St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-10-23

For halfa century ID. NJ. Cook ha
been familiar figure in Richlan,
County, and has been marked for hi
singular inventive genius. In 1850
when young man, he became i'm
pressed with the wonders of electrica
science, and then became enamored o.
its study. He began to delve into the
unknown OF this hidden force, and fol
ahlrty-six years in alternately brilliant
and adverse circumstances has trodder
over this field till there is no nook o,
corner with which he is unacquainted
he commenced his studies ut time
when little was known of electricity,
and by pursuit of knowledge in that
direction With unbounded zeal, he has
not only kept apace with the wizards
OF the nay, but has SD far gotten in ad-
vance of them that his assertions are
almost accepted as altogether incredu-
Iov.s.
But no matter whether his claims
seem wonderful and almost beyond
belief. they are worthy of credence, for
he must be placed in the list of success
ful inventors. In 1852 he conceived and
constructed device that revolutionized
the manufacture of sorghum sirup.
The device was called an evaporator,
and was used to make sirup from sor-
ghum- His principle was to run the Juice
across heated surface in zig-zag rows
till the juice would run out as a pure
sirup ready for the table. the water
being evaporated in its passage, and
the impurities being thrown to one
side. On this he received letters patent
an 1858. and in 1859 a company began
the manufacture of the same. Thou
sands and thousands were disposed of.
varying in price from S25 to S35, over
$4,000 being realized, on which the
inventor got handsome royalty.
Through this he derived quite fortune.
although a portion Of it he spent in i'm
proving and introducing the device.
Even to this day firm in Cincinnati is
engaged in the manufacture of this
same evaporation, from which the men,
bers OF the firm made themselves rich.
Cook. however. several years ago lost
his rkgbt to a royalty by some means or
other, and has not been drawing any
thr.g from that source since.
Save for this slight diversion, Mr..
Cook has not experimental in any field
outside of electricity since thirty-six
years ago to any considerable extent,
but in in this direction he can be said
to have spent the greater part of his
life For while he sought to solve
the Question ofcheap power, light. etc.
by producing the proper current by
means of battery. He invented
battery of peculiar value for telegraph
purposes, which was i'm use for a long
time at Crestline, on the Western
Union. and until the discovery of the
cheap gravity battery that is now i'm
use. But MIR. Cook long ago concluded
in his own mind that i'm dynamic cleo
tricity lay future success. According
ly he east aside the battery as a secon-
Diary affair. and Set about to expert
ment with dynamos of novel and
peculiar construction.
For several years past he would oc-
ca>onally meet me and speak of his
discoveries in the electrical field, but
would say that he had not vet secured
the results he was after. He would
tell me: when get my experiments
completed want to show you what
will ilirerolutionize the world / propose
to make a perpetual electric generator
or motor which will propel itself by its
own current, the resistance of the
generator proper being only about ten
per cent. of the rotary power of the
electric engine upon which the current
OF the generator acts"
This assertion was sufficient to shock
An ordinary p perSon nerves, but l &C
ccpted the statement with much al |
lowance. However. l became inter-
ested and kept watching results.
Last November Mr.. Cook came to |
me and said: Il have at last met with |
success. | have found the principle |
that have been hunting for so long.
can now start dynamo to going.
and it will never stop except BY the |
wearing away of its own parts. Not |
only will itrun itself bv its own current.
but also produce power enough. ac-
cording to the size of the engine, to |
run any machine in the world
Perpetual motion" l suggested.
More than that" he replied. ..It |
is perpetual motion with only ten per |
cent. of the force used. leaving ninety |
per cent. for power, to be utilized a. |
IS desired. Not only that, but more:
one helix of my dynamo will produce |