A KEvu:\v. 75 



A^ain, same page: 



" Now Mr. Husscy couUi not have been ignorant of this, [i, e. the "sixty days 

 rule," or notice) and he does not pretend to be ignorant that ntttice to adverse 

 parties was reijuired by statute, to give them opportunity to oppose, &c. These 

 things I say Hussey knew, and does not dure to pretend ignorance of. 



" Under tliis state of the law how docs Hussey proceed? Why, he makes no 

 application at the proper time and place, but calls on the lOiiiniissioncr personally for 

 the first time, ti:n days before the expiration of his patent, and talks with him ai)out 

 an extension, and is of course told that he has by his t)wn delay rendered it impos- 

 sible to give reasonable notice to adverse parties, and that his application will be 

 rejected if made, and that he had better save the fee. He is also informed that the 

 .f//<v/<-.s7 //'///^? for notire which the Board of Extensions consider reasonable, is sixty 

 days, and that they have long since adopted a rule to that affect. This rule, let it be 

 recollected, had l)een previously for years, and still was, circulated freely in the same 

 pamphlet with the instructions to those who have business with the Patent Office, 

 among all who desired the pamphlet, and sent to almost every patentee in the 

 country, and none having occasion to know could be ignorant without the gros- 

 sest negligence of the rule adopted by the board. A note to the Commissioner 

 wiiuld have brought him, icithoiit a petiny of expense, and icit/iin twenty-four hours 

 from mailing tiis note a perfect printed copy of all the rules on the subject. A plea of 

 ignorance is always suspicious, and under such circumstances becomes peculiarly so. 

 \<7\.s\\. real ignorancCyOx -x ruse \.o escape thorough investigation without subjecting 

 himself to the presumptions which always arise from dodging investigation? Igno- 

 rance is sometimes very convenient, so convenient that Xholaw never allows a party to 

 avail himself of its benefits, when he might have known. By this ignorance or trick 

 he has effectually escaped investigation. Shall he also escape adverse presump- 

 tions, and thus derive a double benefit from his inexcusable ignorance, whether real 

 or feigned? Shall an innocent public suffer the consequences of Hussey's inexcusable 

 neglect, while he reaps only its advantages?" 



Now we would ask the intelligent reader, what could ha\e been 

 the inducement for these "clients" — "the principal of them who did 

 not enter upon the business until years after the expiration of 

 Hussey's patent." [of course meaning Howard & Co., the assignees of 

 Ketchum's patent] to "invest millions of dollars" in the manufacture 

 of machines, that they knew perfectly well were " embod\-ing some of 

 the general features covered by this patent," — in another place — 

 " which embrace some of the elements covered by the patent sought 

 to be extended" — and in a third place, " embra'ce a single feature oi 

 his patent?" 



How were these " millions of dollars" acquired, that were not in- 

 vested until " the inventions of Hussey had long been fully and com- 

 pletely vested in the public," — "not until they left the fullest 

 opportunity to apply to the Patent Office before the expiration of the 

 patent, or to Congress after'' — nor " until years after the expiration of 

 Hussey's patent?" &c., &c. They either made these "millions" at 

 other kinds of business, — if indeed they were ever made — whilst 

 Hussey was struggliiig in poverty and adversity, and straining every 

 nerve to perfect and introduce the machine into use ; and as it would 

 appear, just in time for these cai'italists to realize other " inillions ''from 

 his labors! ox, if made since, by the sale of machines, they are rich 

 enough already, manufactured out of the brains of other men, and have no 

 right whatever to interfere. And you to talk about Hussey having 

 "become the cat's-paw of a more designing and grasping man!! " 



It is perfectly well known to every machinist in the countr\- who 



