Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-11-19

bench weighs nothlng; around this
chair, and the result is the same. Here
is this large iron shaft and these wheels.
You perceive that it effects all alike
Perhaps you think it has no power over
living substances. You are mistaken
l will agree to put this little piece of
wire round my waist, and step from
the dome of St, Pauls. 3 will show
you"
A ladder extended from the floor TO
the lofty ceiling of the hall. The stran
ger climbed to its very summit, adjust
ed his belt, and sprung boldly off. He
slowly unclasped the ends Of TIE wire,
80 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, gentleman, "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 contain
ed in this wire must tell you that
the wire has but little to do with it.
And,yet | viii agree to go down to
any of your sea ports. and put this wire
or one like it, round any of your old
seventy four-gun ships we read of, and
lit 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 curously, has
no power in itself 1t is only the means
of communicating power; still, no
man shall examine it, except under
certain conditions and this brings me
to the point intended to make by
calling gentlemen Of your high stand
ing and intelligence here tonight |
wish to sell my knowledge to the En-
glish govern
''And why to the government" cried
the Rt. Hon. B. land the Hon.
Mr.. s.. in breath
"Because no private individual is
rich enough to buy it. | once thought
to dispose of it to my own government,
that of the United States,-but |
shall not enter into the reasons why |
abandoned that idea, and came here.
Besides, it becomes public property af
ter ten years. would not agree to
sell the right under any conditions tor
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: 'Y our
idea of selling such discovery to the
government of Great Britain seems
chimercial ; and, I may add, it sayors
OF seltishness to keep your knowledge
from the world. But may | be permit
ted to ask how much you demand for
your knowledge?"
Here the young man rose to his feet
in an excited manner. "You talk Ct
seltishness," said he Il know what it
is To labor and to suffer, to be lost amid
mountains, and tormented with thirst
upon deserts have labored hundreds
of feet under ground with pick and
shovel for my daily bread. | got tired
of 1t; J swore off. hold in my poss
ession what wi make me Independent
fop life, besides comforting inestimable
benefits upon my felIow>men, and
intend to use it So far Selhshness, in
deed What did Morse OF Fulton make
from their inventions, except what was
given them as charity, after they let
their knowledge 90 out of their heads?
No charity for me. hold my disco
very alone, and l will part with it only
on my own terms. You ask me what
| demand for it. | want $4,000, 900"
give millions is rather large sum, ;
Prot. T - ven,ured to remark.
ga large sum! Have you taken into
consideration what this discovery is
destined to accomplished? Why, tell
you, 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 smallest, can be
moved TO any distance, without expe nse
How long will it take to build your
largest edifices, when your blocks of
marble weigh nothing !? Oh, gen tlemen,
when you have considered this subject
as | have done, you will stand over
powered with the magnitude of the
results that are to follow. Think Of its
effects upon means Of transportation
When there is no weight to carry, may
not even the air be navigated :"
'Do you object to informing US how
you happened to discover this mighty
and mysterious secret of nature .
"Mysterious! Why, it is so simple
that any child can understand it.
stumbled upon it. Since have dis
covered it, wonder that it is not found
out thousand times every day. But,
gentlemen, are you aware that doubt
whether am really pioneer in this
field? There are books, writ en- thou
sands Of years ago, which ! read when