Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-08-19
'|HE NORRIS CHAR
GETS INTO COURT
Big Fight in Prospect Between
Patentees of Devices on Pop
ular Piece OF Furniture
MANUFACTURERS INTERESTED
Federal Court to be Scene of Great
Battle Over Rights to Make - At
torney General Makes Important
Ruling on Legal Indebtedness Of
Iowa Cities-capital News.
Special to Times Republican.

iowa IIIIeS-AaPlIdi lNSWSs
Special t6 Times Republican.
Des Moines, Aug. 19.--The federal
court of this state is to see big fight
over the patents on the Morris chair.
Dispositions are now being taken at the
! law office of Orwig & Lane in this
city. and the federal court probably
at the next term will hear the case. A
Clinton, Iowa, furniture factory is vi
tally interested in the outcome of the
suit, for it proposes to manufacture
the chairs under contract.
The Morris chair, which proved pop
ular and has given comfort to millions
of weary souls, originally had no pat
ent. 1t was invented for it's simplicity,
and the back of the chair was ADJUST
able by the person seated in it getting
up and going around behind the chair
to remove a cross bar that rested in
notches in a back extension Of the
arms.
But Americans genius was not con-
tent with this arrangement, and as far
back as 1887 patent was taken out
on device for adjusting the back
without the person seated getting up.
Since then there have been many pat
ents on various forms of the device.
Kelly Bros. secured a patent on de-
vice such that the person seated in
the chair had only to brace himself and
push back and the back would adjust
itself. There We're no levers or any
thing. But when the back Of the
chair went back the seat would move
forward, the moving of the seat was
what moved the back. ia person was
reclining in the chair he had but to sit
i-up and the back would come up to
him.
Then Henry Lannigan improved this
by securing the same results, but with
out the objectionable feature OF the
seat moving forward or backward
when the back of the chair was ad.
justed. Kelly Bros claim that this Is
an infringement on their patent, and
that is what the fight is about. Big
Grand Rapids, Mich, furniture fac
tories are awaiting the outcome of the
suit, for they are under contract to
manufacture the Lannigan chair if the
suit is in his favor. Western fuSslture
manufacturers one in Clinton, Iowa,
and others farther west are interested
in the same way. The suit may be
heard before Judge Smith Mcpherson
in this city, and in the trial of the case
the entire history of the making Of the
Morris chair is being dug up. An old
gentleman in Michigan who got out
one Of the first patents, in 1887. has
been located. and his testimony forms
| part Of the evidence in the suit.
BY the state laying Its own cement
sidewalks about the state house it has
managed to save some money. The
| work has cost the state eight cents a
square foot, whereas the usual price in
Des Moines is ten and eleven. There is
about $500 left over Of the appropriation
for that purpose. Some Of the granite
for the replacing Of the east steps to
the state house have arrived and the
work will be started soon after the
state fair is over.
| The new warehouse erected by the
state back of the power plant on Grand
avenue is completed and the stock OF
paper and other state property is being
moved into 1t. 1t will be possible for
the state to now make some additional
room in the state house by moving out
the document room under the secretary
of state to the front part of the power
house which will be vacated by the
paper stock being moved to the new
warehouse
The work Of remodeling the rooms
| in the basement Of the state house has
progressed sufficiently so that the
board of parole will occupy its rooms
in the east wing of the basement next
| Friday.
W. L. Eaton, state railroad commits
sioner, has again been interviewed. He
is on his return trip from California
and was seen the other day In Bisbee,
Arizona, where he stopped off for few
days to visit former Iowa friends. In
his interview in Bisbee he told the re-
porters that there is not the slightest
danger of Iowa going for either Taft
or Fairbanks. He said that both OF
, these gentlemen had been in Iowa and
the state did not warm up to them a
little bit. He said the state first of all
is for Roosevelt and If Roosevelt abso-.
lutely can't be had the Iowa delegation
will be for Cummins, Fastening to say
that Cum1nlns will not be a candidate
and will not be nominated, as his place
is in the senate. He Furthermore inti-
mated his belief that Cummins is likely
to have no serious opposition for the
senate, as there is every likelihood that
Allison will not run.
According to an opinion rendered
from the office of the attorney generals
office the law as to the limit of indebt-
edness of cities and municipalities does
not include Indebtedness that is pro-
vided for by special levy or taxation.
The limit of FIVE per cent Of the taxable
property applies only to general indebt-
edness and bonded indebtedness and
does not include such things as loan
warrants and street improvements the