Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-08-02
s0NE BRIMsH ADNEAIrRERs.
Two Bemn!kab.e Ben Who 8stonishts London
With Their VIA Ideas.

Two Bemngkab,e Ben Who 8stoulsh,s London
With Their via Ideas.
CoE's extraordinary enterprise, which
he set going in 1771, comes rather under
the aead OF luuacy than of swindliAg,
says the Westminster Review. HIS Fixed
idea was TO combine the Eealth snd
luxury Of Asia with the mechanical in
vvntions of Europe, in a series of extra
ordinary artiLcial productions. To re
elize ais monster whims he devoted con
siderable private fortune and an imagin-
alive bent which was far above The com
mon, and loaded with his fantastic de-
mands the most skilfdl engineers, invent
ors, clock makers, goldsmiths, and jewel
ers in France and England. He thus,
ere long, found himself in possession of
a large collection OF maryels and master
pieces finished to the highest perfection
of the art workers powers.
Cox's scheme was 10 trans sort all these
TO Asia for sale to eastern potentates.
lie, however, kept the colec.ion-and
an unfit precursor of those modern shows
which we call exhibitions-some nine
years IN London, where We charged half
a guinea for inspecting it, Gold, silver,
diamonds, and other stones were worked
into all sorts of animal fol ms-camel5;
elephants, and so on-which moved and
seemed TO breathe; birds that sang, ducks
that swan, game that ran alrong in
thicket. A castle six feet high, which
cost over 100000 was destined for the
great mogul, and a copy was actually
sent to Pekin for the emperor of China.
but debt, with its lengthening ,hain, fatal
ly encompassed the visionary; he never
could realize more than a fraction of his
large scale Asiatic programme; only part
of his collection got to Indiana and the
rest was sold up in London.
Then there appeared in 1880 that king
of native quacks, the Scotch Dr. Graham,
with his occult celestial bed, which cost,
or SO he said, $4,000. His house in Pail
Mall he called the Temple of Health and
Hymen, of which deities he proclaimed
himself the high priest This temple
was decorated with glass of colors, prec-
ious vases filled with rare Perfumes,
statues of the human form devine in their
groves of blarney costume, and the rest
of it. His book on the "Principles of
Health cost half guinea and recommen,
ded cleanliness; moderation, early rest and
early rising; sleeping in the light, es
pecially in moonlight; singing, drinking
his divine balm at "only guinea the BOTTLE
and sleeping, first for 100 guineas night
and then for $50 note, in the marvellous
and celestial magnetico electric bed, the
6rst, the only one in the world, or which
ever had existed. 1t was situated in the
holy of holies, in front of his charming
hermitage" 1t was isolated on six mas
siye and transp arant columns and covered
by vast canopy of brass rods, which,
communicated with an enormous electric
machine lodged in an upper chamber.
In the bedposts were inserted vases of
ether, which was first volatilized and in.
finitely subdivided by the electric fluid
and then breathed with the atmospheric
air by those who close to pay DR.. Graham
for a nights lodghing. The sheets were
of purple and sky-blue satin and the
mattresses perfumed with the most prec-
ious essences of Araby.
The electric cylinder conducted into
the bed chamber and into every part OF
the bed tine all divine celestial, electric
ire the fluid which animates and WHITES
everything including "She," and in this
case, "He," too, for it sounds like q vul-
CARRIED ante.clima OK to the African tale.
TO all this was added the melodious
tones, or "toops," of the harmonica, the
soft sound of the flute, the charms of
agreeable song, and the melihuous notes
of the organ. The farce drew host of
wealthy gulls until 1884, when Graham,
showing the better part of valor, sold off
everything by public auction and safely
retired with his gains.