Evening star., 1902-08-20
How Inventions Have Built
Up Vast Industries.
MILLIONS OF CAPITAL
REvoLUTIoNIzED NEARLY ALI,
BRANCHES OF TRADE.
Countless New Processes Have Cheap
ened the Cost of Manufacture-Ef-
feet on Iron and Steel.

The industries that are the result of in
ventions are summarized in a report OF the
census bureau. Thousands OF such indus
tries involve millions OF dollars OF capital.
There are many extensive industries
which are entirely the creation of patents
such as certain industries based upon
chemical inventions and discoveries as
oleomargarine, which now employs S3O23.-
o46 OF capital, and supplies products TO the
NaIue OF Sl2.4S,Sl2; glucose, which uses
$4l'oli'54o OF capital, and gives products
TO the value of 81. .693 CSC; wood pulp,
which. starting with the ground wood pulp
patent OF Nouter IN 1858 and following
with the soda fiber and sulphIte fiber pro-
cesses, is now the chief material emploved
in paper manufacture, with products ar-
gregating sls.497, ,70l; high explosives.
which, starting with the nitroglycerin pat
ent of Nobel IN 1863 now intludes dyna-
mite the pyroxylin, explosives and smoke
$l1 233 ,S96.
Creation of Patents.
Electrical industries. which now touch
all fields of industrial activity. power and
transportation, lighting and heating. cleo
lfo-chemlcal processes. telegraphy and
telephony. employing directly and indirectly
~~f'N"4 NANtAhlIiS INTO lne plitlOnS. are the
creation of patents. The rubber industry
was insignificant prior to the discovery by
Nhdrles Goodyear Of the process Of YuI-
cahlzation, while now the products In the
shape OF rubber and elastic goods and rub
Der boots and shoes amount TO Sa3 T16 sIn
Bicycles and tricycles employ 500 1S3 Ga
OF capital, with products valued at S3l-
9losOS Manufactured ice employs SIS. .20l =
oot OF capital, with return In products of
$l3,S74,513
monographs and Graphophones.
monographs and graphophones. starting
In 1877, now show the use of So. .34s. .2S2 Of
capital, and products to the value Of So
246.2T4 Photography, including the manu-
facture of materials and apparatus as well
as the practice of the art-all the outcome
Of invention-is now represented by 7.7o6
establishments. with a combined capital of
SIS, ,3S9 and products to the value of
S3l l0I. The manufacture of sewing
machines employs SIS 739 459 of capital
and supplies products to the value OF SIS
3l4,4 ,49O. The manufacture of typewriters
and supplies within three decades has be-
come an industry that employs IS. 400. 43I of
capital. and gives products to the value of
s6,a32 029 These are but examples Of what
may be considered as patent-crea ted Indus-
tries.
Revolutionized by Invention.
An attempt to enumerate the Industries
WHICH, eNiSIng prior 10 the period OF patent
growth, have been reyolutionized by inven-
tions would make necessary a catalogue of
all of the old industries The returns for
the manufacture of agricultural implements
for the present census show 715 establish
ments, with capital of SI57. 707, 951, giving
employment TO 1852 wage earners, VINO
receive So, $50 in wages, and manufac-
tured products to the value of Sl0I 2O7 4aS:
and. in the entire range of agricultural i'm
plements and machines now manufac-
tured, every one, from hoe or spade to COM
bined harvester and thrasher, has been,
either in the implement or machine itself
or In the process of manufacture the SUBJ
ject of a patented improvement which has
produced new or better article or cheap
ened the cost Of manufacture.
Steel Industry of Today.
The great iron and steel industry as 10
exists today is the product of countless In
ventions which permeate every branch Of
the business, and include many revolutions
izing inventions. such as the Bessemer
process. The blast furnaces, rolling mills
and forges and bloomeries reported at the
present census comprise 6Gs establishments.
with a capital of S573. .391 ,663. employing
Odd 400 wage earners, with S12O. 500 276 paid
in wages, and supplying products to the
value of SSO396S,2l3. A prohibition of the
use of the patented inventions of the last
half century would stop every one of these
establishments.
The same may be said of the textile in
dustry, the manufactures of leather, of lum-
ber chemicals etc, and the railway sys-
tenn in Its entirety, from the rail TO the top
of the smokestack, and from the pilot to
the rear train light or signal is an aggres
CATION Of American inventions.