Telegram-herald., 1890-11-18
AT THE PATENT OFFICE.
Perpetual Motion Cranks are Nu-
morous Among the Visitors.

A few weeks ago a white-heaied.
gray-besrded old man appeared at tho
fsont-door of the White House, with =
little pine box under his arm. Hs ap-
preached Colonel Diasmore. the giant
like guard who prosides over the vesti-
bale and asked to see the President
What is your name and what do
you want TO see him for?" asked the
Colonel.
Whercupon tho old man. pointing 70
his box, said that be had discovered tho
secret Of perpetual motion, and he
wanted TO show 10 10 President Harri-
son. Colonel Dinsmore told him that
be had better take his invention 10
tho Patent Omce. and the old man
started OF down Pennsylvania avenue.
1t is estimated that at least ten thou
sand American citizens are expert
menting to-day upon plan Of produc-
ing perpetual motion. These ten thou
sand are scattered throughout tho
United States, and several of them find
their way. each week, to the Patent
Office ct Washington. Somc Of them
are insane, others are full Of common
sense on every other subject but this,
and all are disgusted when thoy find
that the Patent OHce demands work
ing-model Of their machines. Such o
model has never been produced, and,
however attractive the scheme may APP
pear on paper, all such invention must
necessarily fail when they come to this
test
Not long ago IN Associated Press dis
patch was published in nearly every
daily newspaper in the United States
stating that an Ohio man had at last
produced such an invention, and few
weeks ago furniture-carver in Balti-
more claimed he had made the dis
covery. Ills machine was q set Of al
most perfectly-balanced weights con-
nected with a leadon ball which, roll
ing up one gutter and down another.
produced power which operated the
machine for time, but which was, of
course. lost as soon as friction began 70
act upon Il. His idea he considered
new, but it IS the same that one OF the
Brahmins Of India conceived three
thousand years ago and described in the
Vedas. II is much the same as that Of
an Italian inventor who in 1G7S had a
hollow wheel with weights attached to
it,which fell down as the wheel passed
a central point and were expected to
close up TO the wheel as il went on
around, thus apparently making the
weight on tho descending side Of the
wheel greatly exceed that on the as
cending. The Marquis OF Worcester,
who had much TO do with inventing
a steam engine, got up a hollow wheel
fitted with cannon balls and having
curbed spouts. The idea was that the
balls would run to the rim of the wheel
on tho falling side, sot it in motion and
then run back 70 the center as 1t turned
on. \ practical model, however, showed
thai the greater part OF the balls soon
got 20 the outer edge Of the wheel, and
the motion stopped.
About a hundred years ago. Con-
necticut Yankee. named Harris Ran
som, asked the General Assembly OF
that State for monopoly OF his discov-
cry OF tho art or mystery OF making
perpetual motion OF water, whereby hc
Is able and can raise the water from any
river. pond. spring or fountain to tho
height Of thirty feet perpendicular, and
convey the same % any parks Of any
towns OF cities. or return tho same 10
the original fountain or head, wbich
said performance viii be Of great ad-
vantage. not only 20 the petitioner, but
t. tho public in general by aGording
them az all times good and wholesome
water a. very trifing expense"
Eight men signed this petition. but a.
there is no perpetual water-machine
running today. it Is evident that Ran
SON made nothing outof H.
Three years before tho Declaration 81
Independence. John shipman applied
for a patent en- mills 20 be run By the
ebb and Gow of the tide. ami got mo-
ropoly ioT forty years 10 run his tide
mills anvwhore in thc town of say
brook. benjamin UagkS of Litchfcld.
Conn. claimed that 80 had invented a
clock Shat wound itself ap wlth the NO
fion of enc sir. ani that eould continue
g. 3o So without snT othcr aid o. assist
arcc until its parts were worn out This
was generations AGO. and u an air-clock
eror czfsted. wo 6nA TO rasara - e ~
Happy indeed ae the homes whlch
contain Garland stoves aud Ranges.