Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-11-08

From the New York Journal Of Commerc

About six years ago, we published the first de-
scriptiOn of a machine invented by Mr.. James G..
Hendrckson, Freehold, New Jersey, 4" to go of
itselfn A model, which Mr.. HendricksOn had made
after patient whiting for forty years, brought
into our office, and found that it would go with
ont any impulse from without, and would not stop
unless il was blocked. The power was self-con-
tanned and sefadjusted, and gave sufficient force
to carry ordinary clock-woFk without any winding
ND or replenishing In short, we saw reason
why it would not go until it was worn out Our an
nouncement of the fact brought out great deal of
ridcule; the increduOus pointed at all of the
projects to obtain perpetual motive power which
had failed in the past, and predicted the same dis
grace for the new invention Many scientific gentle
men visited it. and although they could not dispute
the fact that it was going" they nearly all attribu
ted the movement to some hidden spring, or ingeni-
GUS trickery. The inventor old man, who
had spent his whole life in pursuit of the object he
had now attained. He had become so much accus-
toned to ridcule, that he very patient under it
and the only reply he made to the cavlers who pro
nOunced the thing impossible was-"bad 1t does gO!"
The notice which he printed attracted the attention
of the curious and for the first time in his history
the inventor found profit in his handiwOPk. He
was invited to be present at various fairs and
exhibitions of new inventions, and wherever he
went his machine formed one Of the chief attrac-
tons. Science however turned up its nose at him,
and determined TO put him Gown The professors
were all against him. and as they had pronounced
the whole thing q 0umDuS. lney WERE determined
to prove the truth of their assertion. Accordingly,
Mr. Hendrickson was seized at keypOrt New Jer-
sey for practcing '.jugglery," under the "Act for
suppressing vice and immortality" At the trial. Sc
veral builders ml-wPights, engineers, and philOsO-
piers were called who testified positively that no
such motive power that alleged, could drive the
machine, and that there must be some concealed
spring within the wooden cylinder. There was no
help for it 4; and the imposture must be exploded.
An axe brought, and the cylinder splintered in
to fragments. Alas for the philosophers, there
no concealed spring, and the machine had gone Of
itself But alasl also, for poor Hendrickson, the
machine would go more. With trembling hands
he again resumed his speetacles and his acknife His
model once more completed, he had a new machine
constructed of brass hollow throughout, so that the
eve could examine all its parts. This was brought
our office nearly two years ago. when We noticed il
once more, and gave readers some Of the facts
we have now recalled. The inventor was try
ing to secure a patent for this discovery, but
the work went on slowly. The Patent Office re-
qured working model TO test the principle, and
one was sent on to Washington. The moment
the blocks were taken out, the wheels started off,
"Ike thing of life, p and during ten months that
the model remained in the Patent Office itneVer once
stopped to breathe. The inventor had perfected two