Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. Look at Chester Greenwood, the man credited with inventing earmuffs when he was a lad of just 15 years.

He built a contraption out of beaver fur, cloth and wire to keep his ears warm. The concept was immediately embraced because no one likes the discomfort of cold ears.

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but frustration is the ornery sibling that drives the process. Inventors are usually trying to fix something when they come upon their discoveries, striving for greater comfort, convenience or efficiency they may find lacking in current appliances or apparatus.

Greenwood eventually earned patents on more than 100 of his inventions, including a spring steel rake and a wide bottom kettle. His legacy will be celebrated in Farmington Saturday during the 26th annual Chester Greenwood Day.

There’s something about inventors that we cherish. They endure thousands of disappointments and failures before finally succeeding. We like that kind of endurance.

Look at Gail Borden, who invented condensed milk — an ingredient cooks couldn’t do without. While the milk was a good idea, he also invented a combination wagon and sailboat in the 1800s — a precursor to amphibious vehicles like the DUCK and Britain’s Dutton Mariner.

Borden’s model was downright scary and never worked. But other inventors continue to try to create amphibious vehicles that might catch on with the general public.

That’s what makes the success of new inventions so fantastic. Inventions have to do more than simply work, they have to appeal to us. Like earmuffs. Or they fail.

Saturday’s celebration of Chester Greenwood is really a celebration of spirit and tenacity, of a belief that we can do things to make life better. Every day in garage and basement workshops, there are inventors at work, braving disappointment for the promise of success.

For those of us who benefit from these newfangled ideas, a celebration is in order.


Pressure in Iraq
The solid show of United Nations power appears to be working.

In an unannounced visit to Saddam Hussein’s Al-Sajoud palace Tuesday, U.N. weapons inspectors were let in after waiting just seven minutes. While that’s not immediate access, they weren’t left waiting at the gate while soldiers scrambled inside to conceal weapons. There just wasn’t enough time.

The inspectors found opulence, but no weapons.

Saddam may have anticipated this inspection because when the U.N. team was last in Iraq his palaces were off limits. It would be a natural place to start the renewed inspections and he’s had time to clean house.

While no weapons have yet been found and the U.N. team has been allowed such easy access that its report will be filed early, it is too soon to lower our guard. Saddam is well practiced in this game.


jmeyer@sunjournal.com

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