Evening star., 1937-06-06

ing been made separate bureau Of
the Government on July 4, 1886, and
by the same law the ONCE of COM
missioner Of patents was created
At this time the Patent ONCE was
housed in the old Blodgett Hotel
Building. on E street between Seventh
and Eighth streets, where later was
erected the Post once Department
Building, subsequently used as the
General Land Ofice. On December
IS Of this year 1885, the Blodgett
Building was destroyed by fire and
nearly all the patent models were
lost in the flames.
The Patent Office sought quarters
in the City Hall, now the Court House,
on Louisiana avenue, and there it
remained until 1910, when it was
moved to the building at Ninth and
F streets northwest. And recently to
the Interior Department Building.
SPEAKING Of Mr. Ellsworth's &C.
tivities in encouraging and fur
thering agricultural pursuits. James
M. Swank chief clerk Of the Depart
ment Of Agriculture for some years,
In 1872, said
Mr.. Ellsworth was commissioner
Of patents from 1886 to 1s45, and one
OF the first subjects which engaged
his attention after assuming the
duties OF the offlce was the impulse
which had been given at that day to
improvements in the implements Of
agriculture. and the aid which agri-
culture might derive from the es-
tablishment Of a regular system for
the selection and distribution of
grain and seeds of the choicest
varieties for agricultural purposes.
During the administration of John
Quincy Adams, the consuls Of the
United States were instructed to for
ward to the State Department rare
plants and seeds for distribution. and
. botanical garden was established
IN Washington. Little was done in
the collection and distribution Of
seeds thus authorized, but to the
association Of this enterprise with the
Patent Once in the State Department
Mr.. Ellsworth was doubtless indebted
Tor the hint OF more comprehensive
system Of seed distribution.
In 1885 and 1897, the first two
years Of his incumbency, the COM
missioner, without legal authorization.
received and distributed many seeds
and plants which had been gratuitously
transmitted to him. In his first
annual report, dated January l, 1888,
he called the attention OF Congress to
the subject, and strongly recommended
tnat provision be made for the estab-
llshment at the National Capital of a
depository Of new and valuable va
rletles OF seeds and plants for dis
tribution to every part of the United
States. He further recommended that
this depository be made part of the
Patent Otice.
| NO immediate action was taken
by Congress upon the recommended
tlons, but this neglect did not dis
courage the commissioner from con-
tnuing his self-imposed task of dis
tributing, under the frank of friend
ly members Of Congress, improved va
rieties of wheat, corn. etc, the bene-
fcial effects Of which distribution we're
fully shown in testimonials from all
parts Of the country.
0N THE 21st OF January, 1899,
Isaac Fletcher Of Vermont,
chairman of the Committee on Pat
ents OF the House Of Representatives,
addressed q letter to Commissioner
Ellsworth requesting the communi-
cation Of information relative to the
collection and distribution Of seeds
and plants, also relative to the prac-
ticability OF obtaining agricultural
statistics. To this letter of INQUIRY
the commissioner responded on the
following day, reciting the action
already taken by him to further the
cause of agriculture and assigning
many reasons why his previous rec
concentrations should be adopted. In
this communication the commissioner
suggested that arrangements could
be made for the exhibition of differ
ent kinds OF grain, exotic and in.
digenous, in the new Patent ONCE
In the closing hours Of the Twen-
ty-fifth Congress (act OF Sd March.
1880 the commissioner was gratified
by the passage OF an appropriation of
$1,000, to be taken from the Patent
Once funds for this purpose"