The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-01
THREW AWAY FORTUNE.
Probably DIR. Moore Will Not Be Pros
ecuted by the Government.

Washington, Aug. Although the
papers in the case of DR.. George T.
Moore, Psychologist and algologist at
the department of agriculture, have
been referred to the department of
justice, persons who know the facts
are not expecting prosecutions. The
course of the doctor, it is believed,
has been so absolutely quixotic that
no jury on earth could bring itself to
return a verdict of guilty of anything
more than childishness.
The principal fact is that Moore had
the chance to make millions out Of
his invention instead of thousands he
will make by connecting himself with
the company, of whose stock Mrs.
Moore held a block in trust for her
husband.
Moore is not only the inventor of
the nitro-culture process, but also of
the copper solution process of remov-
ing algae (green scum) from bodies
of water. Had he even an ordinary
amount of commercial judgment, he
could have so arranged his affairs that
all the financial benefits accruing from
both discoveries would have Injured to
himself. A little throttling of con-
science would haye,s- been the only
price ,exacted of-hiTn- Instead of do
ing the throttling. he pursued an
altruistic course. : He proclaimed his
joiced on account of the publicity.
MOORE APPLIES FOR PATENT.
Proceeding, according to the law of
the land, he had the law Office of the
department of agriculture take out a
patent for him. That law provides for
the granting of a patent free of cost
whenever the inventor is willing to al
low the free use of his new and useful
discovery to the people in the United
States.
Moore applied for a patent under
these conditions. 1t was granted. Any
citizen of the United States is at liberty
to make and transport nitro cultures
according to the Moore formula, and to
sell or give them away, without even a
thought of payment for the use of the
formula. The patent is dedicated to
the free use of Americans. Foreigners
are at liberty to buy the right to use
it. but they will not do it for the rea-
san that any prospective customers of
theirs could buy the cultures from
Americans without the payment of roy
atty.
This dedication Moore made, even in
view of the fact known to him, that one
company in Germany had spent $l,o00,-
600 in trying to do what he had accom-
pliShed. That company would nave been
glad to nav another million for the ex-
elusive use of the Moore patent. The
making of nitro cultures by the Moore
patent is simple and the profit is very
large.
VALUE OF MOORE'S DISCOVERY.
The broad claim upon which the
Moore patent was granted is the
method of packing for shipment. The
making of cultures and their use were
| arts we'll known long before moore
made his discovery. But to. keep the
cultures pure so they would inoculate
the soil benehcially the S1,OOo,eOo
company found impossible. The Gull
| lures became contaminated Whlle IN
| transit and often became positively
| deleterious instead of beneficial n
such chances are taken by users of the
! Moore cultures.
The scientist whose acts are to be
scrutinized by the lawyers of the de-
partment of justice could have secured
| the whole benefit of his discoveries by
the simple device of keeping his mouth
shut and resigning his place in the de-
partment. Then, after six months had
elapsed, he could have taken out pat
ents on both his nitro culture and
| algae destruction discoveries, at cost
not exceeding $500, or, if he knew
enough about the technical way OF
making patent claims, at cost not ex-
| ceeding $40. Proof that DR.. Moore
| had made the discoveries while in the
employ of the government would have
been impossible.
1t is this central fact that Moore did
not grasp the millions in plain sight
that would make it Impossible, 1t is
believed, to convince a jury that he
had made a corrupt and not merely a
foolish bargain with the nitro culture
manufacturing concern
DR.. Moore had not the slightest IDEA
| that the secretary would accept his
resignation. He was simply paralyzed
with surprise when she did accept 1t.
He had no doubt in his own mind
about the good faith of his actions.
| Hes merely fool sclentlst is the
| employees of the department of agri-
culture.