The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-02-13
NICHOLAS VAN PATTON.

|
Ton manufactures in the up country,
J stated that l would give my recollec-
| on OF Nicholas Van Patton, who
ghVe up cotton manufacturing and
attempted to invent perpetual motion,
working at 1t about half century.
| Mr.. Van Patton Came to the shoal on
| Enoree that now bears his name Just
slxty-tivey years ago. Ho brought capital
with him and had the reputation of
Delng u trained machinist, and general
report said he had no superior in the
mechanic arts. Before putting his
mechinrey in motion he looked
about. with regard to getting
helpmate In his affairs and came near
boing successful. Ho had conferred
his affections on a handsome young
lady, well off, but politics, unfortu-
natoly for him, sprung up-union and
nulillcati0n-aDdw when he thought ho
had nothing to do but set tho day,
competition sprang up in the person
OF dashing young widower Of. the.
same 'ehlt!l.'2fr sii.s'' sfi.s Intended, and his
polltics appears to have prepondcratcd
and the widower bore off the priZo.
He laughed ut his own defeat and Sec
| ing his rival In public company he ap-
he fellow that had three wives and
had cut him out to got the fourth one.
Ills rival afterwards had tho fifth vito.
| For sometime to como he appeared
to have discarded all thoughts Of mat
| rimony and devoted his entire energy
| to building up his factories, merchant
| mill and saw mill. Cardtng wool and
| spinning all followed in rapid succes-
sion. He actually butt double row
| OF cottages over quarter milo long
| Tor prospective operatives to live in.
L nt,I
| to let we'll enough alono. Fow mon OF
his day and time appeared to be so
] we'll advanced on tho road to complete
| success. Ho appeared all at once to
| drop all interest In his machinery and
4 turned oil his attention to discover
perpetual motion and bont all his en-
ergy to that end. His numerous i'm
provements, one by one, went down for
the want OF his personal attic ndauce.
| tie peddled, or sold his cottages as
best he could. Some bought them for
kitchens, lumber or store houses.
| Some of them travelled miles. Mr.. Van
Patton thought sometimes that tri-
umphant success was almost in sight,
that bright future was almost in his
| grasp, but he mover realized them.
| knowing that | was no mechanic,
ho at different times showed me parts
OF his machinery that he thought
would lead him to success. One mann
moth machine ho made. | never saw
anything like 1t. Flo could sot it to
| moving and would show different
forms. In ono OF those forms it slight
ly resombled an Oriental saddle and
concorn Wars made out Of pure brass
and as polished rs il it calEe from
sheffield or London. Tho number of
things or joints could be but described
by the name Of legion. None nf these
things wcro more than four or five
inches long and it would require close
inspection to sec the joins. The bot
tom OF it was ilat. Tho only time it
would appear to assume the shape of
u saddle would be when the side would
lily up, tho top OF each aide would be
about tho height OF man a little
under medium height. About two
| feet from the bottom thero woro five
| pieces OF brass, l will call them
punches not knowing the proper namo
There were two In each side. I can't
state their length precisely, but they
were fastened to the joints. The five
! ends all pointed inwards. When tho
machine was standing in tho position
| am attempting to describe, the bot
| tom appeared to be about two feet
wide. Right on tho bottom lay two
| tho machine. Their weight was said
to be fifty pounds each. Their round
| ness was said to be perfect. Every
time the machine was put in motion
the punchers woro to punch the balls
to tho other sido, there to meet the
opposite punchers and be punched
back 1t was reported that when this
machine refused to do what he in
tended, he took u sledgo hammer and
smashed it.
About this time Mr.. Van Patton
made another ad dvanco towards matri-
mony 'and was in IL fair way to meet
Spartanburg well off and highly re-
spcctoc. Nothing lwas to do bat set
the day and call on the parson. He
made her aware Of his pccuniary mat
tors, and that he was in dcbt nine
thousand dollars. Ho was doomed to
another Disappointment He then
married daughter of one Of his ten
ants, Il clover woman. She preceded
him to the tho grave. He evor after
ward remained single. Unfortunately
for Mr.. Van Patton, when his porpotu-
al motion failed, he thought he could
invont machine that would make ono
spent years vt that and failed. Mr..
Van Patton and DR.. j. +. Barrett, OF
Abbeville, Il scientist, were lifetime
friends. The Doctor onco sent Mr..
Van Patton a message by me. that
when he completed his machine he
claimed that the first use to mako Of it
was that they were to take u trip to
the moon. delivered the message to
him in public. Some of tho crowd
made light Of 1t. That angercd him.
Mr.. Van Patton, laying aside his no.
tions about perpetual motion, would
rank high as an intelligent man. His
three business trips to England added
much to his information. His third
trip he was In tho employ Of General
Green's grandchildren to put up q
factory near Nashville, Tenn. He was
sometimes censured for his religious
views, being called a Univorsalist, but
he remedied that by joining tho Bap-
lists.
Mr.. Van Patton was a native OF New
York State. He was OF respectable !
[ have seen O letter that
was written to his father by General |
If he had been as selfish |
as some men aro, he would have put
tho latfnr fhn fnnrly ~ br, In+, |