“BOTTLED SUNSHINE.”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 30, 20 September 1911, Page 8

“BOTTLED SUNSHINE.”

The American swindle contindes to make the rest of the world wonder how it is that, a people who pride themselves on being the “smartest nation on earth” can ho taken in so easily and so often. For invention and audacity ha has no equal. Recently, there appeared in Now York a concern styled tlfo Sun Electric Generator Company. Its shares were in good demand, and the company secured something like £200,000. All this is not very surprising; it is when one comes to the objects of the company that ono wonders. Briefly, the capital was to ho invested in a machine for bottling sunshine. To understand the full significance of this, it is necessary to consult one of the company's’ circulars, which reads: — “To catch the sun’s light, bottle it, and have it on tap to he turned on and off at will, is the latest feat of American inventive genius. Our new machine docs more, it derives from the sun’s rays a form of energy transformable into heat and power, as well as light, etc., etc.” In at least three towns the company possessed phints. Over those the investor would be ’eon-, ducted and shown the sets of mirrows which concentrated the sun’s rays, before they were secretly treated so as to transfer the energy to jars, and thence to the bottles. Incandescent lights were attached to tho jars, and the gentleman who was doing the talking would demonstrate his remarks by switching on the lights. Needless to say tho investor did not notice the secret electric battery which did tho work claimed for the newlyextracted “energy.” After £200,000 worth of stock had been bought, a ’sceptical citizen informed tho authorities, and arrests followed. Tho scheme appears to have little to commend it save its marvellous audacity. In his “Get-rich-quick Wallingford” series, which have brought Mr G: N. Chester to tho front as an American magazine writer, a dozen more plausible swindles have been described. One can only marvel at the gullibility' of tho American investor.