Evening star., 1933-06-25

acknowledged invention of his In 1865 He
was very poor, in debt, with q large and help
less family dependent upon him for support,
and was from this cause unable TO patent or
caveat his invention or manufacture or market
it. and 1t Is claimed that he never aban-
doned his claim to his invention to ANYBODY
The men composing the Peoples Telephone
Co. bought his claim and some patents that
completed the instrument and made application
for Drawbaugh in 1880, and proposed to furnlsh
telephones for about one-third the cost OF the
Bell telephone.
"Presuming upon the validity Of their claims
they pooled the company's stock, spent about
$50 900 and started into the beginning OF work,
with plenty Of capital to 60 ahead on. The
originators were wild with great hopes. But
the Bell company caused an injunction and
suit, the best Of lawyers were engaged on both
Sides and the Drawbaugh patent was rejected
about two months ago. on the grounds that
patents had been granted to others, and printed
descriptions, published by others. prior to the
date Of Drawbaughs application; that tele-
phones were in use more than two years before
Drawbaugh's application.
s"The rehearing process now comes in by the
doings yesterday, and is presented on these
questions of law: First, the defendants claim
that an application is not barred by patent
granted, or description published, more than two
years before the application, provided appn-
cant's invention was prior to the patent or
printed publication. Second, that the appllca-
ton of the first inventor is not barred by two
wears public use sale of another made subse-
uuent without the consent or allowance OF the
farst inventor except under such circumstances
~ prove a voluntary abandonment OF the mven-
ton to the public. Third. that the commissioner
of patents cannot lawfully allow anybody to
contest the application except by interference
proceedings These points are upheld by high
Legal authority and pointed judicial decisions.
and the belief is that either Drawbaugh will
net a patent or the invention be given to the
public
Eventually this case reached tho Supreme
Court of the United States and its decision
said: we do not doubt that DraWbGugh may
have conceived that speech could be transmitted
to distance by electricity and that he was
experimenting ON that subject, but to hold that
he had discovered the art of doing it before
Bell did would be to construe testimony with
out regard to the ordinary laws that govern
human conduct
without pursuing the subject further, we
decide that the Drawbaugh defense has not
been made out"
IN August "a, 1922. 127 old-tinners OF the
~ telephone company met together and or
ganized the Telephone Pioneers Of America
(Which includes employees of the company who
have completed 81 years Of servtce). and out OF
this grew the Alexander Graham Bell Chapter
which includes the pioneers Of the District OF
Columbia and those Of Maryland and Virginia
Section OF the constitution Of this ofganiza-
ton outlines its aims as follows:
This association is formed for the purpose
OF the promotion, renewal and continuance OF
the friendships and feilowships made during
t0o pcORreSs Of the teIephoS,e ipduStrY between