Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1880-06-16
ANOTHER EDISON.
The LabOr.Saying Education Pro.
moter-A Valuable Invention
for Preserving Order in School
Rooms,

'""''' NIL Cohiau WeiEenSteln, mas
been working quietly during the
moments when he was not occupied
by his regular business, at perfect
ing g of the neatest and most in
genious devices ever introduced to
the notice of our educational instiiu-
lions. He has now received a pat.
ent for it, and proposes to dispose of
territorial rights to the several States
OF the Union; bnt to have it proper.
~ introduced he has granted the
right of use to Lyon County for
one year free of charge The name
he has given IT is " The Universal
Labor Saving Education Promoter. :"
AS with many other great DIS
coveries, this was partly the result
of accident; but although the origt
nal conception was, as has been
said, partly accidental; it required
much patient effort and severe
thought to elaborate the details and
give practical form to the idea.
"A statement OF the origin of the
discovery and the crude manner in
which it was first used will enable
one to readily understand its work.
ing, and salutary effect when 1t be-
comes part of the established furni-
ture of the school-rooms.
Some time ago Mr.. Weigenstein
suffered great annoyance from
band Of small boys who would
hang around his shop door during
the day time making scurrilous
remarks and when opportunity of.
fered abstracting boot heels to be
used as knucklers in playing marbles.
and after archery became the rage,
feloniously appropriating his wax
ends for bow-strings. This finally
became unbearable, and Mr.. Weig-
enstein determined to take violent
measures to free himself from his
tormentors. With this end in view
he devised weapon IN the shape
of an ordinary Walking cane. The
stalk was a piece OF common gas
pipe; the crook, the handle of an
old fashioned. self cncktng pistol.
Inside the gas pipe, or more prop.
erly the barrel, was complicated
arrangements of spriBgs and wheels
which, upon the trigger being
pulled, shot out out forcibly fifty
small fish hooks attached To as many
strong silk threads. AT least n doz
en- of these hooks were certain to
fasten themselves firmly in the body
Of any boy at whom they were pro-
jected, and the machinery WAS 40
arranged that Immediately upon the
charge being thrown out 1t began
winding up the threads; thus any
thing upon which the hooks had
fastened themselves was drawn rap
idly to the end OF the weapon and
within easy reaching distance OF iha
holder. When an unruly boy was
caught; Mr.. Weigenstein wound him
up until he could take firm hold
upon his collar, then detaching the
hooks from wherever they were
fastened, transformed the weapon
into rod of correction. The NOR
a. effect of this was such that in a
very short time his tormentors aban-
doned the game. The boy who was
caught had not only to undergo
merited castigation, but was al
so for days afterward the butt OF
his jeering companions.
1t was the almost immediate eff
feet upon the behavior OF a set of
the worst class OF boys, and boys,
over whom he had no control other
than that given him by the terri
BILE instrument of punishment he
possessed, which suggested to him
the availability ofapplying the same
principle to the government of
school rooms. ....
Tho Education Promoter, as now
perfected, Is slightly shortened
from its original length. The bar
rel is made of nicely finished brass
and Is fastened with swivel to
the teachers desk--in position it
resembles the swinging barrel OF a
gattling gun. The hooks are made
larger In order TO hold the pupil
while being punished. There is a
clutch on the swivel which holds
the barrel in any position required,
and all the teacher has to do when
he sees any m isconduct Is to point
the barrel at the offender, set the