Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-09-08

your dismal appetite for artificial scenery
and bring respite to my raging brain and
healing to my lacerated soul !" Wholly
unmoved-further than to smile sweetly-
this iron being simply turned back his
wristbands daintily and said he would now
proceed to hump himself" Well, all that
was nearly three hours ago. 1t is ques-
tionable whether am calm enough yet to
write on the noble theme of political econo-
my, but Icannot resist the desire to try, for
it is the one subject that is nearest to my
heart and dearest to my brain Of all this
worlds philosophy.
political economy 10 heavens best boon
to man" When the loose but gifted By
ron lay In his Venetian exile, he observed
that ii it could be granted him to go back
and live his misspent lite over again, he
would give his lucid and unintoxicated
intervals to the composition, not of frlvo-
lous rhymes. but OF essays upon political
economy. Washington loved this exqui.
site science such names as Baker, Beck
with, Judson, Smith, are imperishably
linked with 1t and even imperial Homer,
in the ninth book Of the Iliad, has said
Fiat justitia, rust calum,
Post norton mum, aute bellum,
Hic 5acet hoe, ex-parte res,
Politician, e-cnnomico est.
The grandeur OF these conceptions Of
the old poet, together with the felicity of
the wording which closes them and the
sublimity Of the imagery whereby they
are illustrated, have singled out that stan
"a and made it more celebrated than any
that ever
''Now, not word out of you-not q
single word. Just state your bill and re-
lapse into impenetrable silence for ever
and ever on these premises. Nine hun
dred dollars! Is that alli This cheque
for the amount will be honored at any re-
spectacle bank In America. What is that
multitude of people gathered in the street
forY How?-'looking at the lightning
rodsp Bless my life, did they never see
any lightning-rods before? Never saw
such sack of them on one establish
ment,' did l understand you to say2 will
step down and critically observe this pop
ular ebullition of ignorance"
THREE DAYS LATER.-We are all about
worn out. For four and twenty hours our
bristliDg premises were the talk and won
der of the town. The theatres languish-
ed, for their happiest scenic inventions
were tame and commonplace compared
with my lightning rods. Our street was
blocked night and day with epec.
tators, and among them were many
who came from the country to see.
1t was blessed relief, on the second
day, when thunder storm came up and
the lightning began to Ego for" my house,
~ the historian JOsephus quantity phRAsea
it. 1t cleared the galleries, 80 to speak.
In five minutes there was not q spectator
within half mile of my place; but all
the high houses about that distance away
were full, windows roofs, and all. And
well they might be, for ali the failing
stars and Fourth of July fireworks OF
generation put together and rained down
simultaneously out of heaven in one bril-
liant shower upon one helpless roof, would
not have any advantage OF the pyrotech-
mic display that was making my house SO
magnihcently conspicuous in the general
gloom Of the storm. By actual count the
lightning struck at my establishment
seven hundred and sixty-four times in
forty minutes, but trippe0 on one OF those
faithful rods every time and slid down
the spiral twist and shot into the earth
before it probably had time to be surpris.
ed at the way the thing WAS done. And
through all that bombardment only one
patch of states was ripped up, and that
was because for single instant the rods
in the vicinity were transporting all the
lightning they could possibly accom-
modate. Well, nothing was ever seen
like it since the world began. For one
whole day and night not member Of my
family stuck his head out of the window
but be got the hair snatched off 1t as
smooth as billiard ball. and If the reader
will believe me no. one Of US ever dreamt
of stirring abroad. But at last the awful
siege came TO an end-because there was
absolutely no more electricity left in the
clouds above us within grappling distance
of my unsuitable rods. Then I sailed
forth, and gathered daring workmen TO-
gether, and not bite or q nap did we
take till the premises were utterly strip
ped of all their terrific armament except
just three rods on the house, one On the
kitchen, and one On the barn and behold
these remain there even unto this day.
And then, and not till then, the people
ventured to use our street again. will
remark here, in passing, that during that
fearful time did not continue my essay
upon political economy. ! am not even
yet settled enough In nerve and brain TO
resume it.
To WHon 1T MAY CoNcERN.-Psrties having
need OF three thousand two hundred and eleven
feet of hest quality zincplated spiral twist hgh,
ming rod stuff, and sixtee1 hun red and thirfy-one
eilver-tipped points all In tUlerable repair land
although much worn by use, still equal TO any or
binary emergency, can hear Of O bargain by ad
dressing the publishers OF this magasine.-IA'
GALAXY.