Flowerpots, Flashlights and Trains Inventers are often looked upon as eccentric and scatterbrained. Many might develop dozens, if not hundreds, of inventions before they hit it big. Most, however, never make the big leagues. Also, the majority of inventors do not make good businessmen. Their invention might be great but the way they market it makes it something few want to own. Take the case of Joshua L. Cowen. He was an inventor in late 1890‘s and early 1900’s. His first practical invention he thought would revolutionize the photography process. It was a fuse to ignite magnesium-powered flashes used in taking photographs. It failed to sell. He gave up marketing the invention. A few years later, the United States Navy used the product to detonate underwater mines in 1898 during the Spanish American war. His next invention was a flowerpot illuminator. It was a metal tube with a battery and small light bulb inside. There was no top to the tube. The tube was placed in flowerbeds at night to shine light upon the flowers. He tried marketing the product for a few years before he finally gave up. Sales were so dismal he gave all rights of the "worthless" product to Conrad Hubert, one of his salesmen. Immediately, Hubert changed the invention’s name from "flowerpot illuminator" to "an electric hand torch." To gain recognition and promotion for his product, Hubert assembled a number of tubular flashlights and gave them to New York City policemen in different precincts. They proclaimed it the most useful invention of the era. Thus was born the flashlight. The invention that Cowen gave away to Hubert eventually became the basis for the American Eveready Battery Company. When Hubert died in 1928 his estate was worth over $15,000.000 - quite a princely sum to be earned from a frivolous invention! After Cowen gave away the rights to his flowerpot light invention, he returned his attention to his hobby of carving locomotives and train cars out of wood. He had been carving them since he was 7. In 1902 Cowen crafted small engines to motorize the train cars. These toys did not run on a track but rather wandered aimlessly. He then sold them to stores to place in their display windows to attract customers. Soon parents wanted to buy them for their children. Cowen quickly developed a transformer and a three rail track that could be snapped together to form a track for them to operate on. Sales of his newest invention were instant! He made millions off his toy invention. By the way, Joshua L. Cowen’s middle name was Lionel.

December Contest

Question: The movie "Inherit the Wind" was based on a famous 20th century court case. Who was the attorney in this trial that had ran for president twice? ANSWER: The correct answer was William Jennings Bryan. However, I goofed. Bryan ran for President three times and not twice. Seventy-seven people entered the December contest. Nine were disqualified because they did not have the correct subject heading in their email entry. Two people that won a prize in the previous 90 days entered but were disqualified. Seventeen people did not indicate which prize they wanted to win. Two sent their entry in late. Four had incorrect answers. This left only 43 people eligible to win. Most people selected the DVD "The Jackie Robinson Story" as their prize. (Only one was available.) WINNERS Terry B McDaniel - South Carolina Linda Kolocotronis - Massachusetts Kevin Chambers - Colorado Barbara Babcock - New Jersey Greg Mahoney - Illinois Tom Lahners - California Stan Edington - California Bill F. Lindsay - Arizona R. Foster - Deleware

This Issue's Questions Since most subscribers will likely want the grand prize, I am offering two contests. To enter the grand prize contest, send by email an essay of not more than 75 words relating why you want to win it. To enter the alternate contest, answer the following 3 questions: 1) What denomination of American currency has the names of several states engraved on one of the images on it? 2) How many states are engraved on the bill? 2) Which ONE of the prizes offered (except the grand prize) do you want to win?

Contest Rules

Contest entry deadline is Monday, January 17, 2005. Later entries will be disqualified. Subscribers may enter both contests, but can only win one prize. To enter, email your answer to help@historybuff.com If entering for the Grand Prize, enter "Contest Entry Grand Prize" for the subject heading If entering for any of the other prizes, enter "Contest Entry" for the subject heading From subscribers submitting the correct answer and correct subject heading, as well as advising which prize they want to win, twelve will be selected to win one of the prizes below. Subscribers to this newsletter that won a prize in my trivia contests in the last 90 days are ineligible to win.

Grand Prize (One winner will be selected) Deluxe French Revolution Box Set Includes: Red velvet bag with History Channel Logo DVD of the Documentary Booklet CD filled with full color paintings Two French Gourmet Cookbooks Slip case to hold the contents
DVD's (Select only one DVD or the Civil War Newspaper)
D.O.A. (1950) Starring Edmond O'Brien	Angel and the Badman (1947) Starring John Wayne
Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952) Starring Bela Lugosi	History Channel Documentary about the fall of the Alamo
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) Starring Peter Lorre	Bugs Bunny Cartoon Craze Over a full hour of early classic Bugs Bunny Animation
Original Historic Boston Daily Journal Civil War Newspaper (Two winners awarded one newspaper each)
History Channel T-Shirt With History Channel Logo (Three winners awarded one T-shirt each)

That's it for this issue. Rick Brown