Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-07-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Southern Magician -Edison's Rival
His Good Fortune.
And the Accident That Befell Him-A
Rare Genius in Another
Sphere Of Progress and Discovery Perry
Carson and the Old Flag.

Special Correspondence OF the Gazette.
WAsHINGToN, July 20.--When j.
Harris Rogers was less than nineteen
years of age, and not very long before
the death Of President Henry of the
Smithsonian institution, this learned
philosopher said of Rogers, in letter
before me, addressed to a member of
congress, that he was the "most origi-
nal and promising of American cleo
tricians" Subsequently, placing his
hand on the first model of Rogers
automatic telegraph, President Henry
said: "Prof. Morse never produced
anything half so ingenious or origi-
nal"
This and other devices of electrical
mech anism, perfected and patented by
Rogers, are the property OF the Pan
Electric Telegraph company, of which
Gen. Joseph Il. Johnston is the
president, and Senators Isham g.
Harris, Garland and Hon. Casey
Young are officers. The company is
chartered under the laws Of New York,
having a capital stock of 5000 900.
ROGERS GOOD FORTUNE.
This young electrician has bought n
massive brown stone residenc, on
Four-and-a-Hal street, in this city, In
which he toll in his great laboratory.
| His researches and discoveries are
often curious and wonderful, and AS
often practical aud valuable. All
these progressive inventions inure to
the advantage and become the property
| al ha n 'ThAfsl-
fore, until Blaine was nominated and
Wall street collapsed and mills and
mines and banks closed their doors,
and Gould's railway and other stocks
became ourdensome, this Pan Electric
stock was advancing rapidly in value,
and the few shareholders We're becom-
ing veritable millionaires. In fact, as
speculative stock, none was worth
more than this. The company owns
Rogers telephone, preferred every
where to Bells or any other. and yet
Bells telephone Is owned by a stock
company with n capital of 100000 900,
aud this stock is worth from $lG) 10
$50 for each share of 500.
Mr.. Rogers devised the method, en-
ployed through the past few years, of
lighting lhe gas burners simultaneously
throughout The capitol, so highly COM
mended for cheapness and simplicity
10y the distinguished architect of the
capitol, Mr. Edward Clark. Mr.. Rog-
ers then invented the National Secret
telephone used by bankers and specu-
lators in the great cities; and then was
, soon perfected the Pan-Electric telc'
phone used in Atlanta, Memphis, Fort
Worth and many cities and states,
and rapidly adopted and preferred
everywhere, because of its cheapness
and simplicity, fullness and clearness
of sound and facility with which IL IL
used.
A TERRIBLE PUBLIC CALAMITY.
i am induced TO write of those facts
because Mr.. Rogers Is Tennesseean
having been born and reared I'm Mem
, phis, and because scientists and cleo.
: tricians everywhere, in all parts OF
T this country, and in Paris and London
K AZ well have expressed keen regret IN
t numberless letters and dispatches, be
:, cause of the serious If not almost 4 ta
accident which II few days ago befel
S Mr.. Rogers. When the acct
$ dent occurred by which he may b,
o deprived Of eYesight, he was expert
q menting with mercurial vapor In or
n der to develop and perfect an instru
g ment named 10y him, the telemorphe
d by which he Is enabled not only t.
: hear, but TO see persons with whom Ia
= holds intercourse hundreds of mile
V away.
"a UNENAMPLED SUCCESS OF GENIUS
a Mr.. Rogers has an admirable elec
q trio locomotive; II self-adjustlng burne
v for electric lights, making them perfect
e ly steady and of uniform intensity an,
q brilliancy; simple device attache'
, to gas pipes through which he con
q verses with his neighbors and mem
Ie beers Of his own household. He invent
a ed the duplex circuit, by means @
&c which two operators work simultane
ously over the same wire without
10 duplex. But / cannot enumerate hi
,e patents sold and unsold which, havin
=. already given him an ample fortune
\ will surely make him OF the richest Il
Al he Is most deserving of American cit
IA zens, and simply because he has stole
v. nothing from the government, neithe
" money through the iniquitous tart
es system.
id ANOTHER PRACTICAL GENIUS.
% The South has sent TO Washingto
ne another benefactor of the country an
people. His inventive faculties moN
in different direction from that take
by Rogers genus. Rogers deals wit
natures most subtle agency-electri'
ity; while j. Nj, Fennerty Is natural
X logical mechanician. He sees u resu
II to be accomplished and ut once adap
an simplest mechanical contrivances
~ its attainment. A deep well is full
y noxious gases or the sewer hard /
In emits death. The easements and ce
rs lars and engine and bed rooms
m houses and OF factories and mines a.
IS. full of deadly poisons, and cholera
EN- coming. The end desired Is the SUI
I'D stituiion OF fresh, pure air for tn
IN which makes houses and holds
ships ana steamers 0dorous breedir
re places for germs of cholera and
III typhoidal and other fevers. Passe
ny ger and emigrant trains are full of 70
hit air aud of foul exbalations from u
ne lungs and unwashcd feet and bodiey
i'll men. And cholera Is coming M
Fennerty had observed that geIxfis
an disease and death were produced
Il. the impure atmosphere of basemeni
lm odorous OF fumes from cook Stoves nj
in badly ventilated bed rooms Of gre
'ut hotels. He had learned that the ave
Ill age speed Of air currents above hous
re, we inhabit is about ten miles an hou
Did Therefore, by means Of his simple q
no syphon he induces zephyr and bore
and winds that blow over the boui
"A .,x,ar ali m. .. md nty..r al.