Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1859-11-18
PERPETUAL MOTION.
rom the N. Y. Journal of Commerce. ]

y
first description of a machine invented
by Mr.. Jas. G. Hendrickson, Freehold,
New Jersey, "to go ofitself" A model
which Mr.. Hendriekson had made after
patient whiting for forty years. was
brought into cur office and We found that
it would go without any impulse from
without, and would not stop unless it
was blocked. The power was self con-
tanned and self-ad; usted, and gave suf-
ticlent force to carry ordinary clock work
without any winding up or replenishing
In short, we saw no reason why it would
not go until it was worn out. Our an
nounccment of the fact brought out a
great deal of ridicule the incredulous
pointed at all of the projects to obtain a
perpetual motive power which had failed
in the past, and predicted the same dis
grace for the new invention. Many
scientific gentlemen visited it and al
though they could not dispute the fact
that it was going" they nearly all at
tributed the movement to some hidden
spring or ingenious trickery. The in
ventor was an old man who had spent
his whole life in pursuit of the object he
had now obtained. He had become so
much used to ridicule, that he was very
patient under it and the only reply he
made to the cavilers, who pronounced
the thing impossible, was" but 1t does
go 4" The notice which we printed at
tracted the attention Of the curious, and
for the first time in his history, the in
ventor found profit in his handiwork.
lie was invited to be present at the va
rious fairs and exhibitions of new inven-
tions. and wherever he went, his machine
formed one of the chief attractions.
Science, however, turned up its nose at
him, and determined to put him down.
The professors were all ag0inst him, and
as they had pronounced the whole thing
humbug, they were determined to
prove the truth of their assertion. Ac-
cordingly, Mr.. Hendrickson was seized
, at Keyport New Jersey, for practicing
jugglery,' under the q Act for sup
, pressing vice and immortality" At the
trial several builders, mill-wrights, en-
gineers, and philosophers, were called
who testified positively that no such mo-
, tive power as that alleged, could drive
the machine, and that there must be
some concealed spring within the wooden
! cylinder There was no help for it; and
the imposture must be exploded. An
axe was baought and the cylinder splin-
tered into fragments. Alas! for the
philosophers, there was no concealed
spring, and the machine had gone Of IT.
sell But alas also for poor Hendrick-
son, the machine would 20 no more
a With trembling hands he again resumed
his spcctacles and his jackknife His
/ model Once more completed, he had a
new machine constructed of brass, hollow
throughout, so that the eye could exam
inc all its parts. This was brought to
. our Office nearly two years ago, when we
noticed it once more, and gave to our
, readers some of the facts we have now
f recalled. The inventor was trying to
secure a patent for this discovery, but
! the work went on slowly The Patent
S Office required working model to test
the principle and one was sent TO Wash
9 lngton. The moment the blocks were
q taken out, the wheels started off ''like a
| thing Of life" and during ten months
that the model remained in the Patent
{ Office, 1t never once stopped to breathe
! Tho inventor had perfected Two new ma
chimes, and made a very comfortable
, livelihood exhibiting them, prosecuting
3 his efforts meanwhile 10 secure his paten'
! intending to apply the power to clock
work, for which it is peculiarly well
S adapted. Age crept upon him, how
, ever, before his point was reached !;
his highest art could not make his heart
/ beatings perpetual; and last Saturday
q afternoon he breathed his last, in the old
homestead at Freehold. lie had been
50 much prosecuted by the incredulous,
! that he had provided a secret place be-
I meath the floor Of his shop, where his
last two machines were deposited. 1t
was in the form Of vault, covered by
I trap-door which was locked, and the floor
, so replaced as to avoid suspicion. After
his last illness commenced, he made
known this secret to his family, who ex-
amined the spot carefully, and found the
contents exactly as described The
night after his death, the shop was
broken open, the floor taken up, the
trap-deor pried off, and both models
stolen. 1t is probable that the family
10 their visits had not taken the same
precaution as the inventor, and some
prying eyes had discovered the secret
Fortunately the drawings are preserved,
and there is little machine, one Of the
earliest made, owrunning in Brooklyn,
where it has kept up its ceaselcss ticking
for nearly six years. Mr.. Hendrickson
leaves family oflour sons and four daugb-
tiers, oil Of them. We believe, given to
inventions. Had he died ten years ago,
how em2hatically would it have been
said that bis life had been wasted in "the
hopeless effort to obtain perpetual mo
ton"
A YoUyG OPERATOR. daughter
Of the proprietoro Of coal mine in Penn
sylyania was iDquisitve MS to the nature
Of hell Upon which her father repre-
senteG it to be large gulf Of fire Of
most prodigious extent. "Pa," said she,
couldn't you get the devil to buy his
coal Of your" !
re-" A good Geographic operator,
working ten hours per day, bringsa re-
! oo;ri al ,I,,,,t (fTS A.. tto tro,a,,r,, - fto |