Among the five hundred or more Colored dentists in America, who are today practicing in offices furnished with their own surgical instruments as well as gas, electrical and other modern appliances, Drs. Chas. E. Bentley, Chicago, Ill., and Chas. H. Roberts, New York City, according to competent judges are considered two of the most prominent and best all-round authorities in their profession. And in nearly every other large city there are similar expert and successful dentists, a list of whom the writer was unable to get. (extracts from Work’s Negro Year Book, 1918-1919 edition, pgs. 422-23-24).
IN INVENTIONS
New Ideas—new Things.
Creative folks are oft jeered fools
For thinking things along new rules;
But when such folks invent things real
How foolish those who laughed must feel.
—Harrison.
One of the chief reasons why the United States has made such rapid and wonderful progress along all lines of industrial civilization and today stands first among all countries in wealth is due mostly to the original ideas and inventive powers of the American Yankee. And to prove that the original ideas of Negroes have had a very important part in helping to make the United States such a leading and resourceful nation, the following citations are but a few of the two thousand and more inventions that Colored people in America have had patented and put on the market for practical use.
“The first Negro to receive a patent on an invention was Henry Blair, of Maryland, who, in 1834 and 1836, was granted patents on a corn harvester. He is supposed to have been a free Negro.”
“Benjamin Banneker,—Noted Negro Astronomer. Born free, November 9, 1731, in Baltimore County, Maryland. Received some education in a pay school. Early showed an inclination for mechanics. About 1754, with imperfect tools, constructed a clock which told the time and struck the hour. This was the first clock constructed in America.”
“William B. Purvis, of Philadelphia, has inventions covering a variety of subjects, but directed mainly along a single line of experiment and improvement. He began in 1912, the invention of machines for making paper bags, and his improvements in this line of machinery are covered by a dozen patents. Some half dozen other patents granted Mr. Purvis, include three patents on electric railways, one on a fountain pen, another on a magnetic car-balancing device, and still another for a cutter for roll holders.”
“Joseph Hunter Dickinson, of New Jersey, specializes in the line of musical instruments, particularly playing the piano. He began more than fifteen years ago to invent devices for automatically playing the piano. He is at present in the employ of a large piano factory. His various inventions in piano-player mechanism are adopted in the construction of some of the finest piano-players on the market. He has more than a dozen patents to his credit already, and is still devoting his energies to that line of inventions.”
“Frank J. Ferrell, of New York, has obtained about a dozen patents for his inventions, the larger number of them being for improvement in valves for steam engines.”
“Benjamin F. Jackson, of Massachusetts, is the inventor of a dozen different improvements in heating and lighting devices, including a controller for a trolley wheel.”