The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-09-13
IS PERPETUAL
MOTION 0 10 HERE?
Has N. D. Man Found Thing
World Has Been Locking for?

Is it possible that in the early years
OF the second decade of the twentieth
century there has at last been discov-
cred the thing, for which the whole
world has been waiting since time i'm
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ,motion?"
And cannot 1t be possible that the
discovery has come out of North Da-
kota, the secret discovered by a plain
unostentatious machinist who has
made this state his home FOR the ma
jority of his life?'
Strange as this all must seem, it is
yet to be admitted by those who have
seen the invention, that out of North
Dakota has come a discovery. which
may prove to be the very thing which
all inventors have been searching since.
inventions first began. Should this
prove to be perpetual motion. it would
add another laurel to Americas al
ready great crown Of achievements and
make immortal the name of Kennedy,
for James w. Kennedy is the inventor.
James w. Kennedy, a rnachinist in
the Northern Pacific shops at Man
dan, first attracted attention with his
perpetual motion machine several
months ago. At the time little thought
was given to his device. But it ran
for forty days and forty nights with
out cessation. until he himself stopped
1t to bring it to Fargo for exhibition
purposes.
Kennedy is plain unassuming
man, without means and has had to
return to his trade at intervals to
maintain expenses between times when
he is giving attention to his invention.
Mandan business men offered to back
him financially, but he declined, fear
ing lest he would in some way be
eventually handicapped by any bind
ing contract, should his invention prove
a success.
The perpetual motion invention is a
wheel Of nine spokes and is about 6
feet in diameter. On each spoke is a
weight which falls to the extreme outer
end of the spoke as it passes over the
center. The spokes are so arranged
as to keep FIVE weights on the down
ward motion all the time.
People who were first prone to laugh
at the idea when they heard of it.
sobered instantly when they beheld
the instrument in operation. It was
exhibited in Mandan for some time,
until Mr.. Kennedy decided to bring ii
to Fargo. Instead of unloading it here
he shipped 1t on to his former home
in Iowa, where 1t is now stored until
he can accumulate sufficient funds to
take it on to Washington. At present
he has taken a position in the Dill
worth shops.
inspectors Moorse and Fuller Of the
government patent office have passed
on the invention most favorabIy and
issued patents giving Mr.. Kennedy b
year to complete his machine.
The new inventors birthplace was
in Iowa, though his mother was born
in North Dakota, and he has himself
resided i'm this state many years. He
is desirous of giving the dickertail
state the credit should his invention
come to anything.
4 In such event North Dakota would
soar prominently to the front as hav-.
ing produced one of the worlds great
est inventors for Mr.. Kennedys name
would be written along with Robert
Fulton, the inventor of the steamboat;
Samuel Morse, the inventor Of the tel
egraph; Alexander g. Bell. the inven-
tor OF the telephone; Thomas e. Edi-
son, the inventor of the electric light:
Wilbur Wright, the inventor of the.
aeroplane, and Elwood Haynes, the In.
ventor Of the nrst automobile, all
Americans. ISL.