Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-01-15

Among the thousands who walk our
strests-ths keen-eyed con Of trade, the
thoughtful student, the wan cons unptive
with a hopeless look ia his cleaning eyes.
tho well dressed gambler, the professional
thief, or the honest looking artlsan-can
DO seen fnen, and women, too, with that
queer look upon their features, distracted
air and muttered talk which betTays the
crank Among all whose steps beat the
busy street no one is more remarkable than
a small, dried-up specimen of humanity
who daily promenadss Larimer and Six
teenth streets, his principal thoroughfares
He Is geneI ally clad ia an ill-htting suit
of gray, short frOck coat out at the ell
bows, pants irayed at the heels and
bagged at the knees, shoes worn down at
the heels and turned up at the toes, soiled
linen, and a battered stove-pipe hat. The
face is weazenish, and is covered with
scanty growth OF iron gray beard, the
mustache long, droOping, and tobacco
colored. The nose, lean, long and pointed,
eyes Of blush gray, small, sharp, yet
watery. his hair Of a nne brown hue,
tinged with silver threads, fall, la
joaquin Miller, on greasy collar. Nut
tering TO himself, he goes straight ahead,
peering before him, as if looking for the
philosophers stone or the pearl OF great
price Such is Pierre Vedalque, the al
chemist, astroioger and professor OF the
occult sciences.
Old Pierre, who grows loquacious when
treated To a glass OF beer, was engaged IN
! IA conversation by a NetCS reporter yester-
day. He gradually became 30 enthusiastic
at the attention shown 10 his vagaries that
he condescendingly invited the scribe To
visit his laboratory, which offer was eager
ly accepted.
1T is here" the old mau said, after toll
ing up three flights of stairs and entering
dingy, smoke begrimed room. 1T Is
here that intend to wrest from nature Sc
crets which will benefit mankind, and re-
serve for me niche in the temple OF fame.
Men will take off their hats to my memory
and say how wise he was, and not disre-
specially allude To me as the 'old crank,
as they do now"
1t was an uncanny looking place into
which the reporter had been ushered. In
one corner of the room was "a small forge,
by it an anvil and block Uttered with the
tools of a smith. On one side was small
work bench crowded with blow pipes,
hammers, chisels, files, and quaint tin
ished and unfinished models OF machines
OF unknown and unknowable use. .ulness.
The other side of the room occu-
pied by another bench or table, on which
wero two large glass retorts and huge
copper boiler. Above was IA set OF shelves
ranged with glass bottles of all sizes
bearing Latin labels. Ia another corner
was a coffin standing upright, and In it,
the lid being Off, could be seen the skele-
ton OF a human being The room was
lighted by skylight, douded with dust,
which lent sepulchral gleam to the phil
osopher's den.
With q business air, the old man ap-
up "a small model in the shape Of an eagle,
poised it on his hand.
Look" be said.
Touching spring he threw it into the
air. where it remained hovering around,
like huge bird fu-terins over a perch.
Il have solved the problem OF navisat-
In tns air, ut 1 do aot wish 70 make use
o. i. just .t. l may aitsr awhile. all
engaged il something Tar more interest
ing, and which will prove oil mo-e incal-
culsLle benefit to humanity"
Reaching out his hand as the model Aut-
tered near, be replaced it on the bench
wherc it remained stationary.
SEEING another model, shaped like CT
GER, he touched a sprin-. The top flew
open revealing lot OF intricate machin-
cry. By touching various parts of thee queer
model 10 became transformed into a minia
tGre man-of-war.
~ can sail under the sen for leagues. /
have tried it. This invention IS perfecs. j
caa destroy the greatest navy that ever
ex sted with one little boat Bah 1t ia
nothing. who have the power to trans
mute TIA , bas5r metals into gold, silica into
gems as rare a. ever Eastern Prince pos
seSsed, care nothing for these things. |
can read the stars and can predict the deS
TIMES of empires and republics. | know
the future. Tat IS nothing. When want
gold make It. do not want it except to
satisfy my needs. Bah To-day sold
diamond which I made last night to
pawubroker Tor n sum sufficient to keep
ms Tor year. having something
grander to do, can not afford to waste my
time Would YOU ike to see it,"
What IS it," timidly inquired the re-
porter. imagioin- himself in the presence
o Toe evil one
"l bold the power o. hfo and death ia
my aands. have almost succeed r IN
solving the secret ot she trans rration Of
souls. DO you believe IN Inctempsyca
( viii prove it. cal transplant en- soul
ol one animal into another. have not
yer succeed Z vth humans but 1 wlD.
can ciothe that skeleton tn flesh. But
come, viii pr vo what I say"
Going into n small cupboard, the strange
old man produced two wire cages In wl ch
was sleek white mouse, ia the other
canary bird.
These era my pets. vii maks them
change taeir souls Al animals and
birds have so1is. They hsve lie. Life IS
soul Come, my PETS. yos both shall die"
Unfastening he door Of the canarv's
ca e. the little fellow bopped upan Il q
masters hand. and was rewarded for that