South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-08-22
By James J. Montague


Herbert Spencer says somewhere
that the natural tendencies OF
child should be encouraged. II the
child develops a taste for drawing.
ne should be given pencil and paper
and permitted 70 draw whatever
n likes.
II he is musically inclined. he
should be provided with a Liano or
an accordian OF a saXophOne. and
his musical nature permitted TO
take it's course.
And If he shows an aptitude for
mechanics, opportunity for expert
ment should be thrown IN his way.
i don't know whether Herbert
Spencer ever had Il child or not, or
whether. II he did have IL child. il
showed. I'm fits adolescence. any apti-
tudes II such was the fact and the
phllosopher Dractised his own phil
osOphy, l can understand why the
later years OF his life were touched
with profound melancholy.
II our case II was aptitude for
mechanics that we encouraged.
The child had ia lot OF IT, At
the tender age OF ten ne discovered
by experimentation that a vacuum
cleaner could be run backwards
We didn't exactly throw the vac
uum cleaner in MS way. But there
are times when parents are absent
from home and IL was in these
times that he made his discovery.
Having made 10, he proceeded 70
figure out how 10 could be put 70
practical use. That Is the way Of
genius. 10 is never content with
-lere invention Unless the inven-
tTon can be made Of value 10 hui
mainly. genius doesn't waste any
more time on It.
Contemplating the reversal of
form he had compelled the vacuum
cleaner TO show. the child reasoned
that II II formerly could take air out
of things. It could now put air into
things. Here lay its future value 10
the world.
Shortly after this inspiration ar
rived, the vacuum cleaner disap-
peared from the hall closet.
1t was spirited away early in the
morning while the family was at
breakfast. There is an electric wire
in the garage, for lighting purposes,
and the current served nicely TO
drive the motor In the former reno
waiting apparatus.
He Finds a Practical Use.
BY means OF sections OF small
hose. borrowed from a bath room
spray. II was connected with the au-
tomobue tires-all four OF them.
Then the child, after turning on
the current. and observing that the
machine was funcuoning properly,
came In 10 his breakfast
He was calmly disposing OF his
cereal when we heard the sound Of
heavy firing proceeding apparently
<sm the garage.
Gee" said the child who was
far less disturbed by the barraEe
than tho rest OF Us. Il didn't think
she'd work as fast as that"
She had worked not only fast, but
effectively Four tires torn asunder
as BY some mighty explosion, hung
IN ribbons about the wheels Of the
car The vacuum cleaner itself had
been blown through one OF the
windows. taking the sash along as
20 went The car had apparently
been lifted several feet IN the AIR
and had come heavily down again.
sustaining internol injuries from
which IL can never fully recover.
The inventor affected 90 be dis
mayed at the success of his expert
nent. but one could see that secret
~ he was deeply pleased. even when
a partially adequate penalty was
imposed.
For a week or two he abstained
from experiments. and we began TO
hope that ne had reformed. But
you cannot curb genius.
When sufficient pennies had been
saved 10 purchase the necessary sup
piles he slung a wireless aerial from
the elm tree TO the roof tree, and
began taking messages through a
telephone receiver he had borrowed
from a boy whose father was a line
man
This seemed a harmless enough |
amusement and we did not interfere
with IT, But he presently wearied
OF trying TO deciIher other peoples
nessag es, and decided 70 send his
own views forth into the world.
To DO this IL was necesSar-' to /
have current He had no generator
20 make this current, but he knew
where 20 find Il.
A trolley runs IN front OF the
house. with a heavy overhead cop