Robert Grace, one of my early
friends, who, having an iron-furnace, found the casting of the plates
for these stoves a profitable thing, as they were growing in demand.
To promote that demand, I wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled "An
Account of the new-invented Pennsylvania Fireplaces; wherein their
Construction and Manner of Operation is particularly explained;
their Advantages above every other Method of warming Rooms demonstrated;
and all Objections that have been raised against the Use of them
answered and obviated," etc. This pamphlet had a good effect.
Gov'r. Thomas was so pleas'd with the construction of this stove,
as described in it, that he offered to give me a patent for the sole
vending of them for a term of years; but I declin'd it from a principle
which has ever weighed with me on such occasions, viz., That, as we
enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be
glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do freely and generously.
An ironmonger in London however, assuming a good deal of my pamphlet,
and working it up into his own, and making some small changes
in the machine, which rather hurt its operation, got a patent
for it there, and made, as I was told, a little fortune by it.
And this is not the only instance of patents taken out for my
inventions by others, tho' not always with the same success, which I
never contested, as having no desire of profiting by patents myself,
and hating disputes.
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