New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-23
Growth of the Patent Office
Is Amazing - Its Quaint
Early History and
Modern Methods.

nresent south front Of the Patent once.
| avcIusive Of the south ends of the east
Ia mag. wines The basement-what Is
ROW the first or ground foor-was to De
used for storage, the first or port'co Hoor
for office rooms, and the second hoor was
TO be one large hall with galleries IN
either side, anC to have vaulted ROOF.
This hall was designed as a NATIONAL
Gallery of the Industrial Arts AUG FOR
the exhibition of models and unpatented
inventions. The body OF the building Is
of Virstnlan sandstone. 1t was alter
ward painted white.
On December L. 1886. fire destroyed
the building in which the Patent Office
was and all the models and records ana
the library, with the exception or one
book. Volume VI Of the Repertory or Arts
and Manufacturers, which an employe OF
the office happened to have taken 20 his
home before the fire. Among the rec
ords destroyed was a folio containing
drawings of Fulton's first steamboat.
made by his own hands. In 1857 an up
yropration was made TO replace the rec
crds destroyed and for the erection of
new building. the Patent Office as 1t
stands to-day.
On September "a, 1871 there was an
other fire in the Patent Office, when the
roof and model rooms and contents In
the north and west wings were de-
stroyed by fire. and much damage done
10 the building. About $1,000 models
and 100000 photo-lithographic copies OF
drawings were ruined by fire and water
From the first federal patent grant in
1900 to the present Commissioner In
1911 is a long jump 1t is just III
years ago. Many changes have taken
place during this time. When the first
, patent was issued the President OF the
United States made the grant, while the
record was written by a clerk in the
State Department
Then followed the Patent Board, COM
posed Of the Secretary Of State, the Sec
rotary of War and the Attorney Gen.
| eral. This board was continued until
! 1896, when the first Commissioner OF
Patents was appointed From that time
to the present there have been many
commissioners Of patents. but it is said
there have been few men so we'll quail
fed to fill the position as the present
Commissioner, Edward Bruce Moore.
| Mr. Moore has worked his way up
from the ranks. He entered the Patent
| Office as assistant examiner in 1883, and
! from that time served in various capaci-
! l.. do or1,iS innpr In
June. 1907. He has spent twenty-eight
years in the government service.
Edward Bruce Moore has had wide
and varied experience while serving
Uncle Sam. Before he was appointed
Commissioner of Patents he was as
signed as special commissioner TO the
Paris Exposition, in 1900. In the sum-
mer of 1905 he was appointed United
States delegate TO the International
Conference for the Protection OF Indus
trial Property, which was held In Stock
holm, Sweden
Later. in the fall of 1909, he acted as
special commissioner Of the State De-
partment TO nine principal capitals OF
Europe on international reciprocal pat
ent protection. Then he served as dele
gate TO the Fourth International Confer
ence of American States at Buenos
Ayres. Argentina, in the summer Of 1910,
in charge of matters relating TO patents,
trade marks and copyrights.
Since 1896 the work of the Patent or
fee has increased by leaps and bounds;
and to-day when the number or patents
granted each year averages more than
thirty thousand, the inventive bump OF
the Yankee may almost be seen growing,
It is developing so fast. II Is said II
will not be long before man is as much
at home in the air as on the ground, all
on account of the inventive ingenuity of
| the Yankee.
WILLIAM l.. ALTDORFER.