Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-08-18

never had time 10 tell whether he
liked hard work or not, but probably
did not, you may Judge what sort OF a
time he had.
The three boys, Francis, John, and
William, obtained only the common
education in the very common schools
of that day, but John and Frank very
early manifested a remarkable.love for
mathematics and machinery. They
had to work in far weather on the
farm, and run the sawmill when It
rained, so their spare hours must have
been few indeed. Nevertheless they
contrived to set IN operation more
curious machines than ! can describe,
of which thousand funny stories are
still told IN the vicinity. 1t is a singu'
lar fact that
sELFMADE MEN,
so called, repeat the same errors from
generation to generation; so it will
excite no surprise to learn that John
very early conceived the idea of a
perpetual motion, and spent many
weary hours trying to make it go. and
it is needless to add that it proved a
dismal failure. His next attempt was
at what the neighbors call "musical
wheel" though | can not determine
what it was from their description.
The motive power was the current of
Shawnee Greek, and when it was set
going the wheel, they say, "made a
racket you could hear a mile" Sew
eral travellers by night were terribly
frightened by this contrivance. But
it proved very Indifferent sort Of
music Speaking of music, | we'll re-
member my first visit to the big stone
house, as the Bookwalter residence
was called. 1t was saltry Sunday
evening; when | was retiring there
was rise in the wind and the queer
old house was suddenly filed with a
strange unearthly music, sweet
enough, but strangely monotonous and
mournful, My nerves were calmed
when found that John had been ex-
perimenting on the Aeolian harp,
and had all the windows of our room
set with wires and with horse hair.
Finally, when Frank and John were
respectively twenty and eighteen years
of age, the father concluded it was idle
to contend against fate, and offered
them years education IN science.
They chose they scientific department
at Ann Arbor, Mich, and there we
roomed in the same house and were
intimate companions for college year.
Johns great hobby then was electrici-
ty, and it would occupy me for days to
describe the curious machines he man.
ufactured and set up about our rooms.
OneT however, was so simple and ef-
fective that it deserves special mention.
A disk about eighteen inches wide was
set in frame with pinions and crank so
1t could be revolved rapidly; on each
side pieces of cat skin about four
inches square were fastened so as to
press with some force on the revolving
disk, and by this friction the electricity
was generated. To collect it he had
two mental points on wire, which
was inserted in bottle through non
conducting stopper, the bottle coated
with tinfoil, or something of the sort
1t was the standing joke to charge the
bottle thoroughly and apply it to the
unsuspecting visitor, and many a
freshman of that year has been raised
Of his chair with disgusting sudden
ness, giving utterance to bawl which
startled the neighborhood. Finally
he brought his electrical machines to
such projection that it was dangerous
to be safe anywhere about the house.
If a careless student threw himself on
the lounge and fell into a nap, some
body was sure to turn on the catskin.
The bottle would be highly charged
and applied to his heels, and from 9
heavenly dream the victim would
spring up with an unearthly yell. Il
is not surprising that loungers soor
became wary, and the room of the
Bookwalter boys was considered {
good place to stay away from. Blu
like most enthusiast, John finally over
; did the thing. Having completed al
electric machine of great power, in at
tempting to discharge the bottle h
: :, accidently received the whole load il
his own system. 1t
KNOCKED HIM sPEECHLEss
/ for minute or so, and on recovering
= he concluded that nothing new was tt
' be discovered in electricity and turned
his attention to telescopes
) 1t seems incredible now, but with ne
tools but brace, and auger, and {
pocket knife, no materials but emery
3 piece of seasoned wood, and such
bits of glass as he could pick up, hi
manufactured a pocket telescope O
J considerable power He ground ou
, the glasses himself with emry anc
J wax, by the use of his brace: and will
, his usual enthusiasm was proceeding
to demonstrate that everybody wa
mistaken on the subject of optics, whel
the year ended and he had to 60 home
, His father died soon after. John anC
, Frank took charge of the mill, ane
this gave them an achievement in thi
, section. This was the celebrated tele