Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-11-14
NOTES ARE VALID.
twentieth Century Co. Can Collect
on Patent Right Notes.

Daniel H. Grady arrived home from
Menomonie, Wis, where as attorney
for the Twentieth Century Co, OF
Tomah he won a notable victory in
court this week In test case against
Herbert w. Quilting, a prominent mer-
chant OF Menomonie, for judgment on a
| note given in payment for county rights
for the sale of Ackerman's patent pole
and thlll coupler, Judge O'Neill decided
every point IN favor of the company,
| which was plaintiff in the action.
Inc jury was waived as only ques-
tons OF law were at issue The giving
OF me note was not disputed nor was
any attack made upon the value or
practIcability of the patent device.
The defense was that the form of con-
tract between plaintiff and defendant
should be adjudged null and void as
against public policy.
len of these actions against Menomo-
ME citizens have been started by the
Twentieth Century Co, the notes less
credits, averaging about S400 each
Among the defendants are the munich
pal Judge, district attorney, clerk of
the circuit court, merchants and real
estate dealers. By agreement only one
was tried, the others to depend upon
the decision in the test case Portage
Democrat.
The above will be of interest to a
number of Wausau people, inasmuch
as there are five similar cases pending
in the circuit court of this county
against Wausau citizens and others
may be effected. A year ago two
fellows appeared in the city, represent
ing the Twentieth Century Co. and
solicited the sale of patent rights on a
device. BY paying 500 one could
secure rights to sell the device in one
county, $500 bought two counties and
so on. Those who are defendants here
wanted to get rich quick and bought
two counties each; one invested in
three. In payment for county rights
the following form of note was given
The consideration for this note is the
sale of a patent right.
$500 January 81, 1904
Ninety days after date | promise to
pay to the order of
TIE TWENTIETH CENTURY COMPANY
"a Wisconsin Corporation)
Two Hundred Dollars at its office in
the city of Tomah, Wis, with interest
at the rate OF per cent. per annum,
payable. ..................... Value received
Signature............. :"
When one was once inveigled into
buying county, the only way he
could get his money out of the deal was
to sell territory to some one else.
Those who bought territory eventually
realized they were up against a game
OF robbing Peter to pay Paul. The
value of the patent right would
suddenly take rise upward when a
purchaser was caught.
The patent device was a carriage
clip and was an article that would be a
good seller, if placed on the market but
after some months of experience the
parties who had purchased territory
found they had got something they had
rot bargained for. There were eleven
in all. Five of them received enough
credits on their notes for commissions
on territory sold to pay the notes. The
other six did not and decided that they
would not pay the notes. One of the
parties has since moved away from
town and cannot be reached, while suit
has been brought against the other FIVE.
The cases at the last term of court were
adjourned and will probably be taken
up at the February term. Kreutzer,
Bird q Rosenberg represent the de-
PENDANTS, while the claims of the COM
pany will be prosecuted by Dan'l II.
Grady, of Portage.