On supporting science journalism
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Several times in our experience we have been called upon to prosecute applications for patents for our ingenious countrywomen, and we believe we have never failed in our endeavors in their behalf. In a recent letter from one of our female clients—and a woman of intelligence and energy she is—we find the following extract:— "I will now mention to you what I never intended to repeat; but on noticing D. E. Turner's letter to you, in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN of December 12, 1851, it emboldened me to relate it. I spoke to an acquaintance of mine about applying for a patent on my improvement, and said I should employ Messrs. Munn & Co. as my attornies. He replied, ' Don't do that, for they will not do as well for you as some others you can employ.' I told him I believed you would never have gained your present eminent position, had you been other than straight-forward honorable men. I now am glad that I did employ you, for I do not believe that any other firm would have taken so deep an interest in my case as you have done ; and you had much patience with me, for in writing business letters I was quite a novice." We could fill our journal with similar commendations to the above. Previous to the establishment of our Branch Office in the city of Washington, it seems to have been the lal'gest part of the occupation of some of the small Patent Agencies in Washington and other cities, to endeavor to hunt up and circulate, in a covert manner, something against the character aud reputation of Munn & Co. So desperate had one of them become in efforts to hunt down our growing popularity, that he actually "setup shop" in the rotunda of the Patent Office, ready, upon the first appearance of an inventor, to pounce upon him, and, if possible, to extract an undeserved fee from the honest man, by warning the latter to beware of those terrible fellows at the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN office in New York, who were gradually absorbing nearly all the business transacted with the Patent Office. Upon one occasion he actually fastened himself upon oue of the members of our firm, mistaking him for an inventor, who had the agreeable pleasure of listening to a strange tale about his own affairs, of which he was hitherto wholly unaware. Determined to put an end to this system of shystering, we resolved to establish a branch of our Patent Agency, at Washington. This branch has been in active operation over one year, dnring which time it has rendered efficient service to inventors ; and with a view to its entire completeness in all its details, our respected senior partner is now in Washington, not only in connection with our clients' interests there, but also for the purpose of looking more thoroughly into the practice recently established at the Patent Office, under its present judicious and worthy Commissioner. Our Patent Agency is now complete in all its arrangements for the prosecution of applications, re-issues, rejected cases, appeals from the deoision of the Commissioner to the District Courts, &c. We have frequently been solicited by our clients to connect a law department with our Agency, for the litigation of patent suits in the United States Courts, but hitherto we have considered it imprudent to davote our time to any other than the prosecution of applications before the Patent Office. Our unparalleled snccess has naturally ex- cited the jealons ire of some of our cotempo-raries ; but this cannot check our progress. During the four weeks past, one hundred and six patents have been granted to our clients, sixteen of whom are named in this week's list. These facts speak for themselves, and our business is rapidly increasing under the stimulus of the increased fadlities established for its faithful prosecution.
