The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-04-08
wRoNGs or 1NvENrons.


Those who have in any degree kept
up with inventions and inventors know
that the latter do not always receive
the reward of their labors. Sometimes
an idea which is being worked out
leaks out of the inventors keeping and
comes into possession of a man with
plenty Of money and no scruples. He
gets 1t patented and makes a fortune
out of it while the real inventor gets
nothing. Sometimes the inventor from
sheer necessity is forced to part with
his invention for comparative trifie
rich. Sometimes the invention Is ac-
tually stolen and sometimes the In
ventor is cheated out of his rights.
This latter, according to The Indian
apolis Star. is what John Breslin, who
has just died at Pittsburg at the age
of ~, said happened to him. His claim
was that he and Frenchman named
Anton Villac together invented and pat
ented the essential part Of the mod
ern rolling mill machinery that made
possible the great Carnegie fortune
and other vast fortunes that have grown
out of the Homestead mills. Years
ago they charged the Carnegie Steel
Company with stealing their patents
and the United states District Court
sustained their contention. Later this
decision was reversed on a technicality
and the steel company offered to settle
for 100000. This the inventors re-
fused. claiming that their patents were
worth $4,000. 900.
The two men had no money to fight
the case further and Vinnac soon died
of grief; Breslin lost his eyesight and
became morose. A few days ago he is
said to have received a letter from Mr..
Carnegie, whom he had known as
boy. telling him that he was about to
receive his long delayed reward for
his inventions. but whatever this re-
ward may be 1t did not reach him be-
fore he died. The decision of the court
and the offer to compromise show that
a sound basis for his claim existed
and the tardy tender of a reward" as
d sort Oh CidT'Iy ~ pToOI lHdt duNdHt-
age had been taken of his poverty.
1t seems evident that there must
have been some truth and justice in
the claim of these two inventors. or
Carnegie would not have offered them
100000 to compromise. 1t might be
argued that he was willing to pay that
amount in order to prevent trouble
and litigation in future. but we do not
look on him as that kind of Scotchman.
II he had felt that the inventors had
no moral claim against him he is one
of the last men in existence who would
have shown any disposition to make
concessions. The fact that only a few
days ago he wrote to Breslin, inform
ing him that he was about to receive
the reward for his inventions is evil
dence enough that Mr.. Carnegie knew
that he had wronged the inventor and
that an awakened conscience or some
thing else forced him to do Justice to
one whom he had cruelty wronged. As
in many other instances of long-d
layed repentance this came too late to
benefit those who had been cruelty
wranged. Doubtless they made a great
mistake by asking such a large price
for their invention, but they felt that
they had right on their side. and for
this reason were extravagant in their
propositions. just as Mr.. Carnegie was
niggardly in his proposals.
This Is one case, and a recent and
noted one, of an inventor losing the
reward of his genius and labor, but
there Is another way, and 1t Is not I'M
common, where the right man Is not
rewarded 1t sometimes happens that
a valuable idea is patented. but some
thing is lacking to make 1t all that is
intended. Another sees what is needed
and invents and patents a more perfect
machine and reaps all the profits while
the real inventor gets nothing. There
are many ways by which inventors are
swindled or otherwise deprived of what
they worked long for, and usually
they have no recourse. The race be-
tween genius and money is apt to be
won by the latter in most instances.
-S-o-S-