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قراءة كتاب How to Succeed as an Inventor Showing the Wonderful Possibilities in the Field of Invention; &c.

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‏اللغة: English
How to Succeed as an Inventor
Showing the Wonderful Possibilities in the Field of Invention; &c.

How to Succeed as an Inventor Showing the Wonderful Possibilities in the Field of Invention; &c.

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دار النشر: Project Gutenberg
الصفحة رقم: 6

"Clermont" excited in those who saw her for the first time. People who had seen her passing at night described her as "a monster moving on the waters, defying wind and tide, and breathing flames and smoke." The steamboats, at that time, used pine wood for fuel, which sent columns of ignited vapor many feet above the stack, and whenever the fire was stirred enormous showers of sparks would fly off, which in the night produced a very brilliant and beautiful effect. Sailors and seamen on vessels that had never seen a steamboat were scared speechless, and in many cases prostrated themselves, and besought Providence to protect them from the approaches of the horrible monster which they saw.


In 1835 Thomas D. Edmundson, a station agent on the New Castle and Carlisle line, in England, invented the first railroad ticket. The inventor for several years devoted himself entirely to the ticket industry, and by degrees a business arose which became one of the largest in the world.


In 1840 the Government issued the first postage stamps.


George Stephenson died in 1848 at the age of 67, a wealthy man, beloved and honored by all. Statues of him were erected at Liverpool, London and Newcastle. In Rome, Italy, a tablet bears this inscription: "In this Rome, from whence wondrous roads proceed to the empire of the world, the employees of the Roman railways, on the 9th of June, 1881, worthily commemorated the centenary of George Stephenson, who opened still more wondrous roads to the brotherhood of the nations, and whose virtues, inspiring to great works, have left an undying example." During an examination before a Parliamentary Committee George Stephenson was asked, "Suppose, now, one of your engines to be going at the rate of nine or ten miles an hour, and that a cow were to stray upon the line, and get in the way of the engine, would not that be a very awkward circumstance?" Stephenson replied, "Yes, very awkward for the cow." In the course of the same examination he was asked, "But would not men and animals become frightened by the red hot smoke pipe?" to which question Stephenson replied, "But how would they know that it was not painted?" These extracts indicate some of the difficulties inventors had to contend with.


In 1876 two hours after Bell filed his patent for his telephone, Elisha Gray, of Boston, filed an application for a similar device. Bell won, and has been awarded great honors for his invention. It was at first referred to as a "scientific toy." It is now a necessity.


In 1880 Marthelemay Themonier, a Frenchman, was mobbed for building a sewing machine, by laborers who thought his machines contrary to their interests.

"Victory belongs to the most persevering."—Napoleon.

"Success is the child of audacity."—Beaconsfield.

By-Products

Many men mistake obstinacy for perseverance.


Anybody can slide down hill, but it takes good legs and good wind to go up.


A third of our lives is spent in bed—that's why we ought to hustle the other two-thirds.


Waste is criminal. The old proverb says, "Waste not, want not." And it is true.


Anybody may drink at the fountain of knowledge, but you've got to bring your own cup.


The farther you look back into the history of industry and invention, the more you will be impressed with the fact that almost everything has improved as our ability to produce it has increased.


Wireless telegraphy would never have come about had not the other kind preceded, and it is impossible to imagine the phonograph's being ahead of the telephone.


Without illuminating gas and gasoline, Welsbach lights would never have been thought of or possible.


We would have no electric lights without the dynamo, and no dynamo if wire-drawing had not first been perfected.


So it goes—everything is dependent on factors that have preceded and any achievement of today is the result of thousands of years of previous effort and thought.


And the knowledge that we are adding to the world's store today is but the foundation for further advance by men to come.


As long as we don't know everything there will be things we cannot explain and these things will be called chance. Into the life of every human being there enter these inexplicable occurrences.

Silent Partner.

  CHAPTER III.

PATENTS THE GREATEST SOURCE OF WEALTH

"Upon what meat does this, our Caesar, feed, that he has grown so great?"—Shakespeare.

THE SOURCES OF WEALTH.

The diagram below shows very clearly the rich men of the world, and the source of their wealth: The cry nowadays is that there are no chances for accumulating wealth as did these people—in some ways this is right.

Three of the avenues to wealth are pretty well closed: Taking each up in turn we find
 
1st. Natural Wealth.

Secured by Mining, Drilling and Digging. Examples:
John D. Rockefeller,
Henry H. Rogers,
Barney Barnato,
and many others.


First.

Mines and Oil Wells are becoming scarcer every year, and there are few which remain undiscovered.
 
2nd. Real Estate.

Advances in value as by buying lots in a growing city and taking advantage of its growth. Examples:
Hetty Green,
The Vanderbilts,
Russell Sage,
and many others.


Second.

Real Estate takes an inside knowledge of conditions, which none but men who give the subject deep study can hope to acquire.
 
3rd. Transportation.

Steam Railways, Electric Railways, and Steamboat lines. Examples:
The Goulds,
Thomas J. Ryan,
E. H. Harriman.


Third.

Transportation requires big capital, and the small investor on the "outside" has no chance whatsoever.
 
4th. Patents.

Inventions on articles in use in the manufactures, the arts, the home. Examples:
Carnegie,
Edison,
Schwab,
Maxim,
Krupp,
Westinghouse,
Pullman,
Bell,
Welsbach,
Singer,
Hewitt,
McCormick,
Acheson,
Colt,
Marconi,
Bessemer,
and thousands of others.

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