The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mr. Chipfellow's Jackpot
    
This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and
most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online
at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States,
you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located
before using this eBook.

Title: Mr. Chipfellow's Jackpot

Author: Dick Purcell

Release date: December 13, 2009 [eBook #30670]
                Most recently updated: January 5, 2021

Language: English

Credits: Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
        Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. CHIPFELLOW'S JACKPOT ***




Produced by Greg Weeks, Stephen Blundell and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net









 Being one of the richest men in the world, it
 was only natural that many people anticipated
 the day he would die. For someone should claim--

                        Mr. Chipfellow's Jackpot

                                  _by
                             Dick Purcell_


"I'm getting old," Sam Chipfellow said, "and old men die."

His words were an indirect answer to a question from Carter Hagen, his
attorney. The two men were standing in an open glade, some distance from
Sam Chipfellow's mansion at Chipfellow's Folly, this being the name Sam
himself had attached to his huge estate.

Sam lived there quite alone except for visits from relatives and those
who claimed to be relatives. He needed no servants nor help of any kind
because the mansion was completely automatic. Sam did not live alone
from choice, but he was highly perceptive and it made him uncomfortable
to have relatives around with but one thought in their minds: _When are
you going to die and leave me some money?_

Of course, the relatives could hardly be blamed for entertaining this
thought. It came as naturally as breathing because Sam Chipfellow was
one of those rare individuals--a scientist who had made money; all kinds
of money; more money than almost anybody. And after all, his relatives
were no different than those of any other rich man. They felt they had
rights.

Sam was known as The Genius of the Space Age, an apt title because there
might not have been any space without him. He had been extremely
versatile during his long career, having been responsible for the
so-called eternal metals--metal against which no temperature, corrosive,
or combinations of corrosives would prevail. He was also the pioneer of
telepower, the science of control over things mechanical through the
electronic emanations of thought waves. Because of his investigations
into this power, men were able to direct great ships by merely
"thinking" them on their proper courses.

[Illustration]

These were only two of his contributions to progress, there being many
others. And now, Sam was facing the mystery neither he nor any other
scientist had ever been able to solve.

Mortality.

There was a great deal of activity near the point at which the men
stood. Drills and rock cutters had formed three sides of an enclosure in
a ridge of solid rock, and now a giant crane was lowering thick slabs of
metal to form the walls. Nearby, waiting to be placed, lay the slab
which would obviously become the door to whatever Sam was building. Its
surface was entirely smooth, but it bore great hinges and some sort of a
locking device was built in along one edge.

Carter Hagen watched the activity and considered Sam's reply to his
question. "Then this is to be a mausoleum?"

Sam chuckled. "Only in a sense. Not a place to house my dead bones if
that's what you mean."

Carter Hagen, understanding this lonely old man as he did, knew further
questions would be useless. Sam was like that. If he wanted you to know
something, he told you.

So Carter held his peace and they returned to the mansion where Sam gave
him a drink after they concluded the business he had come on.

Sam also gave Carter something else--an envelope. "Put that in your
safe, Carter. You're comparatively young. I'm taking it for granted you
will survive me."

"And this is--?"

"My will. All old men should leave wills and I'm no exception to the
rule. When I'm dead, open it and read what's inside."

       *       *       *       *       *

Carter Hagen regarded the envelope with speculation. Sam smiled. "If
you're wondering how much I left you, Carter, I'll say this: You might
get it all."

Hagen strove to appear nonchalant but his eyes widened regardless. Sam
enjoyed this. He said, "Yes, you'll have as much chance as anyone else."

"You mean as much chance as any of your relatives?"

"I mean what I said--as much as anyone. I've given them no more
consideration than anyone else."

Carter Hagen stared, puzzled. "I'm afraid I don't understand you."

"I didn't expect you to, but that will come later. I'll tell you this
much, though. No one will be barred. The winner will take all, and the
winner may be anyone on this planet. My one regret is that I won't be
around to see who gets the jackpot."

Carter Hagen dutifully pocketed the will and left. He returned on other
business a week later. Sam Chipfellow's first question was, "Well, what
did you think of it?"

"Think of what?"

"My will."

Carter Hagen straightened to an indignant five-foot-six. "Mr.
Chipfellow, I don't like having my integrity questioned. Your will was
in a sealed envelope. You instructed me to read it after your death. If
you think I'm the sort of man who would violate a trust--"

Sam put a drink into his attorney's hand. "Here, take this. Calm down."

Carter Hagen gulped the drink and allowed his feathers to smooth down.
As he set down his glass, Sam leaned back and said, "Now that that's
over, let's get on with it. Tell me--what did you think of my will?"

The attorney flushed. It was no use trying to fool Chipfellow. He was a
master at that damned thought business. "I--I did look at it. I couldn't
resist the temptation. The envelope was so easily opened."

Sam was regarding him keenly but without anger. "I know you're a crook,
Hagen, but no more so than most people. So don't sit there cringing."

"This will is--well, amazing, and getting an advance look didn't help me
a bit unless--" Hagen looked up hopefully. "--unless you're willing to
give me a slight clue--"

"I'll give you nothing. You take your chances along with the rest."

Hagen sighed. "As to the will itself, all I can say is that it's bound
to cause a sensation."

"I think so too," Sam said, his eyes turning a trifle sad. "It's too bad
a man has to die just at the most interesting point of his life."

"You'll live for years, Mr. Chipfellow. You're in fine condition."

"Cut it out. You're itching for me to shuffle off so you can get a crack
at what I'm leaving behind."

"Why, Mr.--"

"Shut up and have another drink."

       *       *       *       *       *

Carter Hagen did not have long to wait as life-times go. Eighteen months
later, Sam Chipfellow dropped dead while walking in his garden. The news
was broadcast immediately but the stir it caused was nothing to the
worldwide reaction that came a few days later.

This was after all the relatives, all those who thought they had a faint
chance of proving themselves relatives, and representatives of the
press, radio, and video, gathered in the late Sam Chipfellow's mansion
to hear the reading of the will. Carter Hagen, seeking to control his
excitement, stood before a microphone installed for the benefit of those
who couldn't get in.

He said, "This is the last will and testament of Samuel Chipfellow,
deceased. As his lawyer, it becomes my duty to--"

An angry murmur went up from those assembled. Exclamations of
impatience. "Come on! Get on with it. Quit making a speech and read the
will, we can't wait all day!"

"Quiet, please, and give me your closest attention. I will read slowly
so all may hear. This is Mr. Chipfellow's last testament:

"_I, Samuel B. Chipfellow, have made a great deal of money during my
active years. The time now comes when I must decide what will become of
it after my death. I have made my decision, but I remain in the peculiar
position of still not knowing what will become of it. Frankly, I'm of
the opinion that no one will ever benefit from it--that it will remain
in the place I have secreted it until the end of time._"

A murmur went up from the crowd.

"A treasure hunt!" someone cried. "I wonder if they'll distribute maps!"

Carter Hagen raised his hand. "Please! Let's have a little more order or
the reading will not continue."

The room quieted and Hagen's droning voice was again raised:

"_This place consists of a vault I have had erected upon my grounds.
This vault, I assure you, is burglar-proof, weather-proof,
cyclone-proof, tornado-proof, bomb-proof. Time will have no effect upon
its walls. It could conceivably be thrown free in some great volcanic
upheaval but even then the contents would remain inaccessible._

"_There is only one way the vault can be opened. Its lock is sensitized
to respond to a thought. That's what I said--a thought. I have selected
a single, definite, clear-cut thought to which the combination will
respond._

"_There is a stone bench in front of the vault door and I decree that
any person who wishes, may sit down on this bench and direct his or her
thought at the door. If it is the correct one, the door will open and
the person causing this to happen shall then be the possessor of all my
worldly wealth which lies inside._

"_Because of the number of persons who will no doubt wish to try their
luck, I decree further that each shall be given thirty seconds in which
to project their thought. A force of six men shall be hired to supervise
the operation and handle the crowds in the neighborhood of the vault. A
trust fund has been already set up to pay this group. The balance of my
wealth lies awaiting the lucky thinker in the vault--all save this
estate itself, an item of trifling value in comparison to the rest,
which I bequeath to the State with the stipulation that the other terms
of the will are rigidly carried out._

"_And so, good luck to everyone in the world. May one of you succeed in
opening my vault--although I doubt it. Samuel B. Chipfellow. P.S. The
thought-throwing shall begin one week after the reading of the will. I
add this as a precaution to keep everyone from rushing to the vault
after this will is read. You might kill each other in the stampede. S.
B. C._"

There was a rush regardless. Reporters knocked each other down getting
to the battery of phones set up to carry the news around the world. And
Sam Chipfellow's will pushed all else off the video screens and the
front pages.

       *       *       *       *       *

During the following weeks, millions were made through the sale of
Chipfellow's thought to the gullible. Great commercial activity began in
the area surrounding the estate as arrangements were made to accommodate
the hundreds of thousands who were heading in that direction.

A line began forming immediately at the gate to Chipfellow's Folly and a
brisk market got under way in positions therein. The going figure of the
first hundred positions was in the neighborhood of ten thousand dollars.
A man three thousand thoughts away was offered a thousand dollars two
days before the week was up, and on the last day, the woman at the head
of the line sold her position for eighteen thousand dollars.

There were many learned roundtables and discussions as to the nature of
Chipfellow's thought. The majority leaned to the belief that it would be
scientific in nature because Chipfellow was the world's greatest
scientist.

This appeared to give scientifically trained brains the edge and those
fortunate in this respect spent long hours learning what they could of
Chipfellow's life, trying to divine his performance in the realm of
thought.

So intense was the interest created that scarcely anyone paid attention
to the activities of Chipfellow's closer relatives. They sued to break
the will but met with defeat. The verdict was rendered speedily, after
which the judge who made the ruling declared a recess and bought the
eleven thousandth position in line for five hundred dollars.

On the morning of the appointed day, the gates were opened and the line
moved toward the vault. The first man took his seat on the bench. A
stopwatch clicked. A great silence settled over the watchers. This
lasted for thirty seconds after which the watch clicked again. The man
got up from the bench eighteen thousand dollars poorer.

The vault had not opened.

Nor did it open the next day, the next, nor the next. A week passed, a
month, six months. And at the end of that time it was estimated that
more than twenty-five thousand people had tried their luck and failed.

Each failure was greeted with a public sigh of relief--relief from both
those who were waiting for a turn and those who were getting rich from
the commercial enterprises abutting upon the Chipfellow estate.

There was a motel, a hotel, a few night clubs, a lot of restaurants, a
hastily constructed bus terminal, an airport and several turned into
parking lots at a dollar a head.

The line was a permanent thing and it was soon necessary to build a
cement walk because the ever-present hopeful were standing in a ditch a
foot deep.

There also continued to be an active business in positions, a group of
professional standers having sprung up, each with an assistant to bring
food and coffee and keep track of the ever fluctuating market in
positions.

And still no one opened Chipfellow's vault.

It was conceded that the big endowment funds had the inside track
because they had the money to hire the best brains in the world; men who
were almost as able scientifically as had been Chipfellow himself but
unfortunately hadn't made as much money. The monied interests also had
access to the robot calculators that turned out far more plausible
thoughts than there were positions in the line.

A year passed. The vault remained locked.

       *       *       *       *       *

By that time the number of those who had tried and failed, and were
naturally disgruntled, was large enough to be heard, so a rumor got
about that the whole thing was a vast hoax--a mean joke perpetrated upon
the helpless public by a lousy old crook who hadn't any money in the
first place.

Vituperative editorials were written--by editors who had stood in line
and thrown futile thoughts at the great door. These editorials were
vigorously rebutted by editors and columnists who as yet had not had a
chance to try for the jackpot.

One senator, who had tried and missed, introduced a law making it
illegal to sit on a stone bench and hurl a thought at a door.

There were enough congressional failures to pass the law. It went to the
Supreme Court, but was tossed out because they said you couldn't pass a
law prohibiting a man from thinking.

And still the vault remained closed.

Until Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, farm people impoverished by reverses, spent
their last ten dollars for two thoughts and waited out the hours and the
days in line. Their daughter Susan, aged nine, waited with them,
passing the time by telling her doll fairy tales and wondering what the
world looked like to a bird flying high up over a tree top. Susan was
glad when her mother and father reached the bench because then they all
could go home and see how her pet rabbit was doing.

Mr. Wilson hurled his thought and moved on with drooping shoulders. Mrs.
Wilson threw hers and was told to leave the bench. The guard looked at
Susan. "Your turn," he said.

"But I haven't got any thought," Susan said. "I just want to go home."

This made no sense to the guard. The line was being held up. People were
grumbling. The guard said, "All right, but that was silly. You could
have sold your position for good money. Run along with your mother and
father."

Susan started away. Then she looked at the vault which certainly
resembled a mausoleum and said, "Wait--I have too got a little thought,"
and she popped onto the bench.

The guard frowned and snapped his stop watch.

Susan screwed her eyes tight shut. She tried to see an angel with big
white wings like she sometimes saw in her dreams and she also tried to
visualize a white-haired, jolly-faced little man as she considered Mr.
Chipfellow to be. Her lips moved soundlessly as she said,

_Dear God and all the angels--please have pity on poor Mr. Chipfellow
for dying and please make him happy in heaven._

Then Susan got off the bench quickly to run after her mother and father
who had not waited.

There was the sound of metal grinding upon metal and the great door was
swinging open.


THE END




Transcriber's Note:

    This etext was produced from _Imagination_ April 1956. Extensive
    research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on
    this publication was renewed. Minor spelling and typographical
    errors have been corrected without note.





End of Project Gutenberg's Mr. Chipfellow's Jackpot, by Dick Purcell



*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. CHIPFELLOW'S JACKPOT ***


    

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will
be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright
law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works,
so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United
States without permission and without paying copyright
royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part
of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™
concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark,
and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following
the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use
of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for
copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very
easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation
of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project
Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may
do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected
by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark
license, especially commercial redistribution.


START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project Gutenberg™ License available with this file or online at
www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg™
electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg™
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in your
possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a
Project Gutenberg™ electronic work and you do not agree to be bound
by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
Gutenberg™ electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg™
electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the
Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection
of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the collection are in the public domain in the United
States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the
United States and you are located in the United States, we do not
claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing,
displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as
all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope
that you will support the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting
free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg™
works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the
Project Gutenberg™ name associated with the work. You can easily
comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the
same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg™ License when
you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are
in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States,
check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing,
distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any
other Project Gutenberg™ work. The Foundation makes no
representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any
country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other
immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg™ License must appear
prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg™ work (any work
on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the
phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed,
performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

    This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most
    other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions
    whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms
    of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online
    at www.gutenberg.org. If you
    are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws
    of the country where you are located before using this eBook.
  
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is
derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not
contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the
copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in
the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are
redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project
Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply
either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or
obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg™
trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg™ electronic work is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms
will be linked to the Project Gutenberg™ License for all works
posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the
beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg™
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg™.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg™ License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including
any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access
to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg™ work in a format
other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official
version posted on the official Project Gutenberg™ website
(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense
to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means
of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain
Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the
full Project Gutenberg™ License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg™ works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works
provided that:

    • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
        the use of Project Gutenberg™ works calculated using the method
        you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed
        to the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, but he has
        agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid
        within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are
        legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty
        payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project
        Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in
        Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg
        Literary Archive Foundation.”
    
    • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
        you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
        does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™
        License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all
        copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue
        all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™
        works.
    
    • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of
        any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
        electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of
        receipt of the work.
    
    • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
        distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.
    

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than
are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of
the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set
forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project
Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may
contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate
or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or
other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or
cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right
of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you
with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in
lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second
opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If
the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing
without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO
OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the
agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or
limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or
unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the
remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in
accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™
electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses,
including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of
the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this
or any Project Gutenberg™ work, (b) alteration, modification, or
additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg™ work, and (c) any
Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg™

Project Gutenberg™ is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg™’s
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg™ collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg™ and future
generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification
number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by
U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 809 North 1500 West,
Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up
to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website
and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread
public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND
DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state
visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg™ electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg™ concept of a library of electronic works that could be
freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and
distributed Project Gutenberg™ eBooks with only a loose network of
volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg™ eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in
the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper
edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search
facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg™,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.