1871.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



239 



of all his fibres, and the destruction of his cellular 

 tissue. 



The other dogs referred to may have accidentally 

 employed tlie principles of my invention, but such 

 accidental employment of the principle is no answer 

 to ray application. 



The office is respectfully referred to commissioner's 

 decision, 1870, page 7, which reads as follows : "In- 

 vention within the meaning of the patent law, is the 

 conception of some new and useful thing, and the 

 embodiment of that conception in practical form. I 

 think it cannot be doubted that this definition must 

 include an intelligent conception.'''' 



In the liirht of this decision the office must hold, in 

 order to make the reference pertinent, that the dogs to 

 which it alludes intelligently conceived that they were 

 aggregating fatty particles when they devoured the 

 food referred to. It is not believed that the office will 

 commit itself to this absurdity. A crude exercise of 

 the principles which I employ should be no bar to 

 the granting of a patent for the elaborate and finislied 

 invention reduced to practical form, especially in view 

 of the immense benefits to flow from it, when it is fully 

 introduced to the public. A re-examination is re- 

 quested. 



Jonathan Smith, Jk., 

 by H. W. Beadle & Co., 



Attorney. 



Department of t^e Intekioh, 

 U. S. Patent Office, 

 Washington, Jan. 'd'ZA, 1871. 



Sir :— Your application for a patent for an improve- 

 ment in Method of FeediULC Hogs has been examined 

 and allowed. The patent will be engrossed for issue 

 on the receipt of twenty dollars, the balance of the 

 fee payable thereon, if received within six months. 

 KespectfuUy, &c., 



Benjamin Buown, 

 Conmiissioner. 

 Jonathan Smith, Jr., 



Care H. W. Beaole & Co., 

 '[Vasldngton, D. L. 



INVENTOR'S LETTER TO ATTORNEY. 

 Sharpersburg, Grab Co., Minn. 



Februry 37th, 1871. 

 A. N. Onest, 



Solicitor of Pate^its. 



Dear Sir : — Having seen the issuance of a patent 

 to Jonathan Smith, Jr., for Improved Metliod of 

 Feeding Hogs, I write to ask your opinion in regard 

 to the following method which is deemed an improve- 

 ment on his. 



In the practical working of his invention, the fol- 

 lowing objections would undoubtedly arise. 



If a strange hog of the aggravating disi)osition 

 alluded to in the patent, should be let into the pen, 

 immediately after the primary had taken his full meal, 

 the intense feelings of hatred and jealousy engendered 

 thereby in the mind of the latter, would undoul)tedly 

 cause his blood to stagnate in its passage from the 

 capillaries to the heart, and perhaps injure the pulmo- 

 nary arteries, or even the auricles and ventricles 

 themselves. In any event, such a serious disturbance 

 upon a full stomach, would necessarily make any 

 ordinary hog bilious. It is believed, therefore, that 

 while the hog might be readily influenced to over-eat, 

 no beneficial results would occur in consequence of 

 the disiurbed state of the hog's mind. 



I propose, therefore, to introduce into the pen, at 

 the proper period, instead of an aggravating hog, a 

 well known hog of mild and gentle disposition and 



decent behavior. By this means the mind of the 

 primary would be kept in a placid state, and be 

 encouraged to over-eat by a generous spirit of emula- 

 tion. 



Will you please examine this and give me your 

 viewe. 



Yours, &e., 



Dakius Dodger. 



P. S. Since writing the above, I have had my atten- 

 tion called to the patents of John Jones and John 

 Smith. 



These patents are based upon the principle that over- 

 eating is injurious to the agglomeration of adipose 

 matter. As it still seems to be an open question 

 whether over-eating is injurious or not, I would like 

 to secure a patent for my improvement referred to, 

 with a claim something like the following: 



I claim a disturbing influence in combination with 

 a hog's mind, or its equivalent, for the purpose of re- 

 straining it from over-feeding, if over feeding is in- 

 jurious, or an encouraging influence to induce it to 

 over-eat, if over-eating is desirable, or its equivalent, 

 substantially as described. Any proper disturbing 

 influence may be employed. 



If desired, a Hibernian, Dutch or Yankee mammal, 

 with a stick or staff, may be used, or if preferred, the 

 pig may be interrupted by the explosive noise of a 

 caninal quadruped. 



On the other hand, any proper encouraging in- 

 fluences may be employed. 



An early reply will oblige 



Yours, Szc, 



Darius Dodgei^. 



ATTORNEY'S REPLY. 



DARifs Dodger, Esq., 



Dear Sik : — Your favor of the 37th ult. has been 

 received. 



I have carefully examined your alleged improve- 

 ment, and am unable to discover any patentable 

 novelty in it. The auxiliary hog in J. Smith's patent 

 would, in time, of course, become well known to the 

 jirimary hog. The broad claim you sutrgest is fully 

 met by the patents you speak of. 



J. Smith employs a restraining influence, and J. 

 Smith, Jr., an encouraging influence. 



It is barely possible that a claim of limited character 

 might be obtained, but it would j'ossess no real value. 



When a patent of real merit is granted, a host of 

 imitators usually spring up, who endeavor by some 

 means to secure a patent, bearing some relation to 

 the subject, for the purpose of deceiving the public. 



The same amount of ingenuity that is exercised to 

 secure these worthless combinations, if employed in 

 a new field, would secure valuable results for the in- 

 ventor and the public. 



I advise you to employ your talents in some other 

 direction than that proposed by you, and not waste 

 your money in attempting to secure a worthless pat- 

 ent. 



Yours, Ac, 



A. N. OSEST, 

 Solicitor oj Patents. 



INVENTOR'S SECOND LETTER.— No. 9. 



A. Shysteuing, 



Solicitor for PatentK, 

 Dear Sir : — I enclose you a copy of a letter sent to 

 A. N. Onest, Solicitor of Patents in your city, and 

 also copy of his reply. 



I believe that a patent should be allowed for my 

 improvement, and I wish you would give me your 

 opinion. 



Yours, &c., 



D. Dodges. 



