The development of the greatest of all countries--the United States of America--is a most prolific source and cause of inventions. After the Civil War had proven that equality and freedom were not mere figures of speech, but that they were real, substantial blessings to be enjoyed by all American citizens, a great stimulus to inventive genius was given. The brains responded to the call for improvement and development. The winnings from mining, the rewards from manufacture, the profits to be derived in the thousand and one forms of commerce and the handsome payments to be derived from agriculture, lumbering, cattle raising, fruit culture, etc., were the strongest possible incentives to the exercise of brains and inventive ingenuity. Manufacture and commerce were fostered and developed by rapid transportation. Railroads and steamships soon ran wherever needed. Prosperity and happiness were the natural results of this wholesale national activity. The machinery of warfare, such as marine fortifications, great guns and war vessels, was installed and maintained at an enormous expense. It is not too much to say that America’s prosperity has aroused the greatest possible interest in European countries. They have made the most strenuous exertions in order to compete in the world’s trade marts. STIMULUS TO INVENTIVE GENIUS. A long period of universal peace has made it possible to keep up inventive investigation and experimenting with marvelously fruitful results. Up to the present time more than ONE MILLION PATENTS have been issued for the United States alone. Truly a marvelous record! PERPETUAL MOTION--THE STUDY OF AGES. In every age inventors have dreamed of that problem of problems--Perpetual Motion. It is a problem that has exhausted the mind, purse and patience of thousands of inventors. Almost every one has heard of some one else’s interest in this great subject. But history shows that the study of perpetual motion has been tinctured with charlatanism. Fakirs have from time to time shown contrivances which seemed to solve the problem, but were delusions and humbugs pure and simple, as they were gotten up to delude the public and deceive investors. The notorious Keely Motor was but one case of many. Notwithstanding the enormous amount of unsuccessful effort and study in an endeavor to solve Perpetual Motion there are yet many enthusiastic students earnestly laboring in the field. There is one great Perpetual Motion. It is Nature’s own handiwork, and the only successful human attempt is exemplified in Bangerter’s marvelously combined clockwork in which the silent forces of Nature are harnessed to carry out immutable laws. Similar attempts had already been undertaken by scientific men, but without success, until Friedrich Bangerter touched the true keynote. WHEN NATURE IS READY.