The Portland daily press., 1876-05-15

Since quite child Harry Gradient had been
noted for his ingenuity in devising various
mechanical oddities. When not engaged in
graver pursuits he was sure to be ankle deep
i'll some hydraulic scheme, or head over ears
in some other of the mechanical sciences.
His knack of invention was truely wonderful,
though as yet-at the time write Harry was
tWenly-five-my friend had had few oppor-
tunities of turning it to practical purpose.
He and / were both engaged in some epgi-
neering works on the Continent, undertaken
by an English firm. After he had been there
some months, Harry received the welcome
news that relative had died, leaving him a
nice little property and a comfortable house
some miles out OF London. a
Prior to leaving me to return TO England
for there was much to be done in the way of
setting the property and house in order-my
friend said, with his usual enthusiasm !:
MARK, my boy, (my name is Mark Mild
may), l shall expect you TO come and see me
when you come back. 1 suppose you are
booked here for another eighteen months or
so, and that will just give me time to set my
house in order. Sucn a house, my boyl
You've never seen such a one as it shall be.
1 mean to give up engineering for the public
and to exercise my talents in that way for nay
own benefit and comfort; my house shall be
full of Ingenious and curious contrivances,
such as have never been seen BEFORE"
Time passed on, and the business l had
been eng ged in was completed, and l re-
turned home. had written TO Harry occa-
-sionaly; and as soon as he heard | had ar
rived in England, he sent nae a pressing invi-
ton TO come and visit him.
gladly accepted the invitation, for wan
ted 10 see my old friend again, and wrote to
him saying l would run down the next day,
and arrive at a station some two miles from
his house, about o'clock in the evening. l
therefore packed a small portmanteau; and
at the appointed time got out at the little
roadside station. Harry was there waiting
for me with his dogcart; and soon we were
bowling along pleasant country road.
''Look," he cried, THAT is my house you
see there among the trees; and this we are
passing, and that one beyond, and the other,
whose chimney you can just see-are all &C.
cupied by friends OF mine-as well as some
others you cannot see from here-and to each
OF them / have laid telegraphic wire, So,
whenI have nothing particularly to do Of an
evening, telegraph: Twill you come and
have game Of whist or, Il saw Brown in
town to day; he's coming to shoot with you
tomorrow
We now arrive at the entrance gate; Har-
ry pulled up. "Il get down and open it,'
said l.
''Slt still he cried. 1.-The gate opens of
its own accord"
fsHall! That's sopen sesame with VEN
geance," exclaimed. How is it doneF'
Why, don't you see; have placed across
the drive plate of iron like a shallow gut
ter; when l stop, the wheels pressing on this
cause it to sink slightly; this, acting on lev
ers and cranks underground, opens the gate
and catch holds it so, until we pass over a
similar one at the other side, which releases
it, and the gate falls to-"
swell, that's very convenient"
''Te be sure it is; saves me lodge and
gate keeper" 81,
We now now drove mp to the house, where
the groom was waiting to take the horse, and
the house maid was opening the door.
'.Do you see Mark? They had notice of
our coming. When we stopped at the gate
the weight of the dog cart pressed two electic
wires into contact, which, passing under
ground rang one bell in the stable yard and
another in the kitchen, so that when we ar
rive the servants are ready to attend upon
u.s." 8 bs.
We now entered the house. Miss Ora
dent met US in the hall, and | was introdu-
ced TO her by her brother. l should never
have supposed her to be Harry's sister, for
she was tall and gaunt; and whether it was
the blue spectacles or not cannot say, but
she struck me as being frgid and severe; not
at all the sort of person you would willingly
care TO offend. she, however, babe me well
come, asking me if had had pleasant jour-
ney, etc. $50
As was taking off my overcoat in the
hall / exclaimed: "Wby, Harry, what on
earth is that extraordinary looking machine
in the eorner|' 1t looked something like a
shower bath without the curtains; attached
TO the upright supports were a number oil
crooked iron arms, and ON the end Of each a
brush. 4f'E
ooh, that is my automaton brushing ma
chine. / will explain it 10 you. You see,
at the bottom there is d small platform about
a foot high; when you step on this it gradual
ly descends; and rs it does so Gets in motion
a train of wheels and lever-you are, in fact
the weight, the motive power which puts all
in motion. All these aims with the brushes
begin to revolve, and brush you all over at
once. But the most curious and complicated
is the hat brush at the top; you see it is
something like hat box divided vertically in
two parts; You perceive they are now some
distance apart, so that you can pass between
them; they are lined with bristles and are
fixed on two lever like jaws. When the ma
chine is set in motion these jaws come TO-
gether, and clasping your hat between them
they revolve rapidly, and in few seconds
your hat is brushed at the same time as your
coat, trousers and boots. When the platform
reaches the ground the hat brushes again sep
arate and you step out; then the platform
springs up and is ready for another dusty
customer"
C"Well it is a very curious continuance.
should like to see it in action" said l.
"That you shall soon do" and he stepped
on the little platform. All at once the clothes
and shoe brushes began TO work vigorously
but the hat machine did not come into ac-
ton until the others had about half done
their work; it then closed upon his hat, and
and spun round some fifteen or twenty times
and then flew apart; leaving him free to wall
out:' G4
"Therep' said Harry. "What do you think
of that Jump up and try it, ~
$40, thank you; not just now; some othel
time, perhaps" for 1 felt too nervous jus
then to trust myself to such an ordeal.
ssExcuse me, then, for one moment, while
1 Just speak to my sister, and then 1 will g
up stairs with you"
He had DO sooner left me, than, as I STOOD
looking at the curious machine, L made vi
my mind to Try it, Nobody was there t
laugh at me if 1 jumped out suddenly, so
boldly stepped in. The brushes seemed Il
do their work very well, but found mus
keep in my arms, having got knock on thu
funny bone of my elbow from striking it on
too far. But the hat-brush-oh! horror!
had forgotten had no hat on. and that wa
head taller than my friend the consequence
was, the Internal machine suddenly descend
ed, and Selling me by the head whirled
round at a irightful pace, till l thought NJ
skin would have been left on my nose.
tried to stoop and escape it, but | got sucl
blows behind from the revolving clothes
brushes that l was glad 10 stand uprieh
again. Fortunately it was soon over, ant
then the hateful thing stopped. l opene,
my eyes and saw Harry standing looking a
me convulsed with laughter. | felt very an
CRY at the moment, as rushed out with on