Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-08-06
PROF. JOHNSON'S AIRSHIP.
He Springs His New Scientific Idea
Upon Small but Select Audience.

When Prof. @. A. johnson, the
colored astronomer of Hamilton, Ont,
walked iato Garnett Hall, IN West
Twenty. street, last night, to
deliver his lecture on Aerial Nayiga
ton" there were five white boys, four
white men, and three adult colored
people sitting on the wooden benches
awaiting him. They had paid ten
cents a head to get the seats. The
Professor smiled genial welcome,
gave each one of his audience copy
of the British Lion and the American
Eagle, and explained that he publish
ed them simultaneously IN New York
and Cadada, and circulated them free
because he had plenty OF money and
wanted to give the colored people good
advice about business as wall as as
tronomy. The Professors side
whiskers were tastefully trimmed,
and ne wore a snow-white Union
Club" standing collar, tall black silk
beaver, and an alpaca coat, When
he stood up behind a long pine table
in the northeast corner of the hall he
observed an unmistakable disposition
on the part of group of colored peo-
pie who had hired the southeast corner
of the room for a revival maetlng TO
deprive his hearers Of the benefit OF
his remarks. He warned the revival
lists that he had come to town to de-
liver the most remarkable and inn
portant lecture ever made, and he
didn't propose to have the audience
deprived OF the benefit of it either.
The revivalists sang loudly, but the
Professor talked louder still and tired
them out. He triump hantly said that
he enjoyed the competition more than
anything else he hal encountered ~
New York.
The Professor observed that many
people had expected HIM to fetch
along a model Of his new aerial nav
igator, but they would have to wait
until some other evening to see 1t.
He had been told that some New
Workers were lying In wait to steal it,
and he proposed to block that little
game at the start. He added:
My mother told me that [ would
astonish the world one of these days
with a new idea, and she didn't make
a mistake. 7 have invented an ali
ship that is 100 feet long, shaped like
the Monitor, and can carry 500 people
in palace car styl lie from New York tc
Liverpool In one and a half days, Oh
from New York to Boston in l hour,
80 minutes, 155 seconds. 1t will
travel at the extraordinary speed Of
300 rniles an hour, by using electricity
in conjunction with the law o. gray,
itatio9 Of course it is perfectly safe
| but recommend intending passengers
| to get insured before they get aboard
I have kept this thing 81 secret al
this while because it would make the
railroad and steamship lines feel bad
to know it. But now [ give Jacok
Sharp due notice that it is ready fol
work, and that the best thing he car
do, If he don't want ruinous compe
tition with his new Broadway cars, is
to step up and compromise. III sci
this new idea to any body for $4,000
Some inventors wouldn't have brain;
to do this, but then they don't know
a good thing when they sec it. That
where [ have a big advantage. Mr.
Vanderbilt or Mr.. Gould will doubt
less like an opportunity to buy the IN
vention. II they will unite with m'
there will be company organized
at once with 81, 600, 900 capital to bailt
line of these air ships.
Then the Professor came from be
hind the pine table and invited The
Eve boys and seven adults to take {
ride to Boston In the navigator mex
month.