The little brass-like boxes with a spring lid and about sixty matches, all for one cent at retail, tells the story of cheap labor by machinery. I saw a match box in the form of a house. The low chimney in the centre of the roof was as long as a match and very narrow; a flat piece with a gutter in the top edge filled the inside of the chimney. The house would be pulled up and then pushed down; always a match would be in the guttered end of the piece in the chimney. I did not examine it, but it no doubt had a slanting bottom on the inside. The piece in the chimney was stationary. The house would rise high enough so that the top of the guttered piece would be at the bottom of the slanting sides. The matches would roll over it, and one would lodge in the guttered top. When the house was pushed back it was at the top of the chimney, ready for use. It embodies an idea, and so I will give it. Some houses become infested with active insects, to the very great annoyance of the occupants. If you ever happen to have the occasion, put a few sheets of sticky fly paper on the floor at night; place a small piece of raw meat in the centre of each. They will all be there in the morning. They hop for the meat and linger on the paper. Stop laughing and think. Suppose you had no sticky fly paper nor molasses, would you think to try a plate with water on it and the meat in the centre? Thinking how to substitute one plan for another is good exercise. Look out when you do it, or you will invent. The gyroscope top is certainly very peculiar in its movements. It is an enigma to science. It is proposed to run a car on a single rail by having two gyroscopes mounted within the car. In rowing a boat the position is such that the power does not continue in full to the extreme end of the stroke. Possibly the blade could be pivoted to the oar, so that at the best point in the stroke for the purpose it would press a spring, which would release itself at the end of the stroke to advantage.
The elbow for stove pipes was a fine idea, also the spring rollers for window curtains. The mail box in use is good. Indeed, it should be quite natural for a person to enthuse. I patented a child's riding stick, hollow wheels at one end, horse head with moveable jaw at other. Can you reason how to make the jaw work? No doubt you rode on summer trolley cars and pushed up and pulled down the curtains. But do you know how they are constructed? The curtain is attached to a spring roller, and has an iron tube on the end. Two wire cords, one on either side of the frame, are fastened at the top. Each passes through the tube and is fastened again at the bottom. Thus the cords cross in the tube, which can be pushed up, the spring roller taking up the slack curtain; or it can be pulled down, the curtain unwinding. If you will only observe closely you will see ideas carried out on every hand. When you come to invent the knowledge of them will give you confidence and help you very much. But it will not suffice to simply read of them. You must study, learn and impress the principle on your mind. It is learning, not reading, that counts. It has always seemed queer to me that so many ideas spring up and flourish for a while, then die and are forgotten. Many good ideas for the personal benefit of the buyer don't seem to go at all. If an article pleased one generation, why not the next? It is so in many things and not so in many others. Judgment is required to distinguish standard from transient. A life preserver, say of oiled goods, with a spring inside, flat, the size of a plate when operated, three feet long and able to float a person. Convenient fasteners for room doors with poor locks, burglar alarms and portable fire escapes, all worth their weight in gold when required. A few poles and strands of wire, an electrically controlled carriage and an operator would drop a life preserver every few feet of the bathing surface. They are all good subjects for the people in the troubles, but you would go to bed hungry trying to sell the goods. Two wire cables across the street from the big hotels, to operate a draw bridge, at times would save hundreds, as would a tunnel from amusement places. Steel cars would prevent the terrible fires when wrecked, and save many lives. It seems the people want something to eat, wear or to amuse for their money. It has been a much mooted question, and as it involves an idea it may not be amiss. How to make fire from wood: You would get very tired rubbing two pieces of rotten wood together. Select a dry, well-seasoned block; nick or deeply dent the surface with a sharp stone. Provide an arrow-like stick, and a bow and string much like the bow and arrow. Stand the arrow-like stick in the dented surface of the block. The bow has the string fast at each end. Make one wrap of the string around the arrow, which you steady with one hand and work the bow back and forth with the other. Mechanics would call it a fiddle drill. The arrow-like stick will turn rapidly. The friction will create a dust-like, fibrous mess, which will soon burn. Then blow and have a flame.
Make a currycomb with wire teeth: Have a sheet of metal proper shape perforated to receive the wire teeth, and rest at the bottom of the brush. After cleaning the horse pull the metal sheet up, thus cleaning the comb. For a window sash without weights follow the trolley curtain. If a stirrup had an open bottom, save a small cleet on each side to rest the foot on, in case the rider was thrown the foot would turn and come out.
I don't believe in the strenuous life. It is the "happy medium" that appeals to me. We must have time to think. I don't mean to hesitate. We should think in advance as far as possible. Think, so that you will know better what to do. Try not to become confused; act with good judgment. A doctor was expecting a load of hay. On returning home at noon he noticed a load upset in front of his gate. A boy with a fork in his hands looked bewildered. The doctor inquired and was told the hay was for him. "Ah, well," he said to the boy, "come in and have some dinner." "Oh, indeed, sir, I can't; my father would not like it. I must move the hay." "Oh, yes," said the doctor, "come." The boy was hungry and willing, but insisted his father would not like it. Finally he reluctantly yielded. But he ate so fast the doctor cautioned him in vain. He would reply, "I am sure father won't like it." Finally the doctor asked, "Where is your father?" "Why," said the boy, "he's under that load of hay."
I noticed in a paper that the Government desired a device to secure packages of letters in transit from one place to another. They use string, and it costs over $200,000 per year. A billion of packages are tied up annually. At first glance, considering security, etc., I rather think a telescopic box would be best. But the cost, wear and tear, extra weight in freight all act to make the box impracticable. Indeed, if the matter is to be governed by cost, I advise our dear old Uncle Sam to stick to his string. The common shipping tag which has the washer-like piece of cardboard to reinforce the tie hole is simple and good. It is cheap and stronger, indeed, than the metal eyelets.
The ball and socket fastener used on gloves, suspenders and many other things is very good. It fell in the lap of a Frenchman.
A great variety of fasteners to hold sheets of paper together have a large sale. In most all cases they aim to hold the paper without puncturing it.
The name Uneeda was coined, tied fast to a biscuit and became famous.
S. T. 1860 X was an oldtimer. I believe it meant "sure thing in ten years from 1860."
I think a good ash sifter could be made with a box, say two by three feet, and a cylindrical sieve on an axle with a crank handle. The sieve to be provided with a door or lid, the ashes put in and the sieve revolved. The operation should be easy. It was a good idea to make circular zinc pieces to put under stoves; also the circular pieces used in pipe holes to close them in summer. The little bell-shaped guards hung from the ceiling to protect it from the gas jets was good, very simple and quite natural. The little burners on the gas fixtures are fine.