Inventors A Confiding And Ambitious Class Of Men

A Bloeoker street crook was eyeiDg the dirty street from the top step in front of a high-stoop house not f ar from Mulberry street yesterday, when he saw an acquaintanee passing on the opposite side of the street. Molioning the acquaintance to a perch on the stoop, he said: "It was a constant source of anxiety with my father that I should receive a proper education. My father was a man of rare literair attainmentsf and it was his ambition that I should achieve distinction by like attainments. He sent me to the hfst schools and lie bougbt for me the best books. Though I often neglected the great advantages by which I was surrounded (an acknowledgement which I make with grief and shame), 1 can yetboastthatinhis wildest moments of hope and pride in his youthful scion, he never dreamed of what I was destined to accomplish." "Been in luck lately?" was asked. "No, sir. There is no such thing as luck. Success comes only as the result of persistent, intelligent endeavor. To such success have Ilately attained, and having pretty thoroughly garnered the harvest, I will relate to you the details. Of all classes of honest, hard-working men in this country none hare done more to build up thé Nation than the invenlors. None, I may add, possess at once so much suspicion of the crafty men of the world and such childlike simplicity in business matters. In common with all mankind this class has a love of riches and honor, and espeeially riches. Some years ago I devised a scheme for teaching these men a practical lesson in business aftairs, and at the same time gaining for n-self fame and wealth. My first step was to prepare some beantifully lithographed letter paper, with the cut of a large factory on one side and the usual hending of a corporation beside it. Then I wrote the men who had patented any sort of small machinery a letter like this: Office of Atlantic Manttfact'o Co., I No.- Bleekerstheet, New York. f DearSir: My attention has been called to the fact that you have received letters patent on a new deviee for cleaning broom corn. The manufacture of such machines is a specialty with us, and we delire to add to our present list of machines all the improvements that may be devised whenever it is demonstrated to us that a real improvement existsor which we have not the control. From the very brief description of your machano contained in the Patent Office reporta we are inclined to think that you have somethinar that we want. I am authorized by the directors of the company to say that] if your machine does all you claim for it, and if your patent is as 6tronr and as broad in lts claim as it should, we will give you $10,000 ca8h for the exclusive right to make and sell them in the State of New York and all other States east of the Hudson Eiver. We will, in addition, allow you a reasonable royalty on all machines sold, rendering accounts quarterly or otherwise, as may be nareed. The $10,000 will be paid you as soon as the papers are ready for signature. We shall expect you to dhare the expense of the examination into the merits of your mHcMnoflnri tjjo vnlMltvof the patent. Our Washington alfornov charges rxj i.„ ituiw vice. On recept of $25 from you, we will have the investig-ation made at once. It will require ten days to complete the examination, at the end or which time we shall be ready to prepare the papers. We shall then be happy in invito yon to viflit UiO city uk uur ic,i-nb, eo that everythinfr can be arranrei satisfactorily, viva voce. Very rospectf ully youra, R. Berkahd Pelham, Secrotary. N. B.- Pipase send money in postal order, or renristered letter. "It shonld be distinctly understood that I wrote out each letter, putting in the names of the different machines as occasion demanded. Lithographed autographic letters will not do. I mailed my letters all so that the replies were likely to be scattered along over a couple of week's time, and thus avoided awakening suspicion at the post-office. Whether my little romance was a success or not a careful inspection of the records of the money order and registered letter departments of the postoffice will determine. I did not amass a fortune, butthe number of gentlcmon who wished to fee my Washington attorney would astonishyou. The number of really ingenious models of feed cutters, washiñg machines, churns, broom corn cleaners, sausage stnffers, and soon stored in my room there is imposing. I must not forget to say that I rented desk room in a reputable building used for various purposes for the reception of my mail." "How did you manage to get the addresses of the inventors?" "Venr easily. There are numbers of what are called trade papers in the country, devoted to special manufacturing interests. These papers publish from week to week lists of patents taken out for machines of special interest to their readers. A very prominent paper in this city publishes weekly a list of the patents taken out by the patent attorneys, who are its proprietors. What more could I ask. The game works beautifully for a few weeks, and then it must be dropped for a year or o. Thon new geese will have grown up, and the plucking goes on merrily as before." "How many feathers line your nest as the result of yourlfttest literary effort?" "T o-ot. in all ninetv-eifht letters and