Show POTOMAC POTPOURRI doings at the U 8 patent office me plenty of cranks claims against uncle sam special to the washington D C cheb feb 24 Is the commissioner of patents in asked a sad eyed man from wisconsin today to th day of mr butterworth upon receiving an affirmative answer the badger state rustic gazed carefully about the room closed the door turned the key and proceeded to unwrap a mysterious package the of dynamite at once before he be could call for help however the inventor as he called himself disclosed a rude model of a fire escape upon which he lie desired a patent the man was finally r referred to a clerk and kindly assisted in perfecting hia his application we ive have received about 2000 applications for falonta pal onta upon fire escapes caples es since the terrible gerrib le fire in milwaukee said the commissioner and arid probably patents have been issued for all sorts of contrivances to save we life in burning buildings they are good indifferent and bad mostly the latter but this office grants patents on almost anything which has not been patented before and examiners never inquire into the utility of any invention patents will be issued for flying machines sub ocean rail railways ways or ladders to reach the moon just as improvements prove ments upon reapers readers and sewing machines the patent office is run for about per year but has a revenue of double that amount and the profits profit are turned into the united states treasury so that about a million dollars in profits have been earned by this office since it was as established applications have been decreasing during the past sir six months owing probable to the hard times 10 A man from nebraska came L roe into cr the office last week with I 1 clabor ate brass model of something or other and when the examiner told him that exactly tho the same invention had previously been patented the man actually shed tears team it was A contrivance which would never be of any possible use on this earth cranks exclaimed one of the chief examiners exa minerd minere today to day the world seems full of them judged from the patent office experience 11 we do not haye have many personal applications from inventors sas as nearly all the business comes to me through patient attorneys of which there are thousands all over the country said one of the clerks there are examiners in the patent office who consider themselves experts and who feel quite certain of being undisturbed by the new administration in the division of electricity for instance one examiner is from missouri who e explained that a technical knowledge knowle dao was necessary and new men without such education would be of no use to the office the general deficiency bill provides that the several accounting officers of the treasury sury department shall not receive or consider any claim against the united states un less it shall havo have been filed within n one year from the ol 01 0 this act or within five years after it shall have accrued nor unless it shall have arisen under an obligation or liability lyof of the united states incurred by cy authority of law or under tinder some appropriation P originally applicable to the payment thereof |