The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-06
A VALID DISCLAIMER

When the allies charge the Germans with SO many deyuish
and barbarols inventions, which they used in the late war, such
as bombing defenseless cities and the use of poison and destructive
explosives and missiles, dropped from the air, the Huns can find
a valid disclaimer and point out that they merely developed an
American idea and brought it into use. The inventor of these
weapons was a distinguished American, one Col. Rcriah Sellers.
Col. Sellers is not as well known today as he used to be. Thirty
five or forty years ago everyone who could read the county paper
or the hymn book knew Col. Sellers intimately. His name was a
household word, Everyone knew of his mule trading in New
Orleans, his famous eye water, the cog which he put into a wheel
to complete perpetual motion, which was defeated by his stupid
associates, who left out the Something else that was indis-
pensablc OF his promotion of Stones Landing and the city of Ma
poleon, and many other enterprises which failed because Col.
Sellers was one Of those unfortunate mortals whom
"Unmerciful disaster followed fast and followed faster"
in spite OF his mastery intellect and inexhaustible enthusiasm.
They knew OF his method of preventing rheumatism by using a
stove with a candle lit inside that showed through a plate Of
isingass, giving the appearance" of heat without its evil effects
And they knew how the country was indebted TO him for keeping
out the plague by introducing a diet of turnps and cold water.
Well, Col. Sellers invented a bomb to be sent out by balloon
and equipped with a time fuse cut SO as to drop in the exact
spot, and this bomb was guaranteed to wipe out the city OF st.
Louis in an instant, and a few of them would kill every federal
soldier in the state of Missouri. These bombs were filled with
poisonous gases, poisoned scraps of iron and shrapnel that would
destroy all animal life for miles around, The colonel was a Con
federate and his invention was not mentioned in the federal war
records, but it can be found in Mark Twain's "Gilded Age" fairly
described. With his usual bad luck, one Of these bombs exploded
prematurely in his woodshed at ~Fawkeye, entirely demolishing
the building and proving its terrific destructive powers, and this
put an end to the manufacture o. these deadly engines and prob
ably lost the war for the Confederates. Col Sellers always be-
heved so, at least, and could prove it if given uninterrupted posses
sion non OF the floor Tor a few minutes, Even Squire Hawkins, OF
The Knobs" OF East Tennessee, late Of Missouri, and whose
lennessee Lands did not pan out and enrich his children, firmly
oeieVed IN the colonies invention when the people of his new
home had called him Judge for years and years. German chem
istry and ingenuity did not invent this terrible engine of war
The Huns basely appropriated Col. Sellers invention and never
gave him credit for it. Before they get through with it they will
be glad to deny responsibility for the invention and give credit
where credit is due. If there is any doubt about it, the disem-
bodied spirit OF honest 81 Hawkins can be communicated with tC
prove it. Our own ungrateful country has used these bombs tc
blow up U-boats, ammunition dumps and military depots without
ever as much as rearing a lofty monument to the memory of the
inventive Col. Beriah Sellers. 1t is an old saying that republics
are VIGOROUSLY ungrateful. The centuries to come will supply the
deficiencies Of the present age, and the name of Col. Sellers will
yet be perpetuated.