Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-03-17

4 zig liner across the Atlantic Ocean
Every scientific organization of note
and every large railroad company APP
pointed commission of experts to in-
veStisatc. Learned scientists arrived
from foreign countries on almost every
steamer ready to study this wonder
fuI invention of an American. News
papers devoted columns to the subject
the millions OF dollars that capitalists
were trying to force into the pockets
OF til" young inventor.
II was fully Il month before the
scientific world was able to convince
itself that the invention WAS value
less. Then one Of the greatest fakes
of the kind ever known went down
into history.
The story IS recalled at this time be-
cause Jc :hc appearance in Chicago oil
H. G. HAYS President of the Hays
Weaver Milling Company. of Brainerd.
Mimi. Mr.. Hays was responsible for
this scientific upset. though he insists
that at first he was taken in as much
as any on. else. He was SO convinced
of the inventors sincerity that hA
dreamed of becoming Il multmillios
airc.
At the time the inventor becam.
famous he was q telegraph operator
in railway station. Hays WAS the
editor of the Sleepy Eye tMnn.) Dis
patch. Probably not more than doz-
Tn people III the town knew the in
Vcntor, but inside of month he was
known to every one and was elected
Mavor by exclamation because of the
fame that he had given Sleepy Eye.
The residents had to open their prf-
Vate homes to accommodate the throng
of scientists and newspaper reporters
who poured into the little place.
Sleepy Eye papers We're singing the
inventors praises daily and the young
inventor was reciprocating by offer
ing the aspiring city thousands of
acres of land sor park purposes with
at least It million in cash to improve
the property. Sleepy Eye is still wait
ing Tor the immense park.
1T was easy work" said Mr.. Hays,
who is in Chicago on business con-
ncctCd with his flour mills and a new
railroad in Wisconsin in which he is
Interested. 1t is 50 easy to fool even
scientific people that one cannot but
he astonished. There was nothing but
take 10 the engine, and yet we could
have sold out for more than LOCO
900 at one time. And / could so in
and do the same thing right over
again today in spite of the warning of
the past.
Il believed in the mar. especially
as ho had a United States patent 1t
appears that a clerk in the patent of
fee uaadc Il serious mistake in his pa
prrs and really give Government in
dorse:ncnt of the invention That WAS
THAT fooled ,h" scientists The opera
tor would never permit any one to see
his invention and refused to discuss
il with amy one. | was his manager
and he referred all questioners to me.
He declared that the German Gov
eminent mad purchased the rights for
S17 900, ,"0o and showed kilograms to the
fleet that advance payments amount
ing to 5000, 1900 were on the way.
1T WAS the failure of this money to
arrive that caused the exposure of the
fake. OF course he might have had
@n invention of ordinary merit. but
that was all. Sleepy Eye was fun of
scientists.
I'm order t. make as strong a show
ing as. possible the new engine Was
llaced in a nigh chair and photo
raphcd in that position. | first be-
,a,nc suspicious Wbcu thc Inventor
baked ~ allowing me to have a small
model | wanted to have an engine
that I could wear as a watch charm,
and if what he said MAS true. it would
have been large enough then to run
/; sewing machine, Chicago News.