Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-10
American Inventors
Work for Humanity
no the Editor Of The star.


Industry" published August 1e, 1880,
you query who is responsible for new
industries. I believe that you can find
positive answer to this question in a
building only q few min; IS walk fir, m
your Office. / am referring to the
Patent Office, which is a repository of
the bright ideas Of millions of inventors.
You will there find miles of shelves
containing an astonishing number of
volumei and papers, silently holding the
dreams and hopes of unsung and I'M
known inventors.
1t is these men who g, C birth to new
industries. Their vision and insight
have penetrated and understood all hui
man wants. The inventor is sufficiently
keen to appreciate want which is only
latent and hardly felt ~ most people,
and he is, of course also aware of all
pressing and immediate wants of man
kind.
Man wants but little here below, but
the inventor has taught man to want
much. Hence we have the steam en-
CINE, radio. telephone, steel, automo-
bile, movie, photograph, aercrlane
electric light and thousands of other
inventions. OF course, in a pinch we
could do without these things, but the
inventors of these devices realized how
useful they would be and how much
more enjoyable life would be by having
them.
Each one of the inv,tions just men,
toned Is the basis of an immense in
dustry. These industries would never
be in existence today If it we're l. It for
the inventor with revolutionary ideas
who gave his brain child to the world
Scientists have unquestionably per-
formed miracles, and they have ex-
tended our knowledge into unknown
realms However, knowledge alone, nc
matter how penetrating and astounding
it may be, never gives rise to new in
dustries. 1t is usually left to the in
ventor to utilize the facts and prin-
ciples of science and to apply them tc
practical ways.
Solid carbon dioxide was known tc
chemists for many years, but it took
the perspicacity and vision OF an in
ventor to understand the significance OF
its properties and its commercial posi-
bilities. The papers in the Patent Office
give mute testimony for this.
Scientists knew for long time that
when gases expand they absorb heat
and thus cool whatever they contact
but it took an inventor to appreciate
this in devising a commercial refrigerat-
ing system.
The properties of nitrocellulose were
known for a long time, but the world
had to wait for an inventor to utilize
this knowledge in making artificial silk
Carbon was known to be a poor con-
ductor' of electricity, but it took Edison
to make the electric lamp, using a car
bon f1lament.
The explosive force of gases was
known for hundreds of years, but we
had to wait TO- an inventor to show us
1,or hi ha y fVN a
gas engine or in an automobile.
The force of steam was known by the
ancients, but it was never utilized for
lifting the burden from mans back
until a brilliant Englishman invented
the steam engine.
Man has seen birds fiy for thousands
of years, but we waited for the Wright
brothers to show us how to do it.
electromagnetic and diaphragms were
known to all physicians and electrical
engineers, but they did not make 9
telephone until Bell showed them how.
Chemists played with all sorts Of
resinous substances made artificiaIly, but
Leo Backeland taught them how tc
make new product from phenol, known
all over the world as bakelite.
The alchemists several hundred years
ago were familiar with phosphorus
but it never occurred to them to make
matches. We had to wait for an in.
ventor to do that
The sensittveness of selenium to light
was known for many years, but photo.
electric cells are only recent dcve.-.-
ment.
Faraday discovered the basic laws OF
ELECTROMAGNETIC induction, but the cleo
trio generator was invented many years
later by the inventor.
Primitive man saw logs floating day
after day, but it took an unknown, in
ventor to see its possibilities in making
boat.
We might continue indefinitely will
examples, but the point wish to stress
| is that our entire progress, all our in.
| dustries are merely developments init
ated by inventors.
The monuments to inventors In
Washington, for instance. could bt
counted on one hand as contrasted with
| the number erected to the memory o.
generals, statesmen and politicians. In,
ventors are makers and creators; al
others are merely takers.
| Sad to say, We have taken greedily
selfishly and unthankfully The in.
ventor Is often considered as s.oke, 6
visionary, Don Quixote on the con.
quest of the world of matter. Hi!
| praises and rewards have been few anc
| stinted. OF course, We have our Edi.
sons and Fords, but there are thousand:
of inventors sweating, toiling and labor.
| ing each day unrewarded, unpraised
unknown, but nevertheless confident
! patient and hopeful in their work fol-
| humanity. JOSEPH ROSSMAN.
|