St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-12-15
PERPETUAL MOTION.

ABOUT SIX years ago, we published
the first description of machine in
vented by Mr.. James G. Hendrickson,
Freehold, New Jersey, to go of
ITSELF A model, which Mr.. Hendrck-
son had made after patient whiting
for forty years, was brought into our
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-contain-
ed and sclt-adjustcd, and gave a sufli-
cicnt force to carry ordinary clock
work without any winding up or re-
plcnishing. In short, we saw no rca-
son why it would not go until it was
worn out. Our announcement of the
fact brought ont great deal of ridi-
culc the incrcdulous pointed at all
of the projects to obtain a perpetual
motive power which had failed in the
past, and predicted the same disgrace
to the new invention. Many scientif.
ic gentlemen visited it, and although
they could not dispute the fact that
it was " going they nearly all attri-
buted 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 attained He had
become so much accustomed to ridi-
cule, that he was very patient under
1T; and the only reply he made to the
cavaliers who pronounced the thing
impossible was" bA II does go :"
! The notice which we printed attracted
the attention OF the curious, and for
the first time in his history, the inven
tor found profit in his handiwork
He was invited to he present at vari,
Gus fairs and exhibitions of new invcn.
ton, and wherever he went his ma
chine formed one Of the chief attrac-
tons. Science, however, turned up
its nose at him, and determined to
put him down. The professors were
all against him and as they had PRO-
nounced the whole :aing humbug,
they were determined to prove the
truth of their assertion. Accordingly,
Mr. Hcndrickson was seized at Key
port, New Jersey, for practising
"jugGlcry,' under the Act of sup
pressing vice and immortality" At
the trial, several builders, mllwrights,
engineers, and philosophers were call
ed, and testified positively that no
such motive 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 i'm
posture must be exploded. An axe
was brought, and the cylinder splin-
tered into fragments. Alas for the
philosophers, there was no concealed
spring, and the machine had gone Of
Hseif! But alas, also, for poor Hen
Erickson, the machine would go no
more.
With trembling hands he again re-
sumed his spectaclcs and his jack
knife. His model once more COM
pleted, he had new machine CON
structed of brass, hollow throughout,
so that the eye could examine all its
parts. This was brought to our office
nearly two years ago, when we no.
ticed it once more, and gave to our
readers some of the facts we have
new recalled The inventor was try
ing to secure patent for this discov-
cry, but the work went on slowly
The Patent Office required working
model to test the principle, and one
was sent on to Washington. The mo-
mcnt the blocks were taken out, the
wheels started off like a thing of
life,' and during ten months that the
model remained in the PATENT Office,
it never once stopped to breathe. The
inventor had perfected two new ma
chimes, and made a very comfortable
livelihood exhibiting them, prosecut-
ing his efforts meanwhile to secure his
patent intending to apply the power
to clock-work for which it is peculiar
ly we'll adapted, Age crcpt upon
him, however, before this point was
reached his highest art could not
make his heartbcatings perpetual (;
and last Saturday afternoon ne breath
ed his last, in the old homestead at
Freehold. He had been so much per-
secuted by the incrcdulous that he
had provided secret place beneath
the floor of his shop, where he depos-
tied the last two machines. 1t was
in the form of vault, covered by IA
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 examined the spot carefully, and
found the contents exactly as describ-
ed. The night after his death, the
shop was broken open, the floor taken
up, the trap-door pried of, and both
models stolen. 1t is probable that
the family in their visits had not TAX
en- the same precaution as the invent
or, and some pry;ng eyes had discov-