The Washington herald., 1906-11-04
FORTUNES FOR IDEAS
Busy World Has Standing
Rewards for Originality.
SOME THINGS BADLY WANTED
One Firm VIII Pay Big Price for
Non-reaIIaBIc Bottle. while Mill
lions Await NOIseieEs Typewriter
Inventor An Automatic Oyster
shacker Would Also Pay Well.

There was never a time, perhaps when
the value of an idea was greater than
now.
All the while the world is demanding
something new. something attractive,
something 70 save time or improve exist
| Ing condltions-soGae lille drop OF oil on
the whirling wheel Of progress.
Everywhere there arc persons who are
willing. even anxious. 10 purchase ideas. /
The diet Of progression is new ideas: with
out them the world and the times would
grow 1at stale, and Improbable.
In demonstrating the value Of an idea
that had stirred in his brain for a long
time. Hubert a. Myers. q young machin- /
ist. Of Goshen, Ind. made $500 in ten
minutes.
Not long since A. p Boyer a leading
manufacturer OF Goshen. was IN Myers
shop. when the young machiniSt began
talking Of q patent hay-sling idea that he
had evolved. IS he talked. he took a
piece Of iron. and in ten minotcs had
made q model TO illustrate what he meant /
What viii you take for It?" asked
Mr. Boyer.
Just $1,000" replied Myers in a joking /
manner
4 viii give you $50" said Mr.. Boyer. /
and in few minutes the deal was closed. /
Il Is not generally remembered that IN /
l767 the British government paid $4,000 (
10 The inventor OF the balance wheel Of /
a watch.
This was considered an enormous sum
In those days. and shows that q valuable /.
new idea was highly thought OF, even
then.
Young WOman's Idea.
Some years ago "a bright young girl was /
employed behind the counter Of q London l
photographers studio. II seemed that The /
art of photography had reached its ell /
max; that there was nothing else 10 be
done in the way Of it's advancement. tx !
cePt 70 invent a practicable method Of
reproducing colors.
This observant young woman was i'm I
pressed by the boredom which posing en- /
tailed upon most Of the customers. She /
set her nimble wits 10 work 10 devise /
some improved plan, to evolve an idea /.
that was worth while. She did a.
To-day she owns one Of Ihe most sue /
cessful photograph galleries iu the city, 1
ami is making her fortune rapidly
She simply makes a photograph Of the +
face. then measures one limb. md from
this basis produces splendid, gracefully /
pcsed portrait Of the entire body without /
worrying the sitter to strike various tire /
sOWe attitudes.
How does she do IT,? That is her secret /
the profitable idea that spraug from
her busy brain.
"Of the making Of books there IL no 1
end, so 90 IS with inventions. Each year /
sees a vast number OF new devices spring /
AIinerva-like. from the brain OF genius or /
would-be genius.
Unlimited Opportunities.
II would seem that the entire field was
covered; that there was LITTLE left to be /
Invented This, however, is not the case. /
Suppose, Tor instance. that some one
would devise a method Of treating straw /
hats so as to prevent them from changing /
color-what q fortune would be his TO
command
Il IS believed he would do nearly as well I
as the man who finds a way by which /
coal may be loaded On ocean steamships /
at a saving OF a cent ton over the pres I
ent methods-and It Is estimated that the I
latter iGea would net It's fortunate spon- /
sor a cool million.
The man who solves the problem OF I
cleaning a ships bottom without docking
viii probably be able @ tour the world 4
in a yacht Of his own shortly afterward I
When @ genius finds a way OF prevent I
ing entirely the grating sound Of a talk I
ing machine. or evolves a typewriter that I
Is really nOiseIess. or tnvrnts an auto 4
matte method OF picking chickens or open /
ing uysterS-the DAYS of work for him will 4
be LEFT behind and the future will be 4
rosy indeed from financial standpoint
For many years the brain Of man has 4
been racked 20 invent bottle that can
not be filCd again. when once emptied /
and q box that can only BE- used once.
n all, something ike 500 patents have I
been issued upon non-reUs7ble boxes. and /
four or five times that many on non-re- /
illablc bottles
Certain owners OF proprietary articles /
have Q standing OFFER Of a large bonus 10 4
the person who produces q practicable /
non-re6IlabIe bottle.
Some Of the devices are remarkably in I
genious. aud yet none has, as yet met /
every requirement.
Many Patents issued.
Fifty or more patents have been grant /
cd upon devices for rapidly and effective [
ly sealing cans-s0mething that is de-
manded IN nearly every household and in
large canning establishments. as well 5
SUI. the perfect device remains unpro- (
duced. and the fortune to be made there .
from vet awaits the inventor
OF course. there ARE vast possibilities IN
the fields Of the flying machine and the
submarine boat. but these are probably
beyond the ambition Of most inventors
Suppose he invents a pen that viii not
corrode, q process or temperins By
which the blades Of scissors VIII sharpen
themselves, just as a patent paper cut
ter keeps its edge sharp through its work
there will be s10o00 or more as the re-
ward for his keenness.
There are scores Of little things that
promise excellent retuTBs-ga olene for
automobiles that viii leave 10 trail Of
smell. behind an ink that viii not evapo-
rate: typewriter key that will not clog
device by which camera exposures may
be more accurately and automatically
timed; better self-lubrioating devices for
certain machinery. a perfect smoke con-
sunier. and many others
This is great age for substitutes. but
there are demands that promise 10 pay
handsomely For a long time shoe manu-
facturers have sought . durable and neat
substitute for leatheT-who will produce
an article that will meet all requirements?
The worlds coal bill Is something enor-
nous; can any one devise a substitute for
coal? Simply by cutting down the earjh's
fuel bill q trihe on the dollar new multi \
millionaire viii be created.
Harold the slow.
From the Atlanta Constitution.
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