1144 
Z>he  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
August  L’G.  101G, 
AH  Sorts 
A  Rural  Ferry 
Now  and  then  a  much-used  bridge  in 
a  great  farming  community  gives  out, 
and  it  is  necessary,  for  a  time  at  least, 
to  go  back  to  the  old-style  ferry-boat. 
The  accompanying  picture,  Fig.  462, 
shows  how  a  rural  resident  evolved  an 
effectual  expedient.  The  bridge  shown 
in  the  picture  gave  out  and  was  closed 
for  repairs.  .John  F.  Saunders  then  es¬ 
tablished  a  ferry  to  be  used  until  the 
bridge  is  rebuilt. 
lie  built  a  plank  road  from  the  water’s 
edge  to  the  public  highway  on  each  side 
of  the  river.  He  then  planned  and  built 
a  boat  capable  of  carrying  two  teams. 
A  wire  cable  was  stretched  taut  across 
the  stream.  The  float  receives  its  load 
and  then  Saunders  takes  hold  of  the 
cable  and  pulls  the  craft  and  its  load 
place.  I  lived  frugally,  drank  only 
water,  no  tobacco  and  did  well ;  got  so 
rushed  with  shipments  1  bad  to  get  help. 
I  found  a  mulatto  sitting  on  the  stringer 
of  the  boat  wharf,  looking  depressed.  I 
spoke  to  him ;  he  told  me  he  had  come 
from  Virginia  to  Baltimore  to  get  work, 
so  as  to  earn  money  to  get  married  on, 
hut  failed  to  get  a  job.  I  asked  him  if 
he  would  like  to  work  for  me,  told  him 
what  I  was  doing,  told  him  what  I  would 
pay,  and  keep  him  till  end  of  season  if  he 
did  right,  but  if  wrong  was  done  inten¬ 
tionally  lie  would  have  to  quit,  so  be 
eaine  with  mo.  I  bought  a  three-wheeled 
push  cart  and  had  a  telephone  put  in.  I 
would  get  orders  by  telephone  and  my 
man  would  deliver  them  and  bring  me  the 
money.  lie  proved  invaluable  as  a  help¬ 
er,  and  my  three  shippers  had  grown  to 
A  Cable  Ferry  in  Wisconsin.  Fig.  462. 
across  he  stream.  The  cable  is  placed 
in  a  pulley-guide  at  each  end  of  the  boat. 
The  ferry  is  now  in  use  ou  the  Fox 
River  in  Wisconsin,  at  Big  Bend,  where 
the  stream  is  1.10  feet  wide  and  four  feet 
deep.  It  requires  00  seconds  to  make 
a  transfer,  and  on  Sundays  and  holidays 
as  many  as  500  transfers  have  been 
made  in  one  day.  The  average  is  100  a 
day.  The  fare  is  a  dime.  rJMie  total  cost, 
not  counting  Saunders’  labor,  was  $150. 
The  ferry  is  operated  night  and  day.  At 
night  Saunders  places  a  cot  on  the  ex¬ 
tending  ■!  lie  platform,  which  is  provided 
with  a  wire  frame.  A  mosquito  bar  pro¬ 
tects  the  ferryman  at  night  while  he  is 
waiting  for  a  fare.  J.  L.  chaff. 
Confessions  of  a  Middleman 
This  is  the  history  of  a  little  fruit 
business  I  undertook  some  years  ago  in 
Maryland.  Perhaps  it  will  show  some 
farmers  how  they  can  combine  for  sell¬ 
ing: 
I  was  staying  at  Crumpton,  Md„  with 
a  friend  named  L.  One  Sunday  evening 
we  went  to  an  old-fashioned  Methodist 
prayer  meeting  at  which  everyone  in  it 
took  a  part,  and  we  had  a  fine  meeting, 
one  I  will  never  forget.  There  I  met 
Smith  and  his  wife  and  C.,  a  neighbor 
After  prayer  meeting  the  subject  of  fruit 
selling  came  up.  After  talking  a  while 
C  told  the  other  two  men  he  thought  I 
would  be  the  right  man  to  represent  them 
at  the  selling  point,  Baltimore,  Md.,  60 
or  70  miles  by  the  Maryland  Steamboat 
Line.  The  captain  carried  the  returns 
of  sale  to  each  shipper  on  his  return. 
Most  commission  men  rarely  make  re¬ 
turns  oftener  than  once  a  week.  The 
three  men  told  me  they  would  rent  a 
place  on  Light  St.,  near  the  boat  laud¬ 
ing.  and  give  me  10  per  cent,  if  I'd 
do  the  rest.  I  agreed.  I  made  it  a  fixed 
rule  to  sell  as  quickly  as  possible  each 
consignment,  each  one  having  its  sep¬ 
arate  statement  and  returns  sent  back 
the  day  they  were  sold,  cleared  up  at 
night,  so  as  to  have  a  clean  slate  for 
next  day,  and  this  rule  never  varied.  I 
had  three  shippers,  the  three  above 
named.  My  first  day  got  25  baskets, 
carried  them  from  boat  wharf  to  my 
stand.  The  commission  men  along  the 
street  made  fun  of  me  and  tried  to 
“kid”  me.  Before  two  weeks  they  were 
glad  of  a  chance  to  trade  with  me.  I 
went  to  bed  at  8  p.  m.,  got  up  3  a.  m. 
OrV  can  do  a  lot  of  business  on  this 
237  shippers  at  the  close  of  the  season. 
I  advertised  in  a  good  daily  paper ;  that 
was  a  valuable  help,  and  the  shippers 
wrote  me  very  pleasant  letters.  Very 
few  mistakes  were  made.  I  averaged  over 
$150  a  month  and  I  was  satisfied. 
ir.  d.  M. 
Obtaining  a  Patent 
We  have  many  letters  from  people 
who  write  about  like  the  following: 
I  am  a  country  boy,  living  at  home, 
and  in  my  leisure  time  have  thought  out 
and  worked  out  some  things  that  I  think 
might  be  made  to  be  of  use.  I  thought 
I  would  patent  one  or  more,  and  wrote  to 
a  patent  attorney  whose  advertisement  I 
saw  in  a  magazine.  He  charges  $70  for 
a  single  patent.  1  always  supposed  that 
the  Patent  Office  at  Washington.  D.  C., 
was  free,  and  that  any  poor  boy  who 
wished  could  secure- a  patent.  Could  you 
help  me  or  direct  iqe  to  "tie  who  could 
help  nte  to  secure  a  patent  for  less 
money?  BKADER. 
Perhaps  we  are  wrong  about  it,  hut 
somehow  we  have  come  to  regard  the 
ordinary  inventor  about  as  we  have  been 
forced  to  regard  the  back-to-tbe-lander. 
We  have  been  associated  with  several  in¬ 
ventors,  and  have  talked  with  many  more. 
We  have  an  old  friend  who  has  spent 
many  years  in  handling  inventions  and 
patents,  and  he  has  given  this  cool  opin¬ 
ion.  He  knows  what  he  is  talking  about. 
The  Patent  Office  requires  a  fee  of 
$15  on  the  filing  of  an  application  for  a 
patent.  The  application  is  then  exam¬ 
ined.  when  reached  in  its  turn,  to  see  if 
it  is  proper  and  if  what  it.  discloses  is 
new.  If  not  new  the  patent  is  refused, 
and  no  further  fee  is  required.  If  new 
and  a  patent  can  be  granted  a  further 
fee  of  $20  is  required  to  cover  the  cost 
of  issuing  the  patent.  The  preparation 
of  an  application,  including  the  drawings 
and  the  prosecution  of  the  case  before 
the  Patent  Office,  are  quite  technical  pro¬ 
cedures.  and  attorneys  skilled  in-  this 
branch  of  the  law  are  almost,  always  nec¬ 
essary.  This  is  the  more  essential  if 
the  invention  amounts  to  anything,  and 
a  patent  of  any  value  is  to  be  obtained. 
If  the  patent  attorney  agreed  to  prepare 
and  file  the  application,  pay  all  govern¬ 
ment  fees  and  obtain  the  patent  for  $70 
he  was  not  asking  too  much. 
It  is  very  seldom  a  country  boy  or  man 
invents  anything  that  will  pay  him  hack 
even  the  expense  of  obtaining  a  patent. 
An  inventor  must  know  so  much  about 
what  has  already  been  tried  and  aband¬ 
oned,  about  the  commercial  side  of  the 
proposition,  the  tastes  of  a  fickle  public, 
and  also  he  must  have  a  considerable 
capital  in  order  to  succeed.  Large  con¬ 
cerns,  nowadays,  so  uniformly  hire  their 
own  inventors  and  experts  l).v  the  year, 
that  an  outsider  gets  a  scant  bearing, 
and  can  seldom  Sell  his  patent. 
“NEW  MODERN”  SANITARY  STEEL  STALLS^ 
Simple,  Strong  and  Vermin  Proof. 
Easily  installed  for  Concrete  Work. 
“New  Modern ”  Swing  Stanchions 
PIVOT  OR  CHAIN,  WOOD  OR  STEEL. 
When  open  is  held  firmly  in  position  by  automatic  latch,  yet  when 
closed  swings  easily  on  metal  beatings  with  every  head  movement. 
Extension  bat  prevents  Ihe  cattle  from  entering  on  side. 
Flans  and  Estimates  Furnished  Free, 
All  Material  and  Workmanship  Guaranteed. 
Write  today  for  full  details  and  our  new  catalog  covering  Litter, 
Ensilage  and  Platform  Carriers,  Water  Basins,  Steel  Stalls,  Gates, 
Tanks,  Etc. 
Visit  Our  Display  at  New  York  State  Fair,  Opposite  Dairy  Bldg. 
^  GLOR  BROS.  &  WILLIS  MFG.  CO.,  60-70  MAIN  STREET,  ATTICA,  N.  Y.  J 
A  Richmond  (Virginia)  SUBURBAN  FARM  HOME 
of  five  acres  of  rich,  level  land  with  beautiful 
new  cottage  ami  outhouses.  Will  yield  $1,500  a 
year  in  truck,  poultry  and  fruit.  Salubrious 
climate  the  year  round'.  J-'cw  hundred  yards  of 
deep  water  but  well  elevated,  and  only  few  min¬ 
utes  to  city.  Only  $325  cash  and  balance  ($1,050) 
like  rent,  monthly  or  yearly  (5  years).  Less  than 
cost  of  city  lot.  At  your  door  are  excellent 
markets,  jrood  neighbors,  churches  nnd  schools. 
A  delightful  home  null  excellent  investment  in  the 
SOUTHLAND.  Richmond  lias  u  population  of 
170.000.  Employment  in  city.  Write  for  our  free 
literature  on  choice  Virginia  Farms.  Address 
K.  T.  Crawley,  Industrial  Agent,  Chesapeake  & 
Ohio  Railway,  Room  629,  Richmond,  Virginia. 
ToReducaOurStock 
Lime  Sower,  new;  Erie  Auto  Trailer,  slightly 
used;  Tandem  Attachments  for  DiscHarrotvs, 
Orchard  Discs  and  50  Smoot hinir  Harrows. 
BEOFORD  FARMERS' CO-OPERATIVE  ASS  N,  Mount  Kisco.N.Y. 
Our  New  Handy  Binder 
Sides  arc  heavy  Book  Board,  Imita¬ 
tion  Leather  Back  and  Corners, 
Cloth  Sides,  Two  Tongues  Inside, 
Inside  of  Cover  Neat  Liuing  Paper, 
Stamped  in  Gold— “Rural  New- 
Yorker”— on  outside. 
Will  hold  52  issues,  or  more. 
Sent  prepaid  upon  receipt  of 
price,  50c. 
THE  RURAL  NEW-YORKER 
333  West  30th  St.  New  York  City 
To  Advertise  Apples 
The  New  York  State  Department  of  Foods  and  Markets 
proposes  to  issue  a  catalogue  containing  all  the  commercial 
apple  orchards  of  the  State  of  New  York,  for  the  purpose  of 
advertising  the  variety  and  quality  of  apples  grown  in  differ¬ 
ent  sections,  in  order  to  attract  buyers  to  these  sections. 
The  Department  is  able  to  put  this  information  into  the 
hands  of  all  the  buyers  of  apples  both  domestic  and  foreign, 
and  will  consult  with  growers  as  the  best  moans  to  making 
sales.  If  growers  approve  a  number  of  orchard  auctions  sales 
will  be  held  to  standardize  prices.  The  foreign  trade  will 
also  be  developed  for  the  benefit  of  growers  who  pack  and 
grade  apples  suited  to  the  foreign  market.  Co-operative  as¬ 
sociations  of  growers  with  central  packing  houses  are  espe¬ 
cially  in  position  to  profit  by  this  trade. 
In  making  report  of  crop,  estimate  as  near  the  actual  yield 
as  possible.  We  must  give  buyers  the  best  information  avail¬ 
able;  and  when  sold  we  must  deliver  the  grade  and  quality 
specified.  As  the  work  develops,  we  want  to  be  able  to  sell 
brands  without  inspection.  The  best  buyers  will  appreciate 
this  service.  When  we  have  standardized  our  pack,  and 
completely  listed  our  offerings,  the  system  will  appeal  to 
buyers,  and  standardization  of  prices  will  be  easily  accom¬ 
plished  through  public  sales.  Confidence  of  buyers  is  an 
asset  to  growers;  to  secure  it  we  must  have  careful  grades 
and  standard  pack. 
The  Department  must  have  the  co-operation  of  growers  to 
catalogue  the  fruit.  Every  grower  should  be  included  and  you 
are  requested  to  send  us  this  information  in  regard  to  your 
orchards,  also  see  that  your  neighbor  does  likewise.  The 
more  complete  representation,  the  better  results  for  the  indi¬ 
viduals,  and  for  your  particular  section  and  the  whole  State. 
Your  orchards  cannot  be  listed  in  this  catalogue  unless  you 
send  us  the  information. 
•  >>>>>>>-»->  Use  the  following  blank: 
Name  . 
P.  O . 
Shipping  Station  . . 
County  . 
Baldwins  Estimate . Bids 
Greenings  “  Bbls 
Spy  “  Bbls 
McIntosh  “  Bbls 
King  “  Bbls 
Ben  Davis  “  Bbls 
Other  Varieties  “  Bbls 
.  “  Bbls 
.  “  Bbls 
Pears  (all  varieties)  “  Bbls 
Fill  in  the  above  blanks  and  mail  to  the 
Department  of  Foods  and  Markets.  204  Franklin  Street,  New  York 
