February 28, 1923, was a memorable day for House Page Gilbert Gates. First, Gates swapped out his youthful knickerbockers for mature long pants and spats. Later that day, he learned that he had inherited Kansas oil land worth $10,000. He posed, in pants, for a photograph with acting Speaker Philip Campbell shortly after hearing the news. The 17-year-old planned to use his newfound dough to fund his pet invention—an electric wallpaper scraper. Gates, called the smartest boy in the House, patented his scraper in 1924.
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