The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-08-21
A Talk About electricity.

| where their teacher was sitting. The
kind teacher laid down her book and
said "Well, Eddy, what is it that is
so curious ?"
"Why, / was rubbing this piece of
glass to make it bright, and when put
1t near some pieces of paper they came
right up to it, just as piece of iron
to magnet.
1t must be Magnet" said Phoebe.
81 thought, though, ithat they were al
ways of iron, and would attract nothing
else. Isn't it the strangest thing you
ever saw ?"
No, said the teacher, "it is not n
magnet, nor is it any stranger than that
the magnet should attract iron."
"Then what makes it draw the paper
to it ?"
"There are many other things be-
sides magnetism which tend to draw
bodies to each other. In this case it is
due to electricity"
But all glass doesn't attract paper !;
nor will this now," said Eddy, vainly
attempting to repeat the experiment.
mo; it is only when rubbed with
wooden silk or some such substance
that it will do SO. Electricity is of two
kinds, called positive and negative,
which exist in all bodies, generally III
neutral state, that is, as much of one
kind as another. When piece of glass
is rubbed with n wooden cloth, the fric-
ton separates the two electricities the
negative going to the cloth, while the
positive remains in the glass. Now,
because all bodies have n tendency to
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opposite and repels the same kind and
it is the same with any body which
is charged with electricity. Such bod
les will also attract those which are
neutral.
eff" said Joseph, call bodies con-
tain electricity, why do they not draw
the paper when rubbed? Iron or wood
will not"
because these bodies are conduct
ors-that is, they will allow the elec-
tricity to pass through them freely, and
as fast as the electricity is separated
one kind flows off through the hand or
whatever it rests on, while the other
kind flows into it, keeping it neutral
all the time. But glass is non-con-
ductor and will not allow the electricity
to escape readily. 1t is a partial con-
ductor, however, and if charged will
return slowly to a neutral state. This
was the case with the piece Eddy had,
when it would not pick up the bits of
paper.
"But 1 thought Electricity was fire."
said little Jennie. " Father says light
ming is Electricity, and it was lightning
that burnt Mr.. Mead's barn."
"When the tension of electricity is so
great as to cause it to pass through a
on-conducting substance 1t has the
appearance of sparks or, if the tension
is very great, or the resistance small, it
gases like flame. When at rest or
passing through conducting body, it
is invisible. If we were to rub a piece
of guttapercha or sealing-wax it would
become charged with negative cleo
tricity. Then if we should hold it near
a piece of glass, positively charged, the
tension would be so great that the
electricity would escape from one to
the other through the air, which is q
non conductor, in the form of sparks"
81 should think you might light
fire in that way" said Eddy.
$50 you could, replied the teacher.
NC D1OuuCtd ny all
electrical current not only to light fires,
but to melt metal and even turn it into
vapor, so that it will pass off into the
air like steam. The most brilliant arti-
fetal lights which can be produced are
made in the same way. In the case of
Mr.. Mead's barn, cloud charged per-
haps with negative electricity passed
over it. This would draw the positive
current to the surface of the ground,
and when the tension became great
enough the electricity would escape
from the cloud with loud report, and
striking the barn would of course set
il on fire. Sometimes it passes from
the earth to the cloud.
a" But can q spark be drawnfro any
thing that is electrified ?" asked Joseph.
eyes; and from anything through
which an electric current can be passed.
Wouldn't you think it strange to see
anyone touch off gun with piece of
ice ?"
How funny" exclaimed Eddy;
that? should think ice would put out
fire."
II have seen it done," said Miss Hor-
ton. Inc person VINO does 1T stands
on piece OF glass, and the gun is sus-
pended by silk cords. These substances
are non-conductors, and do not allow
the electricity to pass through them.
Then the cone OF the gun is connected
by wire to the negative pole of gall
vantic battery, an apparatus by which
electricity is produced. The person
who shoots the gun takes hold with one
hand of wire attached to the positive
pole, and with the other hand brings
piece of ice near the cone. A spark
will then pass between the ice and the
cone, which will ignite the powder and
shoot the gun. But as it is time for
school now, we cannot talk any longer
this time. Our FireSide Friend.
Harry's Chickens.
Sammy Brent lived way down
South, and was just as full of mischief
as a boy of thirteen could be. One
evening he came home after a ramble
through the woods and by the river. and
asked his brother Harry, who was eight