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That Farm Gate

That Farm Gate image
Parent Issue
Day
2
Month
August
Year
1878
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Joseph Bickford & Co., of Ypsilanti, and their agents, have stirred up a very large hornets' nest in farming circles. They claim to be owners of the patent of a combined field fence aud gate, patented üct. 24, 1875, by John C. Lee, of Medina County, Ohio, and are inviting nearly all the farmers in the county to C. O. D., that is to " come omediately down " with that " little royalty " of trom $5 to $10, under penalty of prosecution for infriugement of patent. A number of farmers have paid the royalty, but a larger number have determineil to re8ist payment and have signed the following agreement : " We the undersigned agree that we will help to defray, share and share alike, the expenses of anyone who sigos thia agreement, who may be sued because of lus using or having used a certain gate claimcd to have been patented, and which patent is now owned by Joseph Bickford & Co., of the city of Ypsilanti." A number of farmers have positively asserted that the gate, substautially as pateuted was in general use in this county long before the date of the patent, aud Edward Treadwell, of this city, says that he placed several of thein on a farm formerly owned by him, and which he sold more thah twenty years ago. If theso facts can be shown Messrs Bickford & Co. will fiüd slim picking among the farmors, and besides will bo called upon to do a littlo rerundmg. This patontiug oíd principies or articles long in commou use, and attempting to bleed the public, is a game about played out.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus