davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

'The latest OF all il a patented device
consisting Of a parabolio floor, which Ia
rotated at such a speed hat the centrifugal
force about equals the attraction OF g~ravita-
ton. As a result, a man standing on
the outer edge will ina CINE that he alone
Is on a dead level and that the persons on
the opposite side are walking on a vertical
surface. If he moves across it will seem
to him as if the entire apparatus were rolling
over with him like a floating ball.
"One of our visitors is a man who has pat
ented a device by which a person may ride a
bicycle and grind coffee at the same time and
another has invented a gurgless jug from
which a man might drink in the dark with
out being detected by the noise. The air
ship crank is particularly joyous about
this time. He sees the day fast approaching
when no other form Of locomotion will be
used and his inventions keep pace accord
ingly.
ANY device may be patented as long as
it does not interfere with public morality
and that difficulty is adjusted by the clever
ness Of the patent lawyer or Of the inventor
himself. You could not patent a gambling
device IL it was so nominated, but you
could patent the came thing under the
head Of an amusement novelty or something
like that.
"The credulity Of the inventor is only
e~qualled by his faith. Any clever patent
shark can get the best Of him. On of the
~favorite modes Of snaring him is to send him
a pamphlet where is printed a list Of the
needed inventions. OF course the one he
Is working on is among them. He sees it,
gets into correspondence with the shark,
puts up part Of his capital on condition
that the shark puts up the rest or else
pays him outright to secure patents in
foreign countries.
Besides the harmless crank who is known
to the world outside as inventor is the real
crank whose brain has been turned by
persistent dwelling on his invention. One
Of these held UP an official at the United
States Treasury, to whom he unfolded the
startling information that he had discovered
a machine which he said was guaranteed
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

DO the people in the office'-which acts,
II may be mentioned, as a sort Of clearing
house to the Patent Office--ever makef for
tunes out of the ideas suggested"
Never, to my knowledge is the quick
eeponse Il don't know of one instance,
although it is quite true that many inven-
ions passed upon here nave made enor-
nous sums for their owners 1t is like
Wall Street: If you knew when to buy and
sell you would be on Easy Street, but you
don't. Another reason is that we are flooded
with suggestions and ideas. We pay no
more attention to them than we do to the
street cries.
There is nothing too extravaganza, it
would seem, for the human mind to con-
ceive. l nave just been looking over a list
of absurdities that l keep for my own amuse-
ment and to entertain my friend"
He draws the list out Of his desk and
shows it. On it three are pointed out as
headliners. One is called Art Of Creating
Memorials Of Deceased Persons
1T is a cheerful device for burning dead
persons to ashes, mixing the ashes with a
sort of clay and from this product molding
a likeness Of the departed. Don't imagine
for a moment that this is a mere fugitive
idea, brought in here and e er getting
further than the waste paper basket or
furnishing the subject for a jest. Not at
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

sTheaa people, siranes ~ n may sasm.
arr really saslsf ~ taal with than mo lr
venioS Who, without any know leige -
mechanics. sets hold ~ IN lirs aod sa6oH'
be diverted ~ any explanation ~
ftiity,
The wUman inventor docs not l'nef from
ihe man In snv material f~rsfrti she r.
No. fnure eresiic. ~ mofe ignorant neiihsT
mars nor Ices clever The nov pfotss
slona that have trrn oteted fnf M
have alan dpoord raiha fpr thcif ln,entIsn
fhe trained huftr anil The physician often
apply fnr sick fruin pHi0his, Tho school
teacher fof kindefF tuen, gymnnsium AMI
manual training devices Thorn IL prob
ahlv ~ Aeld which oHora heitef chance
fnf women, iof fhofr ~ nohr where tho fuI
" rhancs scrms ~ rl0 with unre persNs.
tencv
~ Ia an INierestlne study ~ note Tho In.
niencc ~ locality In the application ~
patents The woman In tho Fast Ia crci.
tied with atl sorts " what might he termed
'rvnhed' ratents, those tendihg toward the
beauty and endowment ~ life, She 10 oal
nlostied M tho inventor ~ drcsa patterns.
NJ devices for making furniture moro cpm.
Portable city women aleo furnish in'
Vulnerable patents for machines like tho
typewriter and sewing machines. Tho
parcel delivery system, which Ia now In tea
In many ~ the department stores, wa tho
invention Of a woman, "a is a lock with 1000
combinations and a letter box for the out
aide Of a house which shows 10y mechanical
means when there IL a letter inside for ths
postman to collect.
up to ten years ago women had con-
tributed but meagrely to the number Of in
ventions. To-day there Is scarcely a page
Of the official record which does not contain
some notice 81 their achievements. The
first complete display Of their inventions
was made at the Atlanta Exposition, whore
i2s complete models we're shown. nine
tenths Of them having been invented in the
last twenty years"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
TEST OF A SYSTEM
L AT ROULETTE.
1t Occurred at Reed & Speneer's
Gaming House and Seemed to
; Justify Its Inventors Theory.

Poker attracts the philosophic quite as
strongly as it excites the speculative mind.
Also an application Of clear headed poker
skill and reasoning will go a long way
toward getting the better Of the regular
professional gambling devices. In sup
port of this the following narration OF an
incident which happened in New York
along about 1875 is offered.
In those days there were five men Of
mature age and all we'll to do who regu-
larly played poker together once a week,
meeting at their own houses. All but one
were lawyers and two Of them now wear
gowns on the bench Of the State OF New
York. The fifth man was, ever then, a
successful banker and has since gathered
10 himself more millions than he knows
what to do with. Let us, for convenience,
call him Wilson.
At one of the meetings, after the poker
was over, and in the purely social and con-
versational period which always accom-
panied supper and cigars, there was talk
on games of nance in general, looked at
from a scientific point of view, and on the
question whether or not it would be pos
sible in any way to get the better OF the
percentage in favor Of the bank which
always exists in public gambling establish
ments. The discussion turning upon rou-
lette, the oldest man in the party, already
known as the Judge, said:
you cannot beat it anywhere, but espe-
cially in this country. Here the banks
advantage is twice as great as it is abroad.
At Monte Carlo, for instance, you have but
the single zero against you. Here you
have a double zero as we'll
That's true, said Wilson, "and there is
a reason for it. was at Reed 4 Spencer's,
over in Fifteenth street. the other night
and I asked Charley Reed why he couldn't
be content with one zero. He made a
fairly satisfactory answer. He said: WI
have expenses here they don't have at
Monte Carlo. Here the single zero is for
Reed f Spencer, the double zero for our
good friends in Mulberry street.
True enough" said the judge; @but,
whatever the reason, the double zero Is
there, and you and / must reckon with it.
Also the bank has other percentages in
it's favor which most people do not CON
sider.
"Ehere is the limit. AT Reed & Spencer's
you are limited to bets which will return
you not more than $3.50 if you win. If it
we're not for that you might come near
winning by making your bets in a mathe-
NAUTICAL pro ression, but even then the
zeros would beat you in the long run.
Then there is the advantage Of capital.
The capital at the command of the indi-
~sdual player is limited, while, in CON-
~parison, the banks capital is unlimited.
So here the bank will win merely by su-
periority in staying powers.
Il believe that the greatest advan-
tage OF all, and one which makes 1t alb
solutely hopeless for players as a body
against professional games, is the per-
sonal equation. The wheel Is a machine,
not subject to excitement, recklessness or
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
PEOPLE WITH IDEAS.

roll will be negligible if the rest Of the plan
succeeds.
4The advantage which the bank has by
reason of it's larger capital we will meet in
its own kind by putting up a large amou t
ourselves, say $40, 900, and by limiting u
winnings. The ordinary system player sets
out to double his capital at a sitting. We
will be content to stop when we have won
an amour equal to one-half our capital, or
$40, 900.
"As to the limit Of bets l believe we can
induce Reed & Spencer to raise it some
what.
THE last, and l agree with the Judge in
calling it the most important question to be
dealt with, is the personal equation. l pro-
pose that four of you shall do the actual
playing and shall put up the capital. The
fifth shall have no money interest in the
enterprise, but shall have absolute control
of the players, who shall obey him without
question.
This is the detailed plan: Each player
shall play four numbers, getting a return
II he wins of eight for one. AS there will
be four playing there will be sixteen num-
bers covered or nearly half the numbers
on the table, which are t~hirty-siS, beside
the zeros.
1T will take a few turns OF the wheel
to indicate which way the luck is running,
and during this preliminary play eacn one
will bet a single check upon whichever
four numbers may take his fancy. 1t is
practically sure that in the course Of a
dozen rolls Of the ball some one of the four
players will begin to win. AS long as the
lucky man continues to win the others
will follow him. When the luck deserts
him and turns to another the play will be
oor~respondingly changed, the director al
ways keeping track of the course Of things
and directing the play.
"In this way, by a scientific and con-
sistent use Of the element Of luck it seems
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

to me we may beat the game for a moderate
proportion Of our capital. What do you
think Of it?"
1T sounds good said the Judge, but
I believe we shall lose our money. Who's
to be director?'
1t being Wilson'S cruise, he was chosen
to steer the ship. The system was tried
at Reed d Spenoer's gothic cottage of
chance in Fifteenth street, just west of
Union Square.
Reed d Spencer were the successors to
the business of John Morrissey in Saratoga
and New York, and were the leading gam
blers Of their day. Reed was, besides, a
successful horse breeder, always to be
seen at the tracks, Spencer was his exact
opposite, a man Of quiet and domestic
tastes. He was an art connoisseur and
made collections of paintings which brought
a large sum at auction.
On the appointed night the five pre-
sented themselves at the Fifteenth street
establishment Reed welcomed them with
his massive handshake. They we're all
known to him, but not as frequent visitors
or heavy players, and he showed some
surprise.
What is this, gentlemen" he said.
NAY, nay" said Reed, Il can't take of
the limit il you're going to try a system on
me. If you stuck to it and put up money
enough you could break me in an evening.
I'll come your way a little, though, I'll
double the limit. You may make bets call
foring $780,"
Wilson had hoped to do better, but took
this as the best he could get.
Il will play with you myself" said Reed,
giving the wheel a twist and throwing the
ball into it with the professional jerk from
the wrist, make your bets, gentlemen. l
suppose this is the end Of Reed d Spencer"
The four who were to play took their
seats at the table, each with a hundred
checks before him, while Wilson stood about
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

in company with Spencer, who had Joined
the party. Each of the four selected a
square containing four numbers and placed
a single check upon it.
There was no noticeable incident for a
dozen or fifteen turns of the wheel, but
then the Judge, who had changed his square
every time, won twice in succession. Wilson.
taking this as the indication Of the course
Of luck he had been looking for, directed
the winner to play the limit on his next bet
and the others to follow him, also with the
limit.
The Judge selected the square containing
5,e, s, aand put twenty checks upon it. The
ball jumped and ratified, paused trembling
upon the edge Of compartment 8 and dropped
into it winning for the party 81, 800.
n Wilson had followed his theory abso-
lutely he would have directed another limit
bet all round, following the Judge, but he
yielded a little to the personal equation and
ordered bis forces back to single bets. He
was wrong, and his theory was right. The
Judge, betting upon the same square, won
again.
Wilson had a return Of nerve and con-
sistency and forced the Judges luck, not
w~ithstanding the fact that the latter had
won three times running and by all the
laws of chance was due to lose. Limit
bets by all produced $500 more for the
raiding party, the five winning again.
Following the Judge twice more for the
limit resulted in losses. Luck had aban-
doned him. Single bets were resumed and
the game went on for some time without
incident.
Wilson had been keeping a single check
between the zeros and had not won a bet.
Presently the single won and, shortly after,
the double. This was an indication, but 1t
puzzled Wilson to decide whether the luck
was coming to the numbers or to him.
If to the numbers it should not influence
him. If it were personal there was no rea-
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
oomNArIo ON CRADLE AND RocKro CHAIR

ventor, One Of our very rich men recently
developed inventive symptoms OF the most
malignant type. He scorned to take adj
vantage Of the elastic rules Of the Patent
Office. Not for him a pen and pencil sketch
He had a working model Of his great inven-
ton made at his own expense, and then tried
it on a long suffering world without warning
them Of his intentions.
THE invention was a street sweeper,
and when it was allowed TO ramble along
the streets of the town where his summer
residence was situated 1t is said by eye
witnesses that every housewife in the
place logged home as fast as she could go,
shut and locked every door and window
and commenced a regular course Of old
fashioned New England housekeeping.
Medical science will some day take
cognizance Of a mental disease which
night be termed patent persistency,' No
matter how many times a patent has been
thrown out for being imperative, the
would be inventor keeps on, sometimes
wasting his energy, oitentimes his sub
stance.
-One Of the most persistent ideas that
allures all the free lances is that a nom
Reliable bottle is some time or other going
to add ono man to the millionaire class.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

any kind OF f~oolishness. The player is
a man. who, even if he be perfectly we'll
and sober, ia still subject to all human
weaknesses of mind and body.
ITO sum 1t up, the percentage Of a
single zero or even of two zeros might on
exceptional occasions be overcome. but
overcome such q combination Of per-
centages against the player as I have
named
Then spoke the banker, Wilson:
well, Judge, ! have worked out a plan
to beat roulette which l would like to try.
II you say 30, we'll leave out our regular
poker game next week and go instead to
Reed d Spenoer's to see what really scien-
tito principles can do against a roulette
wheel"
Don't you know they keep a special
cemetery at Monte Carlo for defunct system
players3" said the Judge.
"The fact that a thing has never been
done doesn't make it certain that it Is i'm
possible said Wilson. Hear my tale
anyhow. Will you listen3'
"Fve minutes Is all ! can spare to listen
to foolshness,' said the Judge, sim getting
sleepy. Five minutes; fire away
Wilson said five minutes would do and
began:
THE essence Of the scheme is to find out
where the luck Is and follow it. You must
all have noticed that where a considerable
number are playing roulette, while it is true
that the majority are losing, there Is gen.
orally one who is winning. Our first object,
then, is to ascertain the trend of the luck
and follow it with courage when found.
"Our second object is to eliminate alto
gether or to neutralize as far as possible
the known percentages against lie. We
will treat the double and single zeros by
always having a bet on the line between
them. This, when it wins, will return II for
1, and the single check it will cost at each
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

10 mako all tho doyernmcnt clerks work
hard Tor not less than eight hours a day
for which he asked the very moderate COM
~ nsa ton Of s6,OO0, 900,
Our own correspondence with oranks,
II you can call u receipt Of innumorable let
tors which come 10 us by every mail n COR
r~espondence, Is only ~oqualled by that re-
ceived by prominent people toward whom
the crank naturally turns for needed cap
ital. One Of the best known bankers OF
the city before he was guarded by a private
detective used to receive regularly the
visits Of a crank who demanded $40 900 to
build a submarine boat which would cross
the Atlantic in twenty.four hours. He
was also the attraction for a feminine crank
who had invented a war balloon and wanted
him to precipitate a South American revolu-
ton 30 that she could use 1t.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

= vui want iu hnaw Tho social status ~
b~ ]tnvBuiuf govt might take The elevator
vbith lrnia Nv lhc urirr fpur ~ n huildinR
nm Iuspf Broadway shcro y aciontino fefl-
oiitnl holds In lr,sh n large staH NJ editors
assistants ~ all dcnters and esfafta In
various linrs, inoluIlpf thope who have
failed In mnkirs grud their patents
Facing the onl,aroo ia n desk a. which
slta n young man through whase hands.
m~oiaphoficaliv sIsHEing the 'crHhks' pass
In a certain Sitting process When tho door
OPENS he looks ,p With n nervous moVe-
mont. when he learna that you have never
Invented anything hut IN interview his eS-
brpsaion becomes normal
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
GRINDSTONES SHORT LIVED.
Mistakes People Make About Them n ain
and Sun Bad for Them.

Most persons" said the hardware drum
mer, "have the idea that if there is one thing
in life a man doesn't lave to buy twice 1t
it is a grindstone. The fact is that they
are among the best sellers we have.
THE life Of a grindstone is not very long
From two to three years on a farm and from
a year to a year and a half in a blacksmith
shop put most Of them to the bad. It
sometimes happens if a man draws a poor
stone that it will be out of service inside
Of six months.
There are a good many things about a
grindstone that most persons don't know.
For instance, a mistake most farmers make
is in leaving the stone uncovered. When l
was a boy the usual place for the grindst one
was out by the orchard, where it would be
handy for the men in the fields. The wise
man nowadays houses his grindstone.
Let a good drenching rain come along,
and the stone will absorb a lot of moisture.
AfSen it never becomes wholly dry again.
Some people have the idea that letting
the sun shine on q moisture laden stone
will bring it out all right, Usually the sun
has a damaging effect. The defect will not
be noticeable for a time, but the stone
becomes soft and crumbles.
nloSt VI lIe ST~lIuSlOneSu USED IN TINS COun-
try come from Ohio and Indiana. Cleve-
land is h great centre of the industry.
Grindstones are made of a quartzlike
sandstone. Every grinding leaves new
points of the stone protruding. and they
never. as a rule, wear perfectly smooth.
another reason why a stone is cast
ASIDE after a couple Of years service is
that it wears down considerably and too
many revolutions become necessary to
sharpen the tools. The wear is usually
most on the softest part of the stone, and
it acquires a jiggly motion that is not pleas
ant.
There is practically no difference in
the quality of the stones turned out and the
difference in price, ranging for the ordinary
ones from SIS to 81, is due to the character
OF the frame and the quality of the wood
used. Many of the stones sold to the big
ranchers and farmers are equipped with
power attachments to be run by windmill
force or g~asolene engine.
-The farmer is the best customer for
grindstones. In later years the blacksmiths
and machinists have pretty generally taken
to the use of emery wheels. These cost
more, but they last a great deal longer"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

Fos years w havc t~eh gr,tlaa thousands
N dsulgna 4 monsht'a suftlhy NJ which
shpws their fHllty The very best whioh
u 49, The mafhe, to-day has been pfpv@i
i%0ofafRtive ~ anoth-F olevef dcalenef
whp nHhI invent ote ~ thes" lWttlca him.
srif hue ran ahpw whefe others fallt
There II n ftntof that . eeftRln firm,
oelehfatHti fof Va aaures, has ofafud .
hfeH sum fOf tina hottie NJ far ~ ~
cah oafh iherr Ia ~ basis fot thls rimur,
AMI Whenever ~ srt especially pnaalmisiio
W. eomtafe notes wWh n whishey hotsr
Witch Isn beadpamH efa iof Tho non.fenIlnblo
bottle efhnks
sThefe 10 no closed srHspn ior patents,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
How Tie Turned the Tables.

From the Kansas City Journal
A statesman In an argument had turned
the tables rather neatly on his opponent
Senator Doniver n conGretulation said:
You remind me OF a Fort Dodge doctor.
DR.. y. This gentleman once had a grave
dug for a patient. supposed to be dying,
who after ward recovered, and over this
error OF judgment the doctor was loked Tor
many years.
Once he attended. in consultation WITH
three oonfreres, another patient. This patlcT"
really died. AFTER the death. as the piiysi.
said:
"'Since quick burial il necessary, we might
inter the body temporarily. understand
our brother has a vacant grave on hand.
DIR. y. smiled.
YES he said. I believe I am the only
physioIan present whose graves are not all
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
Ways OF the Crank Inventor
Troubles Of the Man VINO Has 10 iiandls me Folks
with Datenis.

All Tho gentle art has been regularly
ratsnted
Another IL called tha saiutina Device
'fhis the yu,tna = explains, IL ~ he
uaed on The ataEs, presumably In n vaudss
vile sketch. although we may yet s"e Han.
lei employing some such Invention, u con.
sists ~ q motor concealed In hat and by
pressing q concsaled hutton Tho hat fiscs In
the air, turns upside down ~ twIrle about,
and then resumes ~ former position on the
head This, too, enjoys the distinction " a
regular patent number,
Another Ia q sheath which enclcscs the
clothes ~ n prisoner, with a heedle attach
ment, II 10 n little bit more complicated In
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

it's mechanism. but no less interesting and
along at a regularly prescribed gait and In a
certain direction the needle is quiescent; as
soon as he begins to run or go in an opposite
direction the needle gets in its pointed work
and tears his flesh until he is obliged to re-
turn to the regular walk
The list is returned to the desk and the
confessions Of the Office are resumed.
'In former days we were protected to a
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

e-ytala sstent ny ma fact that the Patent
Onor required that y vurhlns model should
h. shown, Nav ihia requirement has bren
dohe away with. AMI the only Requisite y .
dear fvncii ~ rrn ard lhk dfs wins. efc-pt
IN sassa whrrn iOfinef dcsiHnA have hrrn
proved ihotefatlvs. NJ In tho Instance ~
tha ~pefpetusl motion machine That has
~ 10 shown IN . wUfhina condition,
'Ti,ere 10 No. wy NJ distinguishing ihe me
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24

but just at present we are having a vaca-
ton from the amusement designs. 1t Is
too late now to get them in use this season
and we will not neal much from their in
ventors until the fall or winter. The last
few years has witnessed a remarkable
evolution in these models. Many OF them
are absolutely impossible, but the majority,
based on the laws of mechanics, are curious
and interesting and it is needless to say
that a great many Of them have made
fortunes.