The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-11-12

! ~ ulIOU46QLs which Fha
AhoWn stranger exacted. He declined
70 proceed unless all present entered in.
10 an agreement not to conomnn;coto
"hst they might witness to anv Iivin0
person Tor period of ten wears WITH
out gaining his consent. The Rioht
honorable G. was on his nettIe az
! once. He washed his hands of the
Who!e matter, and desired to retire i'm
nedlately. The others were eouaIIv
uuignant, and expressions not consid-
ereo elegant in high society were heard
it required all Mr.. BIonger's saoacitv
TO quell the storm. But the vounG man
was lmmovable, and at last, at the ear
nest solicitation of Mr.. Blonper tbe
guarantee was given. The stranger
then took the stage, and the auditors
the seats Immediately in front of II.
Gentlemen" he began, '' from what
nave noticed of your incredulitv this
evening, am satisfied that if / Should
inform you that the attraction of oravi-
tatlon could be so suspended that oh
lect' upon the earth's surface would
nave absolutely no weight, and, further.
that was IN possession of the simple
means whereby this end could be ae-
complished, you would only greet nv
assertions with jeers and ridicule 7
shall therefore show you what I can do
hrst, 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 1t. If you listen carefully YOU
VIII hear a 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 ioined.
This cannon now weighs no more than a
soap-bubble. You see move it about
through the air with my band, with two
fingers, with one. Here is a strong
oaken chair. place the cannon upon
1T, and when I 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 yet made by man brought
every person present to his feet. The
| young exhibitor alone remained un-
| moved. {" How is it done ?" cried they
all. 60 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.
He raised his hand and requested 81
lence. "The action of this simple
wire, he said, sis not confined TO me-
tallic substances. Its effects on all OBJ
iects are the same. I 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 it has no power over
living substances. You are mistaken.
I will agree to put this little piece of
wire round my waist, and step from the
dome of st. Pauls. 1 will show you. 1"
A ladder extended from the floor to
the lofty ceiling of the hall. The stran-
ger climbed to it's very summit, adjusted
his belt, and sprung boldly of. He
slowly unclasped 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.
"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. I must tell you that the
wire has but little to do with it. And
yet will agree 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 you all gaze so ouriously, has no
power in itself. Tt 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 intended to make by calling gen
tleman of your high standing and intel
! ligence here tonight. / wish to sell my
knowledge to the English government. "
"And why to the government ?" cried
the Rt. Hon. B. i and the Hon. MIR.
s., in breath.
d" Because no private individual is
rich enough to buy it. 1 once thought
to dispose of it to my own government,
that of the United States,-but l
shall not enter into the reasons why
| abandoned that idea, and came here.
Besides, it 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 member of the cabinet
&c Your idea of selling such discovery
| to the government of Great Britain
seems chimerical and, 1 may add, it
savors of selfshness to keep your
| knowledge from the world. But may l
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; "I know what it
| is to labor and to suffer, TO be lost amid
mountains, and tormented with thirst
| upon deserts. I have iabored hundreds
of feet under ground with pick and
! shovel for nv daily bread. / got tired
/ of it: swore off. hold in my posses
| sion what will make me Independent for
| life. besides eonferring ihestimable ben
| efits upon my fellow-men, and in
! tend to useit so far. Selfishness, indeed
| What did Morse or Fulton make from
| their inventions, except what was given
! them as a charity, after they let their
| knowledge go out of their heads? No
! charity for me. I hold my discovery
alone, and will part with it only on my
own terms. You ask me what demand
for it. want S5, 900, OOO."
" Five millions is rather large sum,
Prof. T ventured to remark.
CA large sum Have you taken into
consideration what this discovery is
| destined TO COluplAahS0 NAy1 -
vou it will revolutionize the world.
| Take the dock-yards of Great Britain
alone. What, think you, will be the
saving in a year, when every object,
| from, the greatest to the smallest, can be
moved to any distance. without expense
How long will it take to build your
| largest edifces, when your blocks OF
marble weigh nothing? Oh, gentlemen,
when Won have considered this subject
as / have done, you will stand overpoIw*,
sred with the magnitude of the results
tbat are to follow. Think of its effects
unou means of transportation. When
there is no weight to carry, may not
| even the air be navigated ?"
IDo Won object to informing us how
you happened to discover this mighty
and mysterious secret of DatureY'
" Mysterious Why, it is so simple
/ that any child can understand 1t.
stumbled upon it. Since I have discoV
cred it. 1 wonder that it is not found
! ont a thousand times every day. But
gentlemen, are you aware that do1o
Gbetber I am really pioneer IN tnl'