On January 3, 1888, U.S. Patent No. 375962 issued to Marvin C. Stone on an Artificial Straw:

This straw was said (by Marvin) to be an improvement over the artificial straw patented (No. 9633) in England on July 8, 1887. Marvin explained:

Marvin’s straw was a paper strip formed by wrapping it around a spindle and dippling it in paraffin to make it water-proof. A few years later, Marvin got a patent (U.S. Patent No. 5277736 issued October 16,1994) on a Method of Coating Paper Tubes, and two patents (U.S. Patent Nos. 585057 and 585058, issued June 22, 1897), on alternate configurations of artificial straws.

Ironically, artificial straws were created to replace natural straws, such as rye grass straws, and now we are looking for more natural alternatives to the artificial straws.