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Show THE PATENT RIGHT MAN. Various kinds of sharpers are in tho habit of considering the farmer their legitimate prey. Among these what might be termed the patent right man ha3 been very active and has, in his day,, done ns largo a business as any other. He lias worked the whole field from the common slide gate to drive wells and. has gathered; in many hard earned dollars, leaving little or nothing in return. His methods have been so often exposed that it is surprising to find him still doing business, but he is very versatile; when one scheme has been worked to its limit the only thing necces-; necces-; sary is a new thing to claim a pat- ent on and his business again flourishes. The rapid doing away with old. forms of fencing and the interdrotion of the wire fence has opened a new field for patent rights, and in institute work this winter the work of the patent right man has been much in evidence in some places.. During a discussion of fences at an institute this winter the question ques-tion was asked if a certain method of bracing end posts was not patented. pat-ented. The questioner believed it was for ho had paid fifty dollars for the privilege of selling farm rights for that form of bracing. The device in question has been used for somo time in various parts of the state. From the discussion which followed it appeared that many of the farmers had paid for the right to uso the device.' Not the least significant fact which appeared ap-peared was that the same territory claimed by the first sp3aker was j also held by another man, showing very plainly tho methods of the owners of tho claimed patent. This was more forcibly brought out when inquiring tho whereabouts of the owner of the patent some one volunteered the information that he was "in tho jug." At another place the M; A. C. fence, or a fence almost identical with it, was boing introduced as a patented fence. The agent claimed claim-ed that the patent was on the marimer of fastening the - wires to the stays, which was simply to staple them. The ida waa so new and valuable that the agent had done quite an extensive business selling farm rights for his fence. It may be true, as several farmers said, that it was a good fence and tho plan was worth the price charged; but the fact remains that paying for something which is perfectly free is extremely unbusinesslike, un-businesslike, and invites the advances ad-vances of other swindlers, many of whom leave nothing whatever in return for the money they receive. M. W. F. in M, A. C. Record. v |