The Washington herald., 1912-07-21

Uncle Sans idea factory (otherwise
known as the Patent Office) is working
overtime. Its output has never been 50
, great as at present. and some Of the
novelties II Is turning out In the way
Of brain products are both valuable and
interesting.
which is so new that 1t has not yet
had a chance to become fashionable. In
the top Of this article Of feminine head
gear (Which may be made of any pat
tern that Is most becoming) Is placed a
cup-shaped receptacle partly filed with
q soap and water solution-the very
stun, in fact. for making -soap-bubbies.
The cup Is connected by concealed
rubber tube with little metal cylinder
which is conveniently hidden in some
Fart of the dress. The cylinder con-
tains hydrogen gas under pressure. A
push with the thumb on a piston opens
valve and allows some of the gas to
escape through the tube. with the re-
suit that a soap bubble forms in the
cup and rises into the air. When de-
sired. series of bubbles can be made
and liberated In this way. in rapid sue
cession.
Useful on Stage.
The effect, of course, Is very striking
On the street 1t might, perhaps, be too
much so. But while not restricting him.
self in this regard. the inventor. Alden
]. McMurtry. of Sound Beach, Conn.
suggests that his contrivance might ap-
propriately be utilized for the stage. For
instance, there might be a chorus Of
pretty girls wearing such hats, from
which soap bubbles would rise in hocks.
La nf,,I.
however. are the artificial eyelashes"
which lady. Miss Anna Taylor. of
Ottawa. has recently patented In this
country. They are expected to fill
long-felt want. inasmuch as natuI al eye
lashes are rarely long enough or thick
enough % satisfy the ambition Of their
owners. this being an epoch in which
the pursuit Of beauty has become a posi-
tive craze.
The device in question consists simply
Of narrow. crescent-shaped piece of
very thin and transparent fabric. along
the upper side OF which a number of
hairs of proper length for lashes are
fastened with a waxy preparation. The
under side Is gummed. so that when
slightly heated il can be fastened along
the outer edge of the eyelid- trifie of
makeup c'by well-known methods"
suggests the inventory renders it abso-
lutely invisible. 1t does not interfere at
all with the movement Of the lid. and
the artificial hairs. covering the natural
eyelashes. produce a very thick and
long effect" II so wished. they may be
curly.
Fruit Blossom Detainer.
The "fruit-blossom detainer'' is a new
idea in an entirely different line. but not
less ingenious. Its object is to prevent
fruit trees from putting forth blossoms
imprudently soon in spring-a habit to
which the peach tnotoriously born fool
among trees) Is especially addicted
Hence. Of course. the regular annual
failure" Of the peach crop. which en-
hances TO such an extent the market
price OF the scant remainder Of this
much-prized and juicy product Of the
orchard.
Stephen Dennis. of Jonesboro. Ark.
proposes to obviate the trouble in ques-
ton by placing around the tree a Slated
box. which when occasion demands-that
r. to say, when a warm spell comes
along in early spring-is to be filed
in with cracked ice. BY this device a
winter temperature Is maintained about
the tree trunk; the sap is prevented from
rising, and blossoming does not occur.
The box Is made OF stats in order to
afford ventilation.
Nowadays one woman takes out a pat
ent for every 99e obtained by men. The
latest to be granted to a person OF the
gentler sex is credited to Mrs. Constance
Nj. Fox, of New York City. who has in
vented a crooked pin. 1t Is Just like
any ordinary pin, except that there Is a
crook in the middle of II. But this is
a great advantage. for (as the lady ex-
plains). 1t does not have to be wiggled