The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-01-18

had in the back country of Alaska.
President Harrison and Secretary OF
War Proctor agreed with The army
man and bill was prepared and In
troduced into both houses OF congress-
for the appropriation OF money to pay
for an Alaska investigation with the
army officer at the head OF It. Plans
had been made for the trip and the
exact places to be visited had been
marked out. One Of the places spe-
citically In view for investigation is
today the richest gold spot known In
the whole northern country.
The bill passed the senate and was
reported favorably from the house
committee. The speaker had agreed
TO recognize representative who was
TO move for the bills passage. 1t was
| tie last day Of the session and the
| representative was on his feet waiting
! for recognition. The speaker had
made too many promises and the rep.
resentatiye who had the treasures OF
/ Alaska In bill form In the hollow Of his
hand went without recognition, nd.
| iuurnment came and the discovery OF
| the treasures Of the Klondke Was
| postponed for FIVE years.
The army officer who told this story
las won u fighting fame II he never
has discovered a gold mine, and with
his lighting fame he has d modesty
which made him ask that his name
should not be used, lest peradventure
/ people should feel called upon to
mourn with him the loss OF q great OPP
portunity, to say nothing Of some pos.
sible millions OF money.
Inventor 10 Discouraged.
There comes TO Washington oc-
casioually man who perfected
an invention, an engine of war;
which is now In use by nearly every
civilized government on the face OF
the earth. including the government Of
the United States This man recently
talked reminIscontly He said some
things in the course of his CONVERSE
ton which may be interesting TO in
Ycntors present and prospective.
1t must he remembered, OF course,
that this inventor Is a man who finally
made good, and who today talks from
the hilltop Of success. lie said
Let every man know, II he has an
invention in which he believes and
In which be trusts that the govern
ment will find merit, that he must
prepare himself at the outset to be
treated In turn like an imbecile. Ia.
matte and a criminal by the depart
ment officials TO whom he tries to pre-
sent his ideas.
Every inventor who enters de
partment OF the United States gov.
eminent with q view to interesting the
officials In something which may be,
and often proves TO be OF service to
the government, is set down as q mat.
ter OF course as an idiot. This Is at
the outset. There IL In most OF the
departments. and certainly in the one
with which have to do business.
set OF officials whose business 1t is to
get rid OF inventors. and to get rid OF
them without loss of poiteness and
without loss OF time
THE regular plan is to pass the in
ventor from one to another. each one
having an Increased chllliness OF man.
ner, but yet wearing the semi.lndul.
gent smile with which enc listens to
the prattle OF a child known to be
mentally deficient
"The last official gets rid OF the in.
u he hna
able perseverance and q mental polse
which will enable him, because OF an
inner consciousness OF right, to over
look insult, goes away probably never
to return, and the chances are that be-
cause OF the sensltiyeness of some
men this government has lost to its
use many inventions which would have
added to its power.
Next Considered as Lunatic.
The second stage of the inventors
progress, for am speaking only OF
those who make progress, is that OF
the lunatic. for so he becomes to be
viewed. The Idiot is practically harm
less. and may be treated as child;
the lunatic is apt to be dangerous, and
so wien the inventor, conscious OF the
worth OF his invention, perseveres in
his attempt to see the officials, he is
looked upon as man with a glitter In
his eye. and the blue-coated officials
with police authority are given warn
ing that he Is not to be admitted TO
the presence Of he official great.
ness.
Occasionally influences which the
inventor hates to bring TO bear enables
him to get an audience with the high.
est official In the department He has
reached the criminal stage by this
time. for he has taken TO the chief
that which courtesy and custom re-
quire should have been taken to the
underl!ng.
"The three stages OF suspicion are
gone through again b. the persistent
rventor-imbecile, lunatic and Grim.
inal-and occasionally his persistence
wins out. for In passing through the de-
grees he may happen to hit upon some
omcial. also regarded as a lunatlc by
his colleagues. who takes interest In
that whic other lunatlcs produce