The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-11-06
CO, .


bat there was an expression of frmnesi
about his mouth that showed a strong
| viii and habit OF having his own way
When he spoke, 1t was with the air of :
man who knew the ground upon which
he stood, and his manners were those. o.
one who felt that he was the inferior o.
notman. M ea.-s--.
The janitor having been dismissed anC
7 the door locked, AfE. Blonger proceeded
to explain to those present why he. had
I called them t0gether. His young
| American friend, he sad, had con.
| vinced him that he was in the posses,
sion of prodigioUs secret, of the mag
nitude of which they could Judge when
it was presented to them. a.9f -
The whole affair at this point came
near being broken off In. disgust, by an
unexpected requirement, which the un-
| known stranger exacted. He declined
to proceed unless all present entered in
/ to an agreement not to communicate
what they might witness to any living
person for period of ten years, with
out gaining his consent. The Right
| Honorable G. was on his nettle at
once. =, He washed his hands. of the
whole matter, and desired to retire inn
mediately. The others were equally
indignant, and expressions not consid-
cred elegant in high society were heard.
1t required all Mr.. Blonger's sagaeity
to quell the storm. But the young man
was immovab1e, and at last, at the ear
nest solicitation of Mr.. Blonger, the
guarantee was. given. The stranger
then took the stage, and the auditors
the seats Immediately IN front of it.
Sc Gentlemen, !" he began, 90 from what
/ have noticed of your increduIity this
evening" 1 am satisfied that if i should
inform you that the attraction of graYi-
tation could be so suspended that OBJ
iect5 upon the earth's surface would
have absolutely no weight, and, further,
that i was in possession of the simple
means whereby this end could be ac-
complishei, You w0uld only greet my
assertions with jeers and ridicule. I
shall therefore show you what can do
first, and talk afterwards. You see in
my hand this coil of wire, blue like
tempered steel. This cannon weighs
nearly three tons. I wrap the wire
around it. IL you listen carefully you
viii hear burning sound, similar to
that made by an electrical machine.
But that has nothing to do with the
matter. The ends of the wire are joined.
This cannon now weighs no more than a
soap-bubbfe. You see move it about
through the air with my hand, with two
fingers, with one. Here is a strong
oaken chair. I place the cannon upon
it, and when Withdraw the wire mark
the result. The chair goes crashing TO
pieces on the floor, under the weight of
three tons of iron. .
This conclusive proof of the grandest
discovery ever vet made by man brought
every person present to his feet. The
young exhibitor alone remained IN
moved. How is it done ?" cried they
all. How did you make this wonder
full discovery" They now looked upon
him with the awe one feels in the pres
ence of a superior being,
BE raised his hand and requested 81
Ieuce. "The action of this simple
wire, " he said, ''is not confined to me-
tallic substances. It's effects on all OBJ
jects are tht same. put it round this
wooden bench, as you see, and the
bench weighs nothing; around this chair,
and the result is the same Here is
this large iron shaft and these wheels.
You perceive that it affects all alike.
Perhaps You think il has no power over
living substances. You are mistaken.
[ will agree to put this. little piece of
wire round my waist, and step from the
dome of st. PauPs. / viii show you. !"
a ladder extended from the floor to
the lofty ceiling Of the hall. The stran-
ger climbed to its very summit, adjusted
his belt, and sprung boldly off. He
slowly uncIasped the ends of the wire,
so that they scarcely came into contact,
and descended gradually and safely to
the ground, to the infinite relief of the
spectators, who gazed horror-struck at
the scene.
81 Thus you see, gentlemen, " said he,
again ascending the stage, what pow
ers lie hidden in nature, until they are
accidentally stumbled upon. You all
think that there is some power contained
in this wire. / must tell you that the
wire has but little to do with it. And
yet I wilt 8gree to go down to any of
your sea-ports, and pat this wire, or one
like it, round any of your old seventy
four gun ships we read of, and lift it
into dry-dock, with line no stronger
than pack-thread, if the wind is not
blowing at the time. This wire, at
which yoil all gaze so euriously, has no
power in itself. Il is only the means Of
communicating a power still, no man
shall examine it, except under certain
conditions and this brings me to the
point I intended to make by calling gen
tleman of yeur high standing and intel
ligence here tonight. wish to sell my
knowledge to the English government.
Z" And why to the government ?" cried
the Rt. Hon. B. r and the Hon. Mr..
s., In q breath.
Because. no private individual is
rich enough to buy it. I once thought
to dispose of it to my own government.
that of the United States, but ]
shall not enter into the reasons why I
abandoned that idea, and came here.
Besides, 1T becomes public property af-
ter ten years. I would not agree to sell
the right under any conditions for a
longer time. The benefits of the dis
| covery are universal, and In justice be.
long to mankind, and mankind shall
have them"
Said a member of the cabinet
&C Your idea of selling such discovery
| to the government of Great Britain
! seems chimerical aud, j may add, ii
savors of selfshness to keep your
| knowledge from the world. Bat may
| be permitted to ask how much you de-
mand for your knoWledge?"
| Here the young man rose TO his feet
| in an excited manner You talk OF
| selfshness, said he; ss know what il
is to labor and to suffer, to be lost amid
/ mountains, and tOrmented with thirst
| upon deserts. I have labored hundreds
| of feet under ground with pick and
| shovel for my daily bread. got tired
/ of it; sBore off. / hold in my posses
/ sion vhat viii make me independent fol
/ life, besides confeEring ineshmable ben
/ efits upon my fe1low-men,- and IN
/ tend TO useit so far. Selishness, indeed
] What did Morse or Fulton make from
/ their inventions, except what was -giveI
them as. a charity, after they let theil
/ knowledge 20 out OF their heads? Nc
]