Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-01-09
INVENTOR KELLY.
Something About the Man Who Has
Been Making Motors

/ Something About the Man Who Has
Been Making Motors
Inventor John w. Keely of motor
fame has had q very unusual career
characterized by contests over his no.
torious invention for years. In early
life mechanic, with apparently little
ambition, he became imbued with the
theory of perpetual motion and the
idea that he could construct machine
with incalculable power. This was in
1864, and he worked hard for nine
years before he felt that he was ap- |
preaching what he sought, The men |
of wealth were invited to visit his little |
workshop, on Ogden street near Tenth,
Philadelphia, and view the little engine |
. in motion, whose power was obtained |
as far as could be learned, from =
, thimbleful of cold water. AS the
months rolled on Keely informed
favored few of his aspirations. Soon
: after some Philadelphia and New York
i scientists became interested in the
: motor and when Keely finished the first
a machine and
1 NAMED IT THE HARMONIC VIBRATOR,
there was joy among the little band OF
his followers. The New York Gontin-
gent would come over after business
' hours, and in company with the Phlla-
. their way to the Ogden street rendez-
I vous after dark. The blinds were
s always closed and the neighbors
became suspicious. They notified
e Kennard Jones the chief of police,
L who thought it must be faro bank.
G Detectives were unable to discover any
e thing, and the chief finally asked
:, Keely the cause of the mysterious
noise in his shop and why so many
Is men came there. keely explained and
n showed the chief the vibrator. Mat
ters progressed so favorably that the
a sanguine inventor began to think his
l. followers ought to contribute their
mites toward his running expenses.
Sc Accordingly company was organized,
t. and the Philadelphia reading public
lg were startled one morning by the an
lg nouncement that the Quaker City con-
ed tained a being who would revolution
ck IZe the mechanical world. The new
company was formed on the basis o.
ge s., 900 900 capital, 10000 shares being
nd issued at $50 share. The actua
1t amount of money invested was 500,
be 600. The shares were taken by promi
t, nent people all over the country. ant
t. the topic OF the day was the "keelI
he motor"
rk The inventor saw great fortun
IN before him and disregardIng the pLaiI
II working clothes he had SO long Wort
on put on the finest attire and daZZled hi
ul old neighbors with his magnihcen
ed diamonds. The Ogden street abod
an became too small for the purposes o
ed residence or motor developments ant
le- he purchased a big house on Ridg
ny avenue, above Master. He erected
Dus shop in the rear of his new home
he Every now and then keely gave ou
~ Nv,at rfI in
ed would run a train from Philadelphia
he New York with his motor and the onl
fuel used would be lineup of col
III, water. This had the effect of maxim
'py the PEOPLE grab for the stock. Two c
lie three fortunes were made off the tran!
ace fers OF the stock and several lawsuit
at were the result. But the stock col
ow tinued going up till the spring of 1882
ole when the stock holders informed Nj
re- Keely that 1t was time for the motC
Lm- to start.
alf Keely appeased them by long Gil
vas cular, which begged TO address .thel
up directly for the purpose of correctn
Irly erroneous Impressions that eXiste
er- regarding his attitude toward the II
US. vestors in keely motor stock. Agal
us, in December, 1888, after waiting
the months for the appearance Of perpe
ual motion, they held meeting an
hat mildly threatened Mr.. Keely for b
ub- long delay, Then began a conte
between the inventor and the stool
dat holders which has not yet ende'
md Every few weeks the public would
'on. startled by promises from keely an
tier more threats from the stockholder
IL Keely motor stock began TO fade al
out the appearance Of the machine was
matter of doubt. Keely sought to a
X of no
per- exhibitions OF power of the machin
It A favorite method was to attach ol
llss end of a rope to a machine and Il
7arp other to the rafters of the workshO
ting Then seating himself in a corner OF L
building, he would tune violin uni
unit the harmony was In accord with L
the vibrator. The engine would revOl
and the rope begin to tighten. Il
harmony was continued until I
safety OF the building and the spect
tors demanded its cessation, and I
fer jubllant ylolinIst would then eyol
tho the most discordant strains from I
pter fiddle, turn a number OF little screw
raw. while the machine turned the oth
nese way and the rope unwound. Oh
Ran- difficult and apparently difficult fel
ork. were performed.
abIe The stockholders, however, saw
FORT practical results and finally refused
~
lght advance any more money
Mr. scheme was on the verge OF collal
,d If when Mrs. Bloomfield Moore beca
and interested IN Ihe hiotol ail't GoLI'i ~ -
A II ted S25, 900 toward making II 81
cess. 1t was paid in cash. and ke
m moved from his home on Ridge aver
to better residence on Oxford, L
the Seventeenth. HIS new residence v
surrounded by the homes of celebra
Iool, Philadelphlans, and everything "
nut smoothly. keely continually decla
Ished that the Ne" 1oIh snaI peLs "@n
him to give exhibition so as to DO
that the stock, but that he always refus
de After they stopped his allowance
-hero became matter of great surprise a
In To how it was that lie could support
emily style in which he Appeared. y 81
.ished time ago he again moved, this time
and the southeast corner Of Seventeenth
efore: OXlord sIIeeCs, "uele NC tt'eo :. =
and recently in the most luxurious st
The history of his trouble with Ben
Mr. &. Wilson, which resulted in his In
dis. Grafton in prison, IS too familiar
repitition. 1t is an equity case
arted which experts were appointed by
ms of court to examine Keely' apparatus
report whether it correspOnded W
r the motor offered by Heely to Wilson
days 1869.
ave il Uncle Sans whitcwash.
as not
EsvervI Excursionists who travel along
>, brt sea coast In summer are often attra