PHILADELPHIA, July 4.—Early this morning there was a crowd of hopeful looking men gathered at the door of Inventor Keely’s famous motor shop. Many were holders of stock in the Motor Company, and they expected, in accordance with one of the company’s promises, to take a triumphant ride to New York behind the great 400-horse power vibratory engine. It had been predicted in circulars and newspapers that on July 4 the wonderful motor engine would whisk a train of Pullman palace cars from this city to New York in 40 minutes. Beyond the crowd at the door there was nothing about the shop to indicate that any event of unusual importance was due. The shop was dark and silent and there was not even a rag on the three-foot flag-staff at the peak of the roof. While two men were beating tattoos on the door with their canes, a second story window was raised and a man’s head came out.
“Where's Mr. Keely?"'
“When will the excursion start?”
“Do we get tickets here?”
“Where is the train?”
“Will we come back to-night?”
These were a few of the conundrums that struck the ears of the evidently astonished guardian of the place. “Who are you?” inquired the watchman, allowing his eyes to wander on the crowd and the baggage and the policemen and the grinning spectators on the opposite side of the street.
“We are stockholders,” answered half a dozen voices.
“Well, there ain't any meeting here today,” replied the watchman,
“Let me talk to him,” said the old man with the red necktie to his colleagues. They fell back and he addressed the man at the window.
“We are stockholders who are anxious to go to New York behind Mr. Keely’s new motor locomotive.”
“When”? asked the watchman.
“To day”? Now! At once!
The head ducked in and the crowd heard shrieks of laughter. A moment later the head reappeared and said: “Gentlemen, there will be no excursion from here today. The machine is not ready for work yet.”
The head disappeared, the window was closed, and the two dozen astonished and grievously disappointed stockholders went across the street, took a drink, and dispersed. [Published: July 5, 1883 Copyright © The New York Times]