The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1907-01-05
FORTUNE BY ACCIDENT.
Inventions which Have Made the
Largest Returns TO Investors.

Largest Returns TO Investors.
1t pays to think-even about trifles.
Not long ago a young man who was
in a strange city had that ex-
perience known to so many when rid
ing on street cars. He wanted to get
off at a certain street, the name of
which he knew, but the locality of
which he was In ignorance. The car
was crowded. He had told the conduc-
tor the name of the street but. as Is
not unusually the case, the conductor ,
forgot.
Your streets two blocks back" said
the conductor suavely when the young
man asked him If he had arrived yet
More or less angrily, The youth said: |
Its a wonder somebody wouldn't
think of something that would tell
passenger when he got to his street"
"Well, why don't you invent some !
thing?" asked the conductor.
The young man got to thinking and
to working. The other day he refused
100000 for a street car device that
could be utilized to show the names OF
| the streets automatically. He thinks 1t
| Is worth more. The man or woman
who conceives an Idea that is patent
able almost invariably has visions Of
Immense wealth, but how the dream Is
realized may be found by consulting
the patent office authorities, the men
who handle thousands of these "chil-
dren of the BRAIN that never bring to
their inventors even the amount OF
money necessary for getting them pat
ented But, on the other hand, there
are a great many patents that have
made their originators Immensely
wealthy, and famous as we'll.
One would naturally suppose that the
greatest returns would be from the
large affairs, such as the electric rail-
lroad, the telephone and the telegraph,
but such is not the case, for the small
household inventions, mechanical toys
and puzzles have given quicker returns
and greater profits for the money ex-
pended than any Of the large affairs.
The man who invented Pigs in Cloy-
er" happened to strike the public fan
", and millions of people all over the
country were chasing the little marbles
into the middle pen. That man made
millions on his simple puzzle because
be launched it at the right time.
]. w. McGill In 1867 invented the
little metal paper fastener, without
which no Office is now considered COM
plete, and though but trifie 1t made
, wealth for It's inventor. Such little
: thing as the rubber tip on pencil
brought 100000 to it's inventor, Hy-
man L. Lipman, and that small piece
of metal which you wear on the heel
of your shoe to protect it had made up
to 1887 over 81, 100000 for its protector.
. A man named Garfield first hit upon
? the notion of making armpit shields
: seamless with a sheet of cloth covered
! with rubber and it brought him an in
/. come of many thousands year. The
;, man who invented the metal fastenings
!. for buttons must have been bachelor
e for it did away with sewing, but II
i made him a millionaire.
The barbed wire fence, about which
many have said unkind things as they
disentangled themselves, was worth
e over $1,500,000 in royalties to the orig
y Inator. A countryman, whose loss from
= eggs being broken on their way to mar
ket was a serious thing, evolved the
idea Of packing them In seperate com
partments, and this simple device Il
= now used altogether, and that country
man is not obliged to toll for his dali.
IS bread.
d Criminals have played an importan
H. part In some of the worlds creates
Inventions and some have made small
n fortunes out of their discoveries
q Charles Filler, who devised the ney
J. lockstitch sewing machine, was seryin
his fourth term for burglary when hi
idea was perfected. When he was re
I leased his idea was backed by som
& capitalists and he was given a salar
It of $4,000 year to superlntend til
construction of the machines, in add
= ton to royalty. AT the same time b
w sold his English rights for $4,000 cas-
Il and 500, 900 worth of stock of the Ell
N glish company.-Chicago Inter Ocean.