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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 25, 1914)
THE BEE: OMAHA, SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 1914. I MASTER MIHDOF 1HYENTI0H Epoch-Making Devices Conceived by ;j" Nine 'American. . NOTED names on the list A nevletT'ot'thc Kntlon'n LcntUnK f Inventor, Whose Irtrnn llnve I Made Stntce in Clvlllin- f ' tloh ,rr6(rc, . Peorgo-WestlnKhouo stood ninth in.the Hit ot Amerlcan-laventors-not ln pblnt or achievement, but '.in reepect of fertility, NearilSJO patents stand to his credit l:bcgan llto a"a machinist, and was only ill -years old when ho applied to QorntUus Vanderbllt for help in the in trocju'ctlon ot his alr-brttke to use on . the rallrdads. The great man laughed to i(corn the Idea of "stojiplns trains with wind," and dismissed him, Baying that he "had no ttmo to waste on. fools." lit was the air-brake, however, that made high speed railroading possible. The Invention was therefore an epoch-maker-one of two such which sprang from Westlnghouse's brain, the other bo thg the harnessing of the alternating elec tric current, which was destined to be come the basis of enormous new in dustries. Every now and then an Invention is rpade that radically alters tho, conditions of civilization.. The telephone was such ah invention; so likewise was the type writer. , f l)r.EmlIe Berliner the man whoso Im provements In the telephone made It pos sible to talk over long distances-said, the o'ther day, that in'effect'thero had been no epoch-making Invention, from the time ot Archimedes to the year K38 A. D.f when the printing press camo Into exist ence. The facxC one was the telescope. In l&n hr. ' century and a half elapsed before the arrival of the steam engine. Photography fpllowcd In 1820.. magneto-electric Induction In 1811, the tele graph In 1844 and the telephone In 1876. Since the Introduction of the telephone, It might be said, epoch-making inventions have followed one another with astonlsh Ing'rapldlty, among them being the elec tric light, the X-rays, color photography, liquid air, wireless telegraphy and radium. Not all of these can bo properly said to have altered the conditions of olvillia-tlon,-but even liquid air and rad(Um rep resent discoveries which mark Important . steps in the dv16pmcnt ot human -knowl-edge. neBlnnlnK ot Elcctrlc-XiirlW. Spcaklnfr.of the electric JlghU Vrl Ber liner said:' "In 1687 there waa at the capltol In VVashlngton,.near the dome up stairs, a large room in which waa a big battery consisting of about 100 jars full ot sulphuric acid and water, each con taining a piece of carbon, and a piece of line. On the Fourth of July tho dally papers announced, 'Tonight the electric light will be shown , from the capltol. Everybody waa down on Pennsylvania avenue to see .It Alt at once we beheld a brilliant light In tho lower part of tho dome. Presently it went out, and per haps twenty minutes later the electrician managed to get It going again, and we had another glimpse of the wonderful electric Illumination. It was quite an interesting exhibition, and everyeoay en joyed it highly." " lit point of fertility, Thomas A. Edison stands first in the list of American In vpnlnm. with over S00 patents. .Next comes Francis H. Richards, with fcOO odd -mainly in the lino ot weighing" ma rines. Two electricians foJlow-Ellhu Thomson and Charles E. Ecrlbner. Fifth is Luther C. Crowell, ' who has done so much to develop tho art of priming. Next In order is Robert L.- Hunter, whose 300 patents exhibit a most versa tile genius, relating as they do to many different kinds of Ideas, from electric railways and electric lamps to dental engines and theater chairs. Others among th first ten American Inventors are John iv wvntt. whoso contrivances relate largely to the lighting of subterranean ninri.. and Charles' J. Van Depoele, who has' specialized In trolleys and electric roads. '" Van Depoele, by the. way, was a cabinet maker in Detroit when' ho took up the study of electricity as an amusement for his evenings. He originated me unaer running trolley system. Corliss, tho In vontor of steam engines, made his ex perlments after working twelve hours a day as a meat-cutter. William Herschel. afterward knighted for his achievements as an astronomer, built his wonderful In struments and astonished the world by his discoveries while earning a, living- by playing the fiddle at dances and concerts, Talking -Machine ana Telephone, Tho talking machine ' Is one ot the epoch-makers that have followed the In vention ot the telephone. More than forty years ago. as many people now liv ing will, remember, P. T. Barnum ex hibited, as one ot the attractions of his circus, a machine that was supposed to talk. It made some very queer noises which might be understood to counter felt human speech, with the help of a strong Imagination. Its construction was a secret, and of the actual naturo of Its mechanism there seems to be no. record extanct. The real talking machine, In vented by Edison, did not come into existence until 1878. The nineteenth century has often been called the "century of Invention." As a matter of act. the real century of In vention did not begin until 1820 when It was Inaugurated by the discovery of photography so that, as on might say, It Is not finished' yet. Since that dato there has boen a steady acceleration of mechanical discoveries, and In this line no period of equal length has been so productive as the opening years of the twentieth century the roost remarkable achievement being the actual realization, In the practical flying machine of what mankind had come to regard as a mere dream of the vlsldnary. Human flight fjrst became an accom plished fact In 1901. It must be admitted, however, that the Idea of the aeroplane Is by no means so new. In the Ency clopaedia Brltannlca of thirty odd years ago will be found, under flight." a plc turo of a flying machine almost Identical with that of the Wrights.- Such being the ca.se, it may be asked, why was It not put to use? The explanation Is sim ply that the only kind of motor then available waa the steam motor, which was impossibly heavy, it waa the gaso line motor that made flying possible. If we were to go back to the year 1&80. and were deprived of the Inventions which have been made during the last thirty-four years, we should have an op portunity to realize the Influence which (L tew men's idea have had upoa the development of civilisation. We should find ourselves deprived of telephones, Haotrio cars, bicycles,, mechanical, type, fcotters, -cash registers and typewriters the'ftfst writing maHhrne having- been put on the market In 1S83. Keaulta of Kvnlnt Ion, Mot great Inventions have been the result of Rradual ( evolution. Thus, for example, Charles' ThUrber patented a typewriter as far back as 1SU; but It was not. a practical mAeh'lhe. The earliest Sowing 'machine, "patented by John S. Oreo-hough In 1SI6. bore imnll resemblance to the creation of Kilns Howe. Graham Bell's first telephone, patented In 1876, Is a curiosity, on exhibition In the National Museum In Washington. The receiver Is made, .to be thrust Into the ear. Instead ot being held against It. Seventeen years before ..Fujtpji, built. . tho Clermont, , John FJtch ran a steamboat between Burling ton and Philadelphia at a rate of seven and a halt miles an hour. The principal of tho screw-propeller was demonstrated as far" back as l'SSl. Great 'Inventions modify civilisation not only by remitting ertlstonco -easier and more comfortable for mankind at large, but also through the creation of Immense industries employing the labor of vast numbers of human beings. Among the most important of them arc tin- agricultural machines which have made practicable tho raising of 'Crops far larger than could bo - produced or garnered without their aid. Tho self blndtng harvester, commercially new since 1SS0, saves the labor' of hundreds of thousands ot men. Indeed, the grain fields of the west could not possibly be reaped by hand. Nor could It be practicable to carry the grain to market without tho aid of mod ern Inventions In transportation. The erection of "skyscraper" office buildings Is made possible by processes ot steel manufacture not lbng known. But such buildings could not exist were It not for another Invention namely the elevator, which renders, them accessible. Emtio Berliner not only Improved the telephone, but was also ,tho Inventor of tho disk phonogra-ph. Htr Was a poor cierK, anarpaid'a mechanic w cents a night to teach him something about eleoicftgt one swivel chair. It enables a per trlclty. The teacher was very Ignorant 0n to turn around without moving the ot the subject, and that was one reason why Berliner was led off tho beaten track, making discoveries of his own. Graham Boll waa a school teacher. The men who made the typewriter a practical Instrument wore two meohanics named C. U, Sholes and W. M. Jcnnc. Mergcn thaler, who Invented tho mechanical typesetter, waa employed at day's wages In making telescopes. rHlinirr Folders. K C. Crowell, who made such wonder chines one of tho most Important ot them being a contrivance for folding, which made possible the present cnor intus editions ot many-paged newspa perswas likewise a mechanic. Charles M. Hall was a student nt Oberlln college when he found out how to separate alum inum from lta ore. Augustus Schultz .of New York, who reduced the process of making leather from an affair ot a year or two td one ot a few weeks, thus revo lutionizing the business, was so poor that In- the beginning ho had to prepare his solutions in tumblers. Gramme, a Hot glan, who Invented tho ring dynamo, was a carpenter by trade, and could hardly read or write. Ho bought a dictionary and a book on electricity and taught himself. While availing ourselves ot tb com forts of a great variety of mechanical inventions, It rarely occurs to us to In quire from whoso minds they originally sprang. For Instance, there are few everyday contrivances more familiar to the average housewife than tho chair which converts Itself off-hand Into a stepladder.' It Is a mighty clever llttlo piece of apparatus, but who thought ot it first? The answer t that It was In vented by Benjamin Franklin, who made the first 'one nbw in the possession of the Philosophical society in Philadel phia 'for his own use, to enable him to get at the upper shelves of his library In his house on Market street. In most business offices there Is at legs ot tho chair, which la a decided convenience. How many people know ho Its Inventor was? The answer Is, Thomas Jefferson, whoso political oppo nents referred to It as "Mr. Jefferson's whirligig," which he had devised so as to "look all ways nt one." LJkewlso in most business offices one finds a copying proas. This was likewise the Invention of Thomas Jefferson. Ho gave ono to General IHfnyette, and sent another to Mr. Madison, In 1IS7, with a letter saying: "Having a great desire to have a portablo copying machine, t planned ono In England and had It made. It answers perfectly. I havo set n work man to making them, and they are In such, demand that ho has his hands full." Mr. Jefferson also Invented a walking stick that could be converted Into a campstool. Ho used to carry It to church for his own us when services were held In tho court house nt Charlottesville, and scats were scarce. His most re mnrknhl Invention, however, was u plow, which marked a new stage In tho development of that most Important ot all agricultural Implements. There never waa but one other presi dent who was nn Inventor. That was Mr. Lincoln, who devised a steamboat which would lift Itself off shoals. But was by no means a practical affair, and tho model Is now preserved In tho na tional museum as Times. a curiosiiy.-jtiaruora A Latin Scholar. "My daughter Suslo Is getting quit an excellent Latin scholar," said tho proud father to a visitor. "Hero Is one of her exercise books, and you can took for vniirsplf ." Susie blushed scarlet, and made a wild grab at tha book. She was too late, and the delighted visitor read aloud to tho company: "Boylbus ktsslbus 8wect glrllorum; Glrllbus Ilktbus. AVnntl somorum." P. V SALE OF HAIR GOODS SATURDAY, Second Floor nnd Pompclian Room. 20-inch natural wavy KA- Switches, $1 values, at OlC 22-inch natural wavy fZ Switches, $3' values, at , . J) L ,uU 22-inch natural wavy Switches, $5 values, at... 28-inch natural wavy Switches, $10 values, at. . $2.50 $5.00 HAIR DRESSING, SHAMPOOING AND MANICURING. APPOINTMENTS 111' PHONE. Free School of Dressmaking Opens Monday Under Direction of Madame Coates, New York and Paris Enrollments and Information at' the , Superintend' ent's Office, Main Floor. Over 400 Women Now Enrolled. Complete and Practical in Every Way This course covers plain and fine needlework, aa well as the cutting, fitting, altering, constructing, making and finishing of un derwear, vaists, skirts, dresses, coats, suits and children's garments togethdr with the principles and use of paper patterns. Each pupil brings, her own materials, works on her own garments and makes from one to as many articles as she may choose. No system charts or ''methods" used. Tho 50 cents which you pay for enrollment is solely for tho reservation of a table for you, so women not enrolled and doing no work cannot occupy tables. Our space is limited nnd Mmo Contes will only teach a limited number of pupils. Make it a point to attend Madame Coates' free lecture Saturday at 10 a. m. or 2 p. m. She explains in detail the work to be done. Free Lecture ' Saturday, 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. . Third Floor. Course of 15 Lessons in 5 Weeks Cold:Dry Air Storage For Furs The heat of the summer months will quickly ruin your valuable furs. The only way to protect' them'is to-store them in our cold, dry air vaults, whore they are also guaranteed against fire, theft, loss or damage of any kind. The Charges Aro Slight. Phono or write us to explain our system. OCeaU-0UR SATURDAY MUSIC SPECIALS Va? cacti By Mall le. Extra Anvil Choros from (n Troratore) Verdi Brcrolle (fr, Conleid'Uoftmin) Offenbach Beautiful Blue Danube. Waltxts- StrauM Black Hawk. Wnlltet.... Walsh Caralleria Ruttlcana. Inter .VIactini Cltlbllibla. Vslie ..1'eitaUna Con Amore (With II r Ifift) Beaumont Dying l'oet-...."...... .... Gottachallc Kdclwclii Glide . Vanderbeck Fault (Trinscrlptlonl Jybclt Farewell to the Fiano-.-....-..-....BeethoTen Fifth Nocturne...... ...........Ieybaei Flower Song. ............XiftDse Heather Roae. H......tMie Homoresque .Dcrgnik 11 Trovatore - -..Dotn Urfit Cavalry. Overture ..-Von Suppe Little Fairy. Wallin.......... Strcabbog LUy or the Valley .-.Sidney Smith Longing for Home (Helawen) Jungmann 3 Cent! Eacb Lore and Rotei (a new flower &ong)...Lenge Maiden's rrayer JJadarzewika Marching Through Georgia ..Meachara Melody In V - ...-aublnileln Mocking nlrd Transcrlption.....-Meacham Morning Prayer ..iStreabbog Orange Sloaaoma Walt -..Ludoric Over the Waves. Uextcnn Waltaes ...... Kotai roetand Peaaant, Overture ..Suppe Rustic Dance ..... Kowilt Back Walts. . .Metcalt fialut aPesth (March) Kowalaki Schubert's serenade .. ........Schubert-LIit Sextette from "Lucia"..... -Bohm Spring Rong. Mendelatohn Atorm, The Weber Trauratrel and Romance ..Schumann Waves of the Danube, Walteci ....Ivanot Id Wedding March "Mendelisohn William Tell, Overture... Roaalnl Our Greatest Sale of Lace Curtains Comes Next Monday Our greatest sale of lace curtains occurs next Moudny. "Wo have bought surplus stocks of large Philadelphia mills so as to offer prices lower than ever before. Don't miss this Eale! Sale of Wall Paper Monday ro also begin a sale of wall paper with offerings that have seldom been equal led. Thousands of rolls of tho most desir able papers at Eavings of a fourth, a third or more. The "Venus" Bath Spray A Twentieth cen tury wonder. In vigorating and re freshing. Regular px'ice $1. Satur day at 48c. Famous Oarlsbad Waters Which are renowned for their curative quallttes, are reproduced in tablet form. 60c size box for 30c. Duplex Fireless Cookers Not equaled at the .prices, $8.00, $10.00 and $17.50. llnvlland China Dinner Sets lop pieces, treated with double band pure coin gold, The s.et, $4-1.30. $2.00 "Wear Ever" Set for $1.48 This three-piece "Wear Ever" aluminum set con sists of a -quart saucepan, a 4-quart preserving kettle and a 2 M -quart double-lipped saucepan. Regular J 2.60 value. Priced for Saturday at $1.48. Vacuum Washing Machines Regular price, $11.50. Saturday for $0.86. I Special Purchase Sale of Suits and Coats Wo obtained for this snlo hundreds of tho latest style suits and coats for men nnd young men, nt heavy discounts from regular prices, bccntiso wo purchased tho entire surplus storks of n largo maker. Men who ap preciate a substantial saving on nppnrcl of superior worth will ho quick to tako advantage of those. $22.50 and $25.00 Suits Only In this group aro English and seml-Bngllsh models with coft roll lapel and patch pockets, also conservative Btyles with two and throe-button coats. Thoy are In browns, grays, poncll stripes fancy blue, plain blue serges and Tartan chocks. All nro $22.50 and $2D.0O vnluoB, at $13.75. $17.00 and $20.00 Suits Only Splendidly .tailored suits of pure worstod, cnssl niores, silk mixed worstods, tweeds and blue wool serges, also fancy bluo nnd fancy gray Borgos. A variety of stylos that is broad enough to nssuro com ploto satisfaction to overy man. Actual 117.00 and $20.00 suits, on salo Saturday $11.75. SI $12 and $15 Suits at $9.75 All wool bluo sorgo suits, guaranteed fast color. Also novelty mixtures, tweeds, casi moros, .in doaons of tho best styles for men and young men. All 1"2.00 and $16.00 suits, Saturday at $0.70. $17 Coats at $11.75 Balmacaaris of imported Scotch tweeds in tan and brown mixtures. Vory nowest models, such as usually tell up to $17. Saturday at $11.70. Gabardines at $8.75 Fashionable gabardine cpats in olive and tan shades; con vertible collars; raglan dr reg ular shoulders; shotoor - and spot proof; $15.00 values at $8.75, $12.50 and $15 Coats at $8:75 Balmacaan coat, 48 inches long; full skirted; military collar, slash pockets, raglan shoulderod and kimono slooves; made of -English tweed finish cloth; $12.50 and $15.00 coats, Saturday at $8.70. Top Coats at $11.75. Staple model top coats, with fly fronts; 44 to 46 lnchos long. Silk lined to tho odgo; $17.00 values; salo Saturday $11.75. Slip-Ons at $10. Thoso garments aro mado of double toxturo fabrics, such as Dombozlne twill, Palmotto nnd rubberised wool matorlnlot in different shades, Worth $15 to $20. Saturday at $10.00. Oravenettes, $8.75 Light weight, plain gray, fancy grey and black cravon ctte coats, with ronvsrtlble or military collars: 53 inches Ions. Values up to II COO. On sale Sat urday at 98.7B, Slip-Ons at $5.08. Slip-on rain coats of double texture cloth. Convertible col lars, aide pockets; 60 to 52 inches long. All sizes, 34 to 46; $12.00 valueB. On sale Saturday at $0.08. Stetson Hats, Best Styles at ' $3.50 Every man who wishes to bo well dressed must choose tho right hat. We suggest the Stetson, known everywhere as tho best. Tho now spring styles aro here, and roady for your inspection. Choico of any stylo at, $3.50. Sale of Men's Sample Hats at 50c This purchase comprisos the entiro floor stock of a New York commission house, bought at a great reduction.. Soft and stiff hats, including Joseph E. Ward's soft hats of Stockport, England, and other well known makes, These are actual $1.50 and $2 values. In one lot Saturdov at 50o.: $1 Caps at 25c. Men's and boys new spring caps in tho nobby English and golf styles, with leather sweat bands; $1.00 values, specially priced Saturday at SOc. Wilson's Derbies. Wo are exclusive Omaha agents for Joseph Wilson's & Sons, Denton, England, cole bratod derbies at $2.00. Boys' Hats. All the latest college styles are featured In these hats for boys. Alj colors. BOc, 05c and $1.00. Great Sale of Haberdashery Maswnam rkf jiamtuumimft -y.' All the $1.29 and $1.50 Shirts $1 We have secured an immense quantity of hlgb-grado haberdashery specially for this Rale. We took the surplus stocks of several wholesale houses In order to provide these bargains. ' Several thousand shirts are included at prices far below their usual worth. They are negligee and pleated front styles, with stiff or soft roll cuffs, carefully made of various high grade materials. They are in three groups, for quick selling, Saturday. All the $1 shirts are- 65c Union Suits. A flno lot ot men's fine lisle union suits, worth up to $3, to be disposed of at 95c am, $1.45 All $1.25 nnd m $1.50 shirts are Q Shirts and Drawers. All $1.75 to $2.25 shirts are SI.49 All tho odd Jots of men's summer shirts and draw ers, llsjo, balbriggan and mer cerized lisle, worth to OC- $1.00, at Union Suits. Men's spring union suits, lisle or open mesh, long or short sleeves, ankle or knee lengths; worth to $1.25. Special . . . 75 c All tho men's leather belts, mostly in small sizes, and worth up to $1.00, on eale Saturday 35c AH the 26o silk four-in-hand ties at 12 K. All tho silk and silk Halo hose for men, in tan, gray, navy, black and white, and worth 25 c, at, pair 12k