The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-11-10
NO.45
PERPETUAL Motion.


first description Of machine invented by
Mr., James G Hendrickson, of Freehold,
New Jersey. "to 20 of itself" 4 model,
which Mr.. Hendricksou had made aitor
whiting patiently for forty years, was
brought into our Office, and we found that
it would go without any impulse from
without, and would net stop unless it was
blocked. The power was self-eontained
and self-ad justed. and gave sufficient
force to carry ordinary clock work with
out any winding up or replenisbing. In
short, we saw no reason "hy 1t would not
20 until it was worn out. Our announce
ment Of the fact brous ht out great deal
of ridicule; the increduous pointed at all
Of the projects to obtain perpetual mo-
tive power which had failed IN the past,
and predicted the same disgrace to the
new invention. Many scientific gentle
men visited it. and although they could
not dispute the fact that it was going"
they nearly all attributed the movement
to some hidden spring or ingeEiOus trek
cry The inventor was an old nan, who
had spent his whole life iD pursuit Of the
object he had now attained. l!e had be-
come SO much accustomed to ridicule,
that be was very patient under 1t; and
the only reply tie made to the cavilers
who pronounced the thing impossible, was
--"bat 1t does go = The notice which We
printed attracted the attention Of the Gu
rious. aud for the first time in bis history
the inventor found profit in his handi-
word He was invited to be present as
various fairs and exhibitions of new inven-
tions, and wherever he went his machines
formed one the chief attractions. Ssieneo
however, turned up its nose at him, and
determined to put hin down. The pro-
fessors were all against him, and as they
had pronounced the whole thing a Lum-
bug. they determined to prove the truth
Of their assertion. Accordingly, Mr..
HendricksoB was seized at KeyPort. n.
j.. for practiciug '.jugglery,' under the
"Act for suppressiDg vice aud iDmoral-
ty" At the trial, several builders, mill
wrigbts. engineers. aud philosophers we're
called, and testified positively that no such
motive power as that alleged could drive
the machine, and tha. there must be some
concealed spring within the wooden cyl
inder. There was 10 help for it; aBd the
iupo,ture must be exploded. An axe
was brought, aud cylinder splintered into
fragments. Alas for the philosophers,
there was no concealed spring, and the
machine had gone Of itSeJfi But alas, al
so. for poor Hendrcksoa, the machine
would 60 no more. With trembling bands
be again resumed bis spectacies and his
jack knife. His model oHCe more COM
pleted, be had a new machine constructed
Of brass, hollow throughout, SO that the
eye could examine all its parts. This
was brought to our Office Dearly two years
ago, when we noticed it once more, snd
gave TO our readers some Of tie facts We
bave now recalled. The inventor vas
trying to secure patent for this di-eoV-
cry but the work went on slowly. The
Patent Office required a working Godel
to test the principle, and one was sent ou
to Washington. The moment the blocks
we're taken out, the wheels started of
"like thing of life,' nne during ten
N months that the model remained IN the
Patent Ofice. it never once stopped to
breathe. The inventor bad perfected two
new machines, aud made q very eomfor-
table livelihood exhibiting them, proseeu-
ting bis efforts DeanShile to secure bis
patent, intending to apply the power to
clock work, for which it is peculiarly we'll
adapted. Age crept upon him, however,
before this point was reached; bis high
est art could not M axe his heart beat per-
petusl; and last Saturday afternoon be
breathed his last, In the old homestead
at Freehold. He had been so much per-
secuted By the inoredulous, that be had
provided a secret place beneath the floor
of his shop, where his two machines were
deposited 1t was 10 the form OF vault,
covered by trsP-door, which was locked,
and the floor so replaced a. to avoid sus-
picion. After bis last illness commenced
be I'd ade known this secret TO his family,
who examined to spot carefully. and found
the contents exactly as described. The
night after bis death, the shop was bro
ken open, the trap door pried of. and
both models stolen. 1t is prooatle thai
the family in their visits had not taken
the same precaution as the Inventor, aud
some prying eyes had discovered the Sc
cret Fortunately, the drawings are pre-
served, and there is a little machine, one
of the earliest made, now running in
Brooklyn, where it has kept its eeaseless
ticking for nearly six years. Mr. Hen
driekson leaves family of four soDs and
four daugters. all of them, We believe,
given 10 Inventions. Had he died ten
years ago, how enf fhatically would it have
have been said that bis life has been ws-.
ted in the hopeles effort to obtain yerpe;
ual motion.-N Y. Journal Of Commerce,