Box 10, Folder 3: Correspondence 1866

[Letter from Thomas C. Theaker to Increase Allen Lapham, September 25th, 1866] [Letterhead] 293 Department of the Interior UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE, Washington, Sept 25, 1866.

Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of _____________ your caveat on an alleged improvement in ___________ Water Wheel with certificate for Ten Dollars as the fee payable thereon. _________ ____________

Said Caveat is duly filed in the confidential archives of this Office.

Respectfully, yours, &tc [etc]., T. C. Theaker,

Commissioner.

To I. A. Lapham Milwaukie [Milwaukee]Wis

NOTE.— The law enacts "That any citizen of the United States, or alien who shall have been a resident of the United States one year next preceding, and shall have made oath of his intention to become a citizen thereof, who shall have invented any new art, machine, or improvement thereof, and shall desire further time to mature the same, may, on paying to the credit of the Treasury, in manner as provided in the ninth section of this act, the sum of ten dollars, file in the Patent Office a caveat setting forth the design and purpose thereof, and its principal and distinguishing characteristics, and praying protection of his right till he shall have matured his invention ; and such caveat shall be filed in the confidential archives of the office, and preserved in secrecy And if application shall be made by any other person, within one year from the time of filing such caveat, for a patent of any invention with which it may in any respect interfere, it shall be the duty of the Commissioner to deposit the description, specifications, drawings, and model, in the confidential archives of the office, and give notice (by mail) to the person filing the caveat of such application, who shall, within three months after receiving the notice, if he would avail himself of the benefit of his caveat, file his description, specifications, drawings, and model ; and if, in the opinion of the Commissioner, the specifications of claim interfere with each other, like proceedings may be had in all respects as are in this act (Act of 1836, sec. 12.)

The law had made no provision for the repayment of any part of a caveat fee. The effect of a caveat is to place the inventor for one year on the same footing so far as interfering applications are concerned, as if he had applied directly for a patent on his invention.

May, 1864

[Letter from James Hall to Increase Allen Lapham] James Hall (arr^d Dec 8) Albany, Sept 24th 1866

My Dear Sir,

Mr. Whitfield my afsistant [assistant] and draughtsman is now somewhere in [illegible] and will call on you before he returns to Albany. He will be glad to see your collection and [leave?] anything from you regarding specimens [illegible] — Mr. W has been making drawings to illustrate my paper on Wisconsin fofsile [fossils] which will be completed this year — I would feel much obliged if you will loan him some of your specimens for drawings

[Letter from James Hall to Increase Allen Lapham] [Left Side] they will be properly cared for and safely returned to you as some other drawings are made.

Mr. Whitfield is entirely responsible and you may rely on any [illegible] he may make you in reference to this matter

It may perhaps be [the?] last chance of getting [illegible] figured and [illegible] desirous [illegible] it.

I am not sure whether I have sent you a collection of New York fofsils [fossils] for the Wisconsin fofsils [fossils] I have had of you. If not please state the case to Mr. Whitfield and he will perhaps could send you from [Right Side] my collections are equivalent [illegible] I have had of you or whatever you maybe disposed to furnish to him now in exchange for New York fofsils [fossils] —

I have a faint hope that little by little I will illustrate Wisconsin Paleontology —

Please loan to Mr. [W?] [illegible] a drawing [illegible] [Dikellaelfleely?] showing back of [Bady?]

I think he may call on you about the 1st [illegible] or soon after —

With [illegible] & Your Family [illegible] respectfully yours

James Hall

I.A. Lapham Esq

[Letter from James Watson Robbins to Increase Allen Lapham] Dr. Robbins

Uxbridge, Mass., Sept 21st, 1866.

Dear Sir,

Some weeks since I had the pleasure, in reply to my solicitation of receiving a letter from you enclosing a much desired specimen of Ranunculus [sivarioatus?] of [Schrank?], together with a very welcome catalogue of L. Superior plants, and afterwards another enclosing a specimen of a Poa. ^& a map. I was about to write on the [illegible] of your second letter, but the sickness, terminating fatally, of an elderly member of the family, suspended entirely for some time all my botanical studies and correspondence. The specimen of Ranunculus, though its fruit is less mature than was desirable, will enable me to make out the description of the species more satisfactorily. I think it will hereafter be admitted to be distinct from the R. agnatilis of Europe. The list of plants I shall transmit to my associate and some of the more [illegible] will doubtless be inserted in the Catalogue if it is ever published, under your authority. I think I must, however, make some inquiries in regard to the list and some of the particular plants enumerated in it.

The heading of your catalogue says "Catalogue of plants observed at and opposite La Pointe &c [etc]."

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Does the word "opposite" refer to the tract across the straits from La Pointe, i.e. about Bayfield as well as to the Iron Range or to the latter exclusively? Rockland, (I suppose at the range) I judge from my map to be about 25 m. from the lake at Ironton and at least 40 from La Pointe. Is this a near approximation?

I number the plants, respecting which I wish to remark or enquire, so that, if you choose to reply in relation to them, the number only need be quoted.

1. Actaea. Have you from L. S. or elsewhere the fls. of the var. with small pidicels and white fr. or that with fleshy pidicels & red fr. ? for I much wish 2 or 3 fls. of either in order to examine the petals microscopically. 2. Caulophyllum. At the range or at La Pointe? I did not [written between the lines] "at the Range" know that it grew so far westward. 3. Cardamine hirsuta. Have you not ever^always found this plant at L. S. & elsewhere (eaccept [except] [written between the lines] "dont remember" the var.? Virginica) in the running water of rivulets or, at least, in their beds? Did you gather the L. S. plant, which seems to me to vary somewhat & can you send (to be returned) fragments with fr. fls. or radical leaves? 4. Lipidium virginicem. [written between the lines] "may be - collected none!" My Lipidium of L. S. is the L. intermedium of gray without petals and very like L. Virg. Can you send a silicle? That would determine the species. 5. Viola canadensis. Did you gather it & [written between the lines] "saw it at Range"

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where? I did not find it. 6. Hypericum proificum is rather a southern shrub tho' quoted from Michigan, probably the southern part. Might not the shrub have been the H. Kalmianum. If you gathered it the pod will show. 7. Prunus Americana I did not find. Did [written between the lines] "at Range" you see the fr.? & where? 8. Prunus pumila. Have you noticed the color & quality of the ripe fr.? I have only found it black and very astringent. 9. Rubus villosus was very rare on the lake eastward and [written between the lines] "at La Pointe & Range" varying from our plant. Did you find it tall and equally villose & with the fr. of your com. var.? 10. Rosa stricta. Did you gather it well [written between the lines] "La Pointe" marked & where? I consider my specimen distinct, but Dr. Gray rather [written between the lines] "Range La Pointe both" doubts if it is a species. 11. Ribes Cynosbati hirtillum, floridum. [written between the lines] "not gathered" Hope you saved specimen. Neither of us found either of these species. 12. [start crossed out] Cornus circinata has very large leaves. Inclines southward. L. & G. say "N. to Indiana". Did you gather it & where? [end crossed out] 13. Lonicera flava. Did you [written between the lines] "not gathered" gather & where? Your Milwaukee locality is the most northern hitherto published. I have never seen it. 14. Viburnum Opulus. Did you [written between the lines] "right La Pointe & Range" save a specimen? I gathered, on L. Royale, what I supposed was it and afterwards found it was the more rare V. Pauciflorum. [written between the lines] "Yes at La Pointe" 15. Aster sagittifolius. Did you gather it & where? I have not seen it. 16. Gaylussacia [usinosa?]. I should be glad if, on referring to any specimen [written between the lines] "La Pointe - May be myrtilloids [myrtilloides]" you may have gathered of a black huckleberry, you should find it to be the rare V. myrtilloides, which I probably gave you. It also has black fr. and is about the same hight [height] as the Gaylussacia.