventions. Sus-
pender buckles, hose supporters, gar
ter fasteners, corset steels, hooks and
eyes, glove clasps, shirt studs, collar
buttons he has invented galore.
Thomas E. Corscaden comes third,
with 81 devices, among them, in all
probability, the handles of the coffin
in which you will be buried, and similar
grewsome though necessary mechan-
isms.
Henry G. Weight. with A, occupies
the fourth place. Mr.. Weight has de-
voted his Yankee ingenuity entirely to
the protection of life and property.
He is a man of padlocks and door
knobs and latch keys and window
fasteners.
Fortunately for the state, however,
all the inventive genius of Connecticut
is not confined to New Britain. Hart
ford, New Haven, Ansonia, Waterbury,
Bridgeport and Meriden are likewise
hotbeds for the propagation of Yankee
ingenuity.
A typical example of the Connect
cut inventor and his ingenious fertil-
ity is found in the case of "Chris"
Downey, of Waterbury. Mr.. Downey,
who is not yet 40 years old, is the pro-
prietor and manufacturer of % pat
ents, all of his own invention. He like
wise is prolific newspaper CORE
spondent, sending out Waterbury news
to string of no less than % daily
newspapers. In addition to all this, he
is now engaged upon the writing of a
comic song.
It seems strange that among the al
most innumerable line of inventions
of which Connecticut, and particularly
New Britain, boasts there are only a
few isolated cases of patents being
granted to women. In the list of New
Britain patentees there are only four
women. Sarah Jane Wheeler patent
ed a currycomb in 1861. Elizabeth
MINER took out patent for fruit
jar cover fastener in 1890. Alice M.
Hobson patented a steam cooker in
1891. and Frances E. Maisonbille a
s'meat tenderer'' in 1897.
All the other devices contrived by
Connecticut women have proved either
defective or absurd when attempts
were made to patent the rights to their
manufacture. Why this should be so
raises another question, quite as I'M
answerable as that asked in the begin
ming of this article.