a
woman until May 5, 1809, and the number of inventions granted to them in
any one year did not exceed 6 until the year 1862, when 14 were issued.
This number was lowered but once, and that was in 1865, when naturally
women had responsibilities of a nature that precluded outside interests,
but the direction of which is shown in the fact that two of the 13
applications in that year were--one for "Improved table for hospitals,"
the other for "Improvement in drinking cups for the sick." In 1863 an
application was made for "Improvement in ambulances."

It is a significant fact that from the time General Spinner appointed
the first woman to be employed under the Government in 1864, her
advancement was shown in invention, as well as in all other phases of
her existence. At the beginning of the year 1864, fifty-five years after
the first patent had been granted to her, she had received but 103
patents. During the next fifteen years, 1,046 patents were granted;
during the next ten, 1,428, and during the next five years (from 1889 to
1894), 1,309 patents were issued to women, the number in five years
exceeding that granted during the first seventy years. It is to be
regretted that the Patent Office records do not show a classification of
her work during the past ten years, their list practically ceasing March
1, 1895.

The inventions cover a wide and ambitious range, and include, even among
their earliest attempts, "Improved war vessel, the parts applying to
other structures for defense;" "Improvement in locomotive wheels;" in
"Engraving copper;" "Steam whistles;" "Mechanism for driving sewing
machines;" "Improved material for packing journals and bearings;"
"Improvement in the mode of preventing the heating of axles and
journals;" in "Pyrotechnic night signals;" in "Paper-bag machines;" in
"Railway car safety apparatus;" "Conveyors of smoke and cinders for
locomotives;" "Sewing machines;" in "Alloys for hardening iron;" in
"Alloys to resemble silver;" in "Devices for removing snow from
railways;" "Car coupling;" "Attachment for unloading box cars;"
"Railroad car," etc.

Department F, Electricity, Prof. W.E. Goldsboro, Chief, Miss Hope
Fairfax Loughborough, Department Juror.

This department comprised 5 groups and 24 classes, the group
headings being: Machines for generating and using electricity;
Electrochemistry; Electric lighting; Telegraphy and telephony;
Various applications of electricity.

Miss Lo