The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1874-07-23
Correspondence Of tie Jc83;erson;Ian.
Philadelphia July 1S. 1874

ago. Alter reading myself, passed IL over to
that intended mother-in-law of mine. who
Immediately expired Said she dialent care
to live any longer. ;hink every son-in-iaw
should have copy of the ,JEFFERsoNIAN
and be tranquilizcd We congratulate the
Editor upon publishing such a valuable
and spicey iittle sheet and We feel confident
his name is immurtalizcd.
Now, Nr. Editor. | am TELEGRAPH
Operator and take great pride in the
profession. Every body has heard of the
Telegraph and at the present day it
seems TO have become sort Of commonplace
matter with all. But I doubt very much
whether the majority of yoar readers know
its discovery and have watched It's rise and
progress up To Its present greatness: and
III order to show them what 1t was twenty
four hundred Years ago. and what il now
Is, / nave prepared q short article upon the
subject
In the early history Of mans existence.
his knowledge must have been restricted 10
a few simple f:.c,s, presented directly to
his rla5efial or external senses.
The impoEGcralie phcaomema OF nature
cct.ld have cast bat dim shadow over
! his o5Scurca vision. and I'll exhibitions Of
the iuPgnJerable forces must have been
attributed To miraculous iaterpositiom. No
wonder then that the mysterious agent.
electricity. the most subtitle In nature should
Eave remained concealed for 50 long a time.
The earliest record vf It's existence dates no
further back than twenty four hundred
years.
Thalos, 4 celebrated Grecian philosopher.
i said 10 have been the first 20 discover
this marvellous agent. his discovery siinplv
demonstrated the existence Of an unknown
force or power. BY rubbing his hand
across piece of amber il impaired to it
mysterious power capable of attracting to
ITSELF light contiguous bodies This dis
covery. although simple, had treasured up
in 1t volumes of mystery. aad is simple
announcement MAS su4fcnt to i.nmortalize
the name Of Thales. This power derived
It's name fron the substance with which
i was first detected Amber in the
original Greek Is called eiec;ron, from
which The term Electricity 5 derived
The terms Magnetism, GalviRis.n. Vol
tsti>m. Far..tiaisln, &c. have no reference to
different substances, bat simply represent
the names OF individuals foremost in develop
ing their versatile powers. Magnetism
instead cf bein4 excited b. frclicn exists
inherently IN certain ore first discovered
BY Lagnc>s. IN Asia Minor. from whose
name the word Magnetism Is derived. This
ere : known by the familiar name of load
stone, and Is now extensively found in
various parts of the United States. and Is
freGHef,:iv c,.lle,l Magnetic ore.
F',avio DE }Ielf. = Eaar0litan. IN 1902
ingca.c,i al instrument called the Mariners
Compass. which opened q ucw era in
Navigation.
Before this aispicious event the way
seaman cautiously hug9ed the shore, and
dared not venture cut upon the trackless
Ocean. which was 20 li;m an imPasslble
barrier The compass opened 10 him a
new world With this unerring companion
he could boldly spread his canvass to the
breeze and pursue his onward course for
weeks and even months. leaving far. Tar,
behind hin every trace Of lahd, kslGwing
II al times his la:;tgde ard longitude. The
rhencmeaa of3gai-style Ike that Of amber,
presents 10 the behvlder a spectacle both
Grand and sublime. and TIE mind. uaaided
BIZ higher perc, I5sign. ilistilictircly inquiries
what Is il?
Although It's discovery dates back over
two thousand years, yet IS q science, i Is
only c9tempor;try with the nineteenth
ceutuary.
In I747. Benjamin Franklin entered
upon a thorough investigation Of the sub
iect. In 1881, lis investigations and
c,,rcr;nleu:g were embodied IN a series Of
letters. afterwards published, causing at the
time. great excitement both at home and
abroad.
In these letters he promulgated bis
theory identifying machine electricity with
the lightning Of the storui-cloud, differing
only in yoluna and degree. La accordance
with his sgsegestions tTo Frenchmen
Dolibard and Doloore each erected an
apparatus for extracting from the storm
cloud the dread Messenger. death, May
10Th. 1852 Dolibard succeeded in bringing
down the fiery Messenger. Eight days
after this experiment, the rod erected by
Doloore also presented similar phenomena.
Tie facts being unknown to Franklin he
too. was kliIlig IJf slililat ic>ibiH- an o'1
the I'd Of june, following. succeeded IN
bringing out from the suilen brow Of the
dark storin-cloud the errand boy Of the
nineteenth century, the greatest success
ever achieved by mortal man.
Franklin's apparatus consisted Of Kite,
protruding from the upper extremity was
netaiic pointed red while the lower end
was IN contact with hempen cord by which
il was raised. At the lover extremity Of
the cord hung key, 10 the ring Of the
kew was fastened silk ribbon by which
the hand sustained the kite, thus insulating
the attendant from the descending Dot
With this rude instrument at the approach
of a storm. he went out timidiy upon the
commons Of Philadelphia to solve mighty
O. ..t 1..sLl.Ea Lls lLlrle son