The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1929-01-31

crank. The machine was de-
stroyed by a mob. which for once
resented being fooled.
keely's Famous Motor.
The most practical perpetual mo-
ton machine in American history
was that of John w. Kelly, which
deceived not only the public but
some of Keely's closest friends for
about twenty-five years. Kelly was
a Philadelphia carpenter, unedu-
Gated, but shrewd and with con-
vincing tongue. He invented wi
bratOry generator" though 1t had
several other names in the course
of it's long history.
In 1872 he organized the Kelly
Motor company in New York city
and took in enough capital to keep
him going for long time. His ma
chine was first demonstrated in
1874
The inventor was full of the most
high-sounding theories, some of
which, as Professor Herring points
out, actually anticipated the mod
ern notions of the powers impris-
Oned in the atom. He pretended
to believe that in some mysterious
way he could recombine the con-
stituents of the atom and so release
vast stores of power.
For twenty years Keely's motor
seemed always on the point to be-
coming a complete success. Some
little thing was always lacking and
more money was always needed.
Many of his supporters finally lost
faith in him, yet interest in the mo-
tor continued, and he seems never
to have been completely out of
funds. His laboratory was never
thoroughly examined until after his
death. Then it was found that the
whole apparatus was fraud. His
"atomic energy" came from an en-
CINE in the cellar.
Transmutation of Metals.
The transmutation of metals has
been the source of hoaxes and de-
lusions almost as old as history.
This was long supposed to be the
principal occupation of the chem
lists, or alchemists, Of the Middle
ages, some of whom sOlemnly
claimed to have achieved it. The
delusion died hard-sO hard that it
lasted to a time when it is not be-
yond the bounds of possibility that
it can be transformed into accom-
plished fact. The feat is a simple
matter of knocking electrons out of
atoms-simple, that is to say,
though not so easy yet to do.
A favorite form of scientific hoax
if the adjective can be used at
Il in this connectiOn-haS to do
with attempts to predict the fu-
ture. So we find that there are,
and always have been, astrologers.
Even now intelligent persons may
be found who believe that the move
ments of the stars have very much
to do with the destinies of human
Individuals But this can scarcely
be called hoax, since it has never
rested upon claims which trained
scientist would accept.
If one attempts to list hoaxes and
decisions one soon finds oneself in
volved in a history of human CHI
canery and creduli:y. In this field
belong many marvellous "cures" for
the evils which affiict the human
race, all the way from touching for
the Kings evil" to uttering Doctor
Coue's famous phrase about the
daily improvement of ones health.
Blue glass, X-rays, hypnotism,
bloodless surgery and countless
other methods and devices have
been put to both legitimate and
Legitimate uses and it is often
hard to tell where science leaves
off and charlatanism begins.
All that. is sure is that anyone
who attempts to fool the public in
an interesting and sufficiently in
genious way. whether he digs up
prehistoric bean pot, invents per-
petual motion machine or produces
an infallible cure for hay fever, can
count on following.