Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-22

ply the principle of my discoveries as
| can
Twill | show you a model illus
trating the principle? Certainly, but
/ will have to dig into the old shop"
The old shop proved to be buried in
one corner Of the ruins. Burch bur-
rowed into this through a gap made
by the displacement Of a couple of
planks, and presently returned with a
globe-like apparatus, which had bear
ings upon lateral, upright poles, and
which revolyed in the center of a ring
of wooden oogs, each cog in turn ft-
ting one of 800 notehes with which
the globe was intended to represent
the 800 degrees Of the earth's circum-
ference.
There is an illustration of perpet-
ual notion said Burch, SIT is the
earth in miniature. Its motive prin-
ciple is the same, and its equilibrium
is so nicAy adjusted to that of this
planet that when this world moves it
moves; and as the one never stops
neither will the other
The writer remarked that the illus
tration failed to illustrate, inasmuch
as the perpetual motor did not move.
Certainly not" said Burch. I" 1t
is not now adjusted to the earth's mo-
ton, nor will it ever be in these ruins.
| am in correspondence now with the
scientific men in England, New York,
Boston, and other places, and they are
getting things ready for an exhibition
Of this principle in such a way that all
the world may know that the secret
Of perpetual motion is a secret no
longer. 1t will be a free exhibition,
too, you can bet on that. | want no
mans money for the privilege Of let
ting him see my work, and spectators
shall have none, be assured of that =
Burch had never heard of Edison,
hut he expressed no surprise when in
formed of his wonderful inventions.
On the contrary, he asserted that the
telephone and photograph had been
familiar to him for years and when
told that Edison proposed to produce
light from electricity, he said: "Of
course he can: and if men were not
fools, gas companies would have been
forgotten many years ago.
Burch says that another of his in
ventions is a motive power more pow
erful than steam, by which engines Of
all kinds can be driven. Water is not
an element Of this power, but elee-
trieity is, and at the proper time this,
too, will be made known. Burch will
not take a patent upon any of his dis
%coveries he will give them TO the
world gratis.
His original intention was to die
without disclosing his power, but a
haunting remark made by the contrac-
tor whose enterprise caused the demo-
lition of his house served to change
the whole current of his intentions.
The contractor called him "a crazy
cobbler, and said he ought to be sent
to an asylum. $40 show the world
that | have not devoted the best
twenty years of my life in solitude and
privatiOn to the pursuit of idle fancies
and physical impossibilities, and SO
that | may not be remembered as
merely a crazy eObbler, ] have de-
termined to make my discoveries pub
lie property. | hope for no profit;
have few years to live, and for the lit
tie while that | have to stay l will be
content to go along as | have been 60
ing, with a bite to eat and a place tC
sleep, until the end shall come" AND
so the writer left him, with a promise
to attend the exhibition of his works
which he says will be given in New
York city in February, and with a firm
conviction that whatever else he MAJ
be, JEFF Burch is neither a foolish,
m%ereenary nor a crazy man.