The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-09-21

workshop. His latest malady, however,
had the effect of rendering him rather
more careful of his health, while still as
enthusiastic in his pursuit of perpetual
motion as before. Nobody could con-
vince him of its impossibility, or reason
him out of the belief that he was destined
to be its discoverer and the everlasting
benefactor of his kind.
Meanwhile he was busy making the
calculations on which was to be based
continuance combining all the excellencies
and avoiding all the defects of his former
machines-a continuance which, unless
iron and steel should change their nature,
and even the attraction of gravity belle it.
self, would demonstrate the perpetual mo-
ton an accomplished fact at last. One
year after another went by, and still cal
culations were being made, plans drawn,
and models constructed, and still
Mr.. Van Pelt retained his enthu-
siasm, which now, after twenty years of
constant hcadwork, amounted to a mania.
The old man, in fact, was on the verge of
lunacy, into which any shock might hope
lcssly precipitate him. As for the won
derful machine he was engaged on, the
New York machinist, who had ere this
been admitted into all the secrets of the
workshop, told Mr.. Van Pelt's family
that it was indeed perfect miracle Of
misdirected ingenuity; and as it drew
toward completion its constructor grew
crazy with excitement, while, to add to
the anxiety of his family, his physician
told them that one more disappointment
such as he had already borne would most
probably prove his death blow. In vain
they tried to divert their father from his
work, or to delay the completion of the
unlucky machine; such attempts only en-
ragged the old man. At length, after much
deliberation, and after having taken both
the mac hinist and the physician into their
confidence, they reluctantly resolved, as
the only means of prolonging their
fathers life to its natural end, to cndow
his machine with apparent perpetual mo-
ton at all hazards. This proved not to be
such very difficult matter, especially as
Mr. Van Pelt had charged his friend the
machirist with the construction of some
means of support for the axle of the large
wheel in his new machine. The machin-
list resolved that the needed support
should be furnished by square,
be hollow, so as to allow room for a
belt to pass round the axle and through
the floor of the workshop into the cellar
beneath, there to connect with an ordina
ry water wheel, which was to supply the
perpetual motion to Mr. Van Pelt's ma
chine To carry out this daring dccep-
ton without exciting Mr.. Van Pelt's sus-
picions, might seem difficult task; but
the old man was so absorbed in his own
part of the work that it was easily man
aged after all. The axle of the large
wheel was settled in its place, the belt
passed round it connected with the water
wheel below, and nothing remained but to
give the wonderful machine its initial
motion in order to kecpi it going SO long as
the Brooklyn water supply lasted.
At last, after years of toll upon it, the
day arrived when the machine was ready
to be set in motion. For two days and
two nj ghts before its inventor had worked
constantly, without sleep, and almost with
out food, fitting its numerous parts to-
gcther. The machinist, the physician and
nearly every member of Mr.. Van Pelt's
family were in the house awaiting the is
sue, for he had insisted that nobody should
be present at the starting except himself.
He locked himself in his workshop, there
fore, while his sons and daughters re-
manned anxiously in the house. For
hours they waited, and it was long past
noon when they learned that at last the
perpetual motion machine was going in
its eternal round.
The first to inform them of the impor-
tant fact was the machinist, who had
taken up his post in the cellar, and who
knew by the strain and retardatiOn of the
concealed belt the very moment when Mr..
Van Pelt set his machine in motion.
Then all sat waiting an invitation into the
workshop--waiting and thinking on the
ecstacy of the old man, alone with the
continuance in which he had miraculously
implanted the power of perpetual motion,
independent of all external force. They
tried to fancy his delirium of delight; his
eyes opening in awe and wonder, his heart
full to bursting with unspeakable pride
and thankfulness; his copious tears of
downright joy. They tried to picture all
this with many prickings of conscience,
wept in silence.
But hour after hour stole by, and still
no invitation came. With the shades of
and their ears were frequently laid to the
key-hole of the workshop door. But
nothing did they hear but the whir of the
perpetual motion, and when they spoke
no answer was returned. At last, at dusk,
in an excess of dread, they burst the door
and crowded in, every one of them. On
the floor, before the large revolving
wheel, with his arms extended from his
sides, his eyes in fascinated gaze, and
his lips parted in smile, Mr.. Van Pclt
lay on his back as dead as stone. He
had been killed by excessive joy, and it
is to be hoped his ghost passed right on
into eternity, without coming to the
of the deception that h ad been
practiced on him.-Brooklyn Sunday Sun.