Show IBO A davi mans inability to blake alake the most of innovations UCH of the worlds contusion confusion M MUCH is traceable to the widespread stupidity of mere mortals indisputable evidence of the truth of this statement is recorded in the story of invention despite the belief that adaptability is general among adults there is unlimited proof to the contra contrary ry any new device that is not properly demonstrated goes more or less haywire for illustration in 1885 three wheelbarrows for use of the native planters were landed by a passing ship on an island in the caribbean after two years the captain returning beheld a trio of powerful bucks bucks approaching the dock bearing these heavy laden vehicular mechanisms upon their solid ivory beans it had never dawned upon them to wheel e I 1 the load mo more r e than that a rivalry had spring up as to which of them could lug the maximum weight in a barrow perched on his head A progressive overseer in suma tra supplied his overseers family with table knives and forks the blades were turned into spurs for cock fighting while the forks from which the two central tines were removed became first class clothes pins in java I 1 saw a small silk parasol rich in design and wide open hanging from the bamboo rafters within reach of the housewife who was using it for a coffee strainer the fluid tossed in from a large pot was to start with of light amber color but upon completing its filtration suggested the passaic river in id new jersey during those days when its banks were lined with dye works offered a cup I 1 replied pi piggy y piggy w which ic liberally i ei translated means get to hell bell a away from here she did clever these yankees an indian who guided me through a section of the twenty years ago upon locati locating nj a carton of safety matches among my effects carefully dumped the whole works into a handy lard can dis card edthe empty boxes and pressed the tin cover ti tight ht as a drum aver over a napkin when I 1 discovered the useless fire sticks later and asked for an explanation the redskin replied naively keenum dry in more ways than one yankee ingenuity has served to upset civilization in unexpected places my old friend augustus tott now running the gladstone on east fifty second street new york who spent the most of his youth among european hotels recalls the first revolving door ini installed in the imperial hotel i at vienna a more than thirty years agog ago the innovation caused more confusion said the boniface than an any other single attempt on the part of odthe the management to bring luxury into austria in those days anything revolutionary in construction anything that smacked of no novelty velty had to be high wide and handsome to break through the acid test of public investigation what became the imperial was built originally as a residence by a rich hungarian architect who sold it to a hotel syndicate for kroner it contained but two bathrooms one of which went with the suite rented by the king of greece the other was dedicated to the exclusive C use of emperor francis josephs daughter whose imperial sire was the first royal visitor to enter the hotel imperial through the revolving door A bewildering spectacle to say the least and made the more distressing by the king of greece about to make his entrance z as joseph having concluded a cali call u upon p his daughter was on the point of negotiating an exit the question as to which of the two monarchs should have precedence in passing in or passing out almost created international complications joseph solves the he problem neither had the courage to make the first move eventually it was decided that the king of greece being a resident of the hotel should enter cautiously through the intricate panels and forthwith escort franz joseph into the open open air air once past the whirling contrivance the grecian ruler asked for a ruling on whether he should lead or follow the austrian emperor in the final plunge out joseph always a I 1 w a y s a diplomat solved the problem by suggesting that the greek escort him to a rear exit bid him an affectionate adieu as one gentleman speeding an equal and call it a day another novelty introduced into austria during the revolving door era recalls the occasion when edward VII of england drove up to the summer palace at ischl bischl and took francis joseph for a spin through the prater up to that time sacred to horse drawn r royal 0 y a I 1 coaches preferred by the emperor j to any mechanical contrivance ever assembled by the hand of man C service wk rara 1 WK M |