Evening star., 1902-08-15
Their Relation to the Coun-
try's Manufactures.
FIFTY YEARS. PROGRESS
SPREAD OF INVENTIVE ACTIVITY
THROUGHOUT THE LAND.
New York Has Led Ever Since the
First Decade-Advantages
of the District,

is the subject of a bulletin issued by the
census bureau today. The number of
patents taken out by citizens of the differ
ent states is reported in decades from 1850
to 1900
New York, though third in population
and patent rank for the first decade, has
since been first in both, as well as in man
ufactures,' the bulletin states THE
states from which patents are reported for
the first decade comprise all of the original
thirteen states with the exception of North
Carolina and Vermont; although Maine
was part of Massachusetts, its population
was separately reported in the census Of
1900, but all patents therefrom were credit
ed to Massachusetts. There doubtless We're
a considerable number of patents from
Maine during this period. as the state for
the first decade following its admission
ranked fifth in patents, while only twelfth
in population.
Invention in the West.
"As the great middle and western states
were settled they developed manufactures,
and also took rank as patent states. Ohio
early took high rank, being exceeded In
1850 only by New York, Pennsylvania and
Massachusetts in number Of patents and
volume of manufactures, and by the two
former states in population, but it has
since been crowded to fifth place in pat
ents and manufactures, and fourth in pop
ulation, by Illinois, which now ranks third.
THE period from 1910 to 1850 shows a
partial stagnation in patent growth. For
the decade of 1910 there were 1,741 patents
granted to the New England states, while
in the decade of 1850 there were but 1877,
a falling off of 81 per cent, though Massa-
chusetts shows a slight gain. For the
next decade, that of 1850, the New England
states show renewal of patent activity,
hn NV hnr Of Iair
or an increase Of 274 per cent, slightly
greater than the growth of the country at
large.
Subsequent to 1850 the states all show
steady patent growth until the decade Of
1880, when a falling off in the number of
patents issued appears in Maine. Vermont
and Nevada. A decrease in the number of
patents for Maine and Vermont as well as
for Nevada, is also shown in the 1900
decade; likewise a falling off in New
Hampshire and Rhode Island, with a
slight decrease in Massachusetts; while a
reduced number of patents is also shown
for New York, South Carolina and Ken
lucky. Though Connecticut shows A slight
Increase for 1900, 1t is but IA per cent,
while the increase for the country at large
for the decade is 1902 per cent. On the
whole the New England states show a
retrograde movement during the last
decade with respect to patents. 1t is not
to be assumed, however, that the number
of patents is necessarily true gauge of
the manufacturing activity Of a state for
one controlling patent for a new product
for which there is demand, for a radi-
cal Improvement in processes or machinery
pertaining to a leading industry, is larger
factor in the development of manufactures
than large number of patents for subor-
dinate or trifiing inventions"
The whole number of patents issued dur
ing the first century of the patent office
was 42s,621, the first patent being issued
July 81, 1890.
A comparison of the leading manufactur-
n tot Sbn hat ;,-
whole, an approximate parallelism between
inventive activity and manufacturing
growth.
Patents to Foreigners.
The growth in the number Of patents
granted in the United States to citizens Of
foreign countries Is a striking feature, and
shows the high esteem In which this coun-
try is held by the world at large as field
for the exploitation of Inventions Since
1860 the number of patents issued to cit-
zens of foreign countries has increased in
a much greater ratio than the number of
patents to citizens of this country. For
the decade of 1870 the increase in num-
Der of patents to citizens of the United
States over the preceding decade was
2o1.63 per cent, while for foreigners il was
523 % per cent; for the decade of 1880 the
increase to citizens of the United States
was 1852 per cent, and to foreigners Dos 80
per cent; for the decade of 1890 the increase
to citizens of the United States was 5000
per cent and to foreigners 1862 per cent
and for the decade of 1900 for citizens of
the United States the growth was 11O5 per
cent, while for foreigners 1t was 1896 per
cent.
The majority of these foreign patentees
are citizens Of the great manufacturing
countries; four-ffths of them are from
England, France, Germany and Canada the.
number from the latter country being
largely augmented by reason of her prox.
unity to the United States.
Patents to District Inventors.
''The District of Columbia the bulletin
says, franks abnormally high in the pat
ent table on account Of the location therein
Of the patent office and the number of in
ventors it draws to Washington. It should
not be considered in making comparisons.
Leaving out Of consideration the District
OF Columbia, Connecticut has ranked first
in patents per capita since 1850, Massachu-
settS being first in 1910. These states with
Rhode Island. have been the three ranking
states for each census year"
While the bulletin gives an explanation of
the reason why the District of Columbia
patents granted to its citizens, it does not
explain peculiar conditions that give to
Connecticut the rank it has attained in
that respect. 1t does not make reference
TO the fact that the manufacturing indus
tries of Connecticut draw to that state men
of an inventive turn Of mind and that the
large number OF patents granted is the re-
suit Of those industries creating a demand
for invention.
The Sewing Machine.
The first sewing machine patent was
granted to ]. J. Greenough, February q,
1872. No. 2466 The patent to Elias Howe,
jr., in 1s48, for the eye at the point Of the
needle, made the sewing machine a prac-
tical success. 1t has been estimated that
the four-motion feed patent earned S32,-
100000 for it's owners. a larger amount
probably than any other patent issued
prior to the Bell telephone patent. 1t was
issued in 1850 for a term of fourteen
years, and twice extended for terms of
seven years, making twenty-eight years
in all. By means of 1t the sewing-ma-
chine combination virtually held mo-
nopoly of the industry during its lifetime
On it's expiration in 1873 marked increase
appeared in sewing-machine inventions
A practical sewing machine was nearly
perfected by Walter Hunt in 1885, but
upon the protest of his wife against it.
on account Of it's effect upon tailors and
sewing women, he suppressed 1t.
ACCEPTS THE CALL.
Dep m Dord Eov %o nooo,,,a Do c%o, -