Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-16

Perhaps more than any other divisiea
II Uncle Sans service. the United states
patent office IS IN sunderstood. There -
a vague idea prevalent that at the patent
Office one secures exclusive rights on
patent and also the certainty OF for
tune. or. on the other hand. that the
office will demand ha.f Of any prcnts ac-
crulng from a patent or. again, ths
idea % many is similar 70 that OF the o,n
gentleman who came in person - he
Office He was a bewhiskored individual.
plainly showing his rura. hahitation
Walking into the commissioner Once.
lie inquired ii that MAS the place 10 set
patents
This Is the patent Office temporiEea
the clerk. what can ~ DO for you. sir
Well" explained the visitor. I'm y
stranger ii washinstca Just thought l q
drop in and get some 81 them there pa
,uts ii YOU : got any - spare.
What is your invention. sir?" the clers~
managed % ask without smiling top
broadly
"oh, I amt never invented nothirs.
yit" rcplied the caller the while hs
stroked his luxurious beard meditafivelA
II les thought il might be handy 70 have
around home. IN case ald ever invent
something OF ruther.
n is customary. ii applying for a pat
a-,t 10 Include. a sworn statement 10 the
erect that the person 80 desiring tn
patent is the inventor OF tle article In
question This has many times led to
pecuiiar letters being sent IN. Many per
sons prefer not to be- forced 70 swear"
and send in various explanations One
was a, follows.
~ righteous person will not intention
a al rfsNFf lat F.t@afG
YOU may swear a liar forty times and IL
would not make him tell the truth. You
cant make a Har tell the truth, neither
can you make a Christian tell lie. Ana
| not right
Another inventor. opposed t. the forms
OF oath required, gave his reasons for de-
Ginning to swear: Matthew, 5.A Swear
not al all. and also verse - OF the same
chapter. VIII ch reads, But let your COM
munications be yea. yea. or nay. nay.
for whatsoever is mere than these eoinet1
of evil :
Another instance showing that humor
may Turk in the most unexpected places
Is a letter which was sent TO the patent
office asking that the Official Patent ONCE
Gazette a publication containing descrip-
tons OF every patent granted be stopped
Th, request was couched in the follow
ing manner:
please stop sending rs the Patent
Office Gazette. AS only one man In town
read it. and NJ has committed suicide, Wa
nave no further use for it" This was
signed by the librarian.
The Indian Office is another place wher.,
the freak letter is well known, espe.
cially IN one of its most peculiar forms.
Countless letters are received from
ranchmen. farmers and others living in
the less settled parts of the country to
the effect that understanding that the
office has charge of a great many In
dams" they would appreciate it If they
would send one on" They generally
want a woman who has money and can
work well. and sometimes they add ''one
who could appreciate good home with n
honest white man. Often the writer
will signify his entire willingness to pay
well for such a service.
So the chase goes on Travelling from
one building to another, from one division
to another, and from the small sections To
smaller sections the reward Is always
the same The freak letter Is well
known visitor. one that is no respecter OF
persons subjects or anything else.
1t is something that squeezes in between
a dgnified report and letter from tho
White House If the report must be con-
sidered. the letter from the President an
swered, SO must that other letter also.
If the report demands seriols attention
if the letter from the President dena nds
a courteous reply, the freak. .oftentimes
will require both-and what Is more i'm
portant still, il takes considerable time
out OF the working day OF an otherwise
busy clerk.