The Nevada Democrat., 1858-08-25
st,ll it Goes-PcrpctuaI Motion "t Last

s.,l, a. 6soes-Pcrpctual Motion at Last
The New York Journal of Commerce gives tns
following funny and interesting article;
Game of our readers will remember Dumer-
ors deacrintion of q perpetual molten ma
ohine. which was published in our columns
nearly four years since, and went tue Io.nus
Of the papers. The machine was inventes Dy
Mr.. James G. Hendrckson, OF Th TreeIU,u nusr %v as
month county, New Jersey. The power was
very slioht. being obtained by the use OF arms
and balls attached to o cylinder, and 30 con-
triyed as to keep the extra weight always on
one side. and give the cylinder constant incll-
nation TO turn round. Mr.. Hendricksen was a
very plain countrymen, who had whitfield away
for forty years at this machine, amid the Jeers
and scoffs of neighbors and acquaintance, ana
who was of course not little proud OF his sue
cess Cura was the first published notice Of his
Invention, but it soon attracted the notice OF
the curious, and he was invited 10 exhibit II at
Raritan. N. ]. The occasion, if we remember
rightly, was large gathering ef people during
the progress Of an Agricultural FAIR The IN
eredulity of his own countrymen, however, was
more than match for him. He was surround
ed by q set Of people who contended that the
motion he claimed was an imposslbillty, ana
that he was an impOster. Psor Hendrlckson
was no orator. and bis assailants were clanor-
GUS and leud-spoken, but he pointed silently to
his machine, which was enclosed in glass, and
when the philosophers said his claim was ride
ulsus. and that mechine could not 60 "oi
ITSELF" he could only reply, "But II does go!'
One should have supposed that the fact should
have been sufficient to upset the old theory, bul
the Jersey Blues were as stubborn as the notec
disputant whose speech upon such an occasion
so much the worse for the facts is now famous
in history, and they cluug to their theory IN the
face Of the demonstration.
They went farther, and in spite OF persecution
as bitter as that which moved the Jesuits against
Galileo, arrested Mr.. Hendrickson for juggling
under the act fer suppressing vice and lmmoral
ity, charging him with moving his machine by
concealed spring. He was accordingly tried
for this offence before Justice Bodle, OF Keypsrt.
Mechanics, engineers, shipwrghts. and all the
experts Of Jersey, gave testimony as to the I'M
possibility of such an invention as he claimed,
and their belief that hidden spring, or some
piece of ingenious rOguery, was contained IN the
cylinder. At last the axe was applied, and and
tbe machine split in pieces, when 10 there was
no concealed spring-nO rognery-and the ma
chine, despite the philosophers had ''gone of it.
self" The men Of science gulped down their
disappointment and disappeared from the court
re0m, aud poor Hendrickson and the fragments
Of his machine were kindly discharged with the
verdict mo cause of action" The scene when
he returned to his home that night with the
broken relies of his discovery in his hands, and
gazing upon them in sad disappointment, must
have been worthy of the canvas OF master
painter.
Since the trial, We had lost sight of him; but
two or three days ago he came into the office
with the same patient, thoughtful face, and hold
ing in his hand the old invention In new dress
He has made it this time of brass ribs, so that
there is nothing concealed and no place for con-
cealment; and, in spite of the Jersey perseou-
tors, it wiH goi He has attached to it simple
clock, and this machine furnishes the motive
power. How far this power can be extended 1t is
not for us to say; but we once more assert tha:
the machine "will 60 Of ITSELF"