The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-06-17
PAN-DLECTRIC TO DATE
The Story Of a Scandal and
Its Sequel.
The Origin, Early History, and Present
Condition Of Mr.. Grover CleVeland's
Greatest Administrative ENTERPRISE.
IA Picture OF n Promoter.

lived at Parthenon Heights. flve miles from
Washington by tho Bladensburg turnpike. q
peculiar person named J. Wcbb Rogers The
mansion 30 grandiosely styled is a shabby,
pretentlous structure Of the South Maryland
type. with four square columns supporting the
roefs ovorhang In front. single story extern
slons at other wing. and a general aspect Of
archie cturnl decrepitude. From distance
Parthenon Heights looks like noble edince;
near to. like rambling shanty. DIR. Rogers
may live there yet. for all the country knows.
1t was his destiny to touch affairs Of national
Importance Just once during his variegateA
career. He fRared for two or three yean
largely and picturesauely in the newspapers
and then disappeared from the public view.
Its worth while to glance at the character.
istics Of the proprietor Of Parthenon Heighta
DR.. ]. Webb Rogers merits attention as Q
philosopher In whom his admirers have traced
striking resemblance to Thales Of Mlletus.
poet OF the same order OF genius as the late
Martin +. upper. and promoter endowed By
nature with versatility and an enthusiasm
which make Mulberry Sellers seem narrow
and cold. Before the war he had been An
Episcopal clergyman. Then he turned to
Rome and proposed to enter the priesthood.
but his overtures. It is said. were not warmly
received. and he fell back upon poetry
as medium OF expression. He has writ
ten some astonishing things. among
others q tragedy entitled Mrs Surratt."
conceived In tho classical spirit. and designed
to glorify his heroine and to counteract the
prevailing opinion concerning the assasstns,
Payne and Wilkes Booth. This drama was
printed ut the authors EXPENSE and was fire.
aucntly and lovingly rehearsed by him at
Parthenon Heights. but It never reached q
public representation. DR.. Rogerss pen. which
works like sewing machine. has also con.
tributed to literature numerous other poems.
occasional political. and philosophical. all
OF sort to cause grief on Parnassus. His
prose style hos received tho unqualified
commentator OF no less distinguished
. critic than the Hon. Dick Winter.
smith OF Kentucky. It Is generally gor.
Geous with classical illusions and quotations.
and reflections suggested by q smattering OF
law. smatterin. of science. and a smntterIne
OF theology The treasures OF his mind have
always been at the service OF any scheme of
promotion in which he was for the time On.
gagged. and DR.. Rogers's proce style may DO
studied to the best advantage In his prospeo-
fuses notably in the pamphlet entitled wis.
usl synchronism: A Demonstration that II
100000 can DO subscribed. on ten annual In
stallments. and one-tenth paid up. Each DOL
lar paid will make One Hundred Dollars; and
that Visual Synchronism Is not a mere i'm.
provement. but New Art. absolutely secured
and protected by Broad Foundation Patents
from oil tho great governments Of the world.
and worth at least Sl.150.00O 0OO."
As to personal appearance. the new Thales
Of Parthenon Heights figured in the Hobbies OF
Congress eight or nine years ago as a tall.
thin old gentleman with large nose and Q
long ragged beard OF sandy gray. dressed In
rusty black broadcloth and crowned with q
bad silk hat. His command OF Languages.
living and dead. was widely known and uni
versally feared. II his pom worked like the
needle Of a sewing machine his tongue could
GO like Visual SynchronIsm itself: and he was
quite capable OF selling any properly intro
duced individual by the lapel OF the coat and
explaining the merits OF inc electrical tnvoQs
tions OF his son. ]. Harris Rogers. also Of
Parthenon Heights. until physical exhaustion
overlook either the promoter or the victim.
This Is not an unfriendly portrait OF the
picturesque and absurd old fellow who launch
ed tho Pan Electric scheme. fastened the stock
and the scandal upon statesmen Of national
fame. and committed Mr. Clevelands Admin
istration to an enterprise OF Incredible folly
and wrong. at great expense to the people OF
the United states There is something gro
tesque In the contrast between the personality
OF the man. SO little calculated. as one would
think. to impress serious minds. and the CON-
sequences that have reached down to tho
present time from tho day when tho Pan -Elec-
trio project first occurred to his vivid imagi-
nation and houndess assurance
IL-'Th. Pam Electric Statesmen.
Agigantio ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in tho ns-
ures SGT down on papor and In the hopes Of
the spectators concerned-sprang from the
brain OF DR.. Rogers in the year 1889. He had
tried unsuccessfully to dispose OF his sons
patents to capitalists In New York. There 10
not one single patent enumerated In your list
that wa would give SIS for" wrote tho National
Improved Telephone Company OF Louisiana
q year later.
GIFT stock. or o gift interest. In tho Rogers
patents had been offered to Abram 8. Hewitt
and politely declined. Sunset Cox. to his over
lasting honor sent a sarcastic note to the
Sellers Thales OF Parthenon Heights. refusing
to accept any OF the stock which. az Mr.. Cox
wrote to DR.. Rogers. you are sending around
80 luently." So fluent. indeed and so per.
vasive. was tho opportunity Of acquiring IN
forests In these patents that DR.. Rogers ct
one time had a way OF putting certificates Of
stock in envelopes along with copies Of his
poems. and sending them to Congressman, an
II in the hope that, oven II the gift stock were
spurned. tho poem at least might be read.
Samuel J. Randall declined q 500. 600 intsP-
est. Speaker Carlisle would have nothing 10
do with tho speculation. and at various times
during the infancy OF the enterprise unsuc.
cessful approaches were made by the beney.
client promoter to benjamin LIE Fevre OF Ohio.