Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-07-27
ITEMS FROM UNION.
Reply to observer the end"

Reply to observer the end"
In last weeks issue of the News l
read an article over the nom deLllHle
Of Observer the End, charging me
with having branded ali dealers in
rods as guilty of fraud" If the wri-
ter had based the above on the mean
ing and context of my article | thiuk
he would come to a different cOnclu-
sion. In speaking of the lightning
rods on Mr.. Gerstie's house | SAID, in
my communication of the 18th INST,
they Will do for ornaments like other
fantastic novelties or humbugs of the
age, but keep such things away from
Us in the hour of danger, and contin-
ucd in the next sentence "a gentleman
from b. put them up, &C." using the
prOnOun they in the first sentence and
the pronoun them in the second. 1t
can thus be readily seen that My
structures or comment on the accident
to Mr.. G's. house were used in quail
fed manner and with direct reference
to the party from whom the rods
were purchased and not used in gen
eric sense, as observer the End. ar
ticies implies. | would, indeed, dis
like to hold a number of men III the
same business ameuable TO the actions
OF one. Every tub stands on its own
bottom" [ will i'm this connection
preface my remarks by saying that
there are as many gentlemen engal ed
in this business as any Other-but they
are not the men against whom | write.
| speak of men and persons who false
ly represent their rods, like this party
who scld to Mr.. G.. Ny honorable
adversary accuses me of a LACK #
technical knowledge | must, in a
certain sense, own the soft impeach-
ment, and in eXtenuatIon thereof
state that my confidence is not in my
own abilities, that would be a poor
/ pititul reliance. but it is in the cause
| adVOcate-truth and her eternal evil
denceS. [ denOunce the man or num-
Der Of men that sells such All article as
lightning rod, knowing it at the
time to be spurious, and hence DAN
gerUus, whilst you advocate their
cause. My friend will please bear in
mind that | am not so foolish as to try
| to combat or cOntrOvert the scientific
| principle on which the use of rods is
I based. | attack not the TuLe but the
abuse of it. The following requisites
are essential to make rod safe and a
necessary protector to house viz
lst. 1t should be properly adjusted.
| 2nd. It should be placed in moist
ground or water. Sd. Du Fay says
| copper rods are better conductors Of
| the electric fluid than iron, that cop
| periods shOulds be at least three
| fourth of an inch in thickness or di-
ameter, and iron at least one inch
/ thick. 4th. That a rod on top should
! contain a spike with several points
aud covered with metal not likely 10
rust, as gold, pIatina, or silver. 9Th.
That rod put up in this manner will
! protect a circle of the radius OF twice
It's length above the building. \ rod,
say, 10 feet above the building will
protect d space ~ feet from ii in every
direction. But let ME ask the gentle
men how many rods are placed to
houses throughout the country in the
manner above described? | would
venture to assert without fear of sue
cessful contradiction that there is not
one-i0urth. If the party who sells the
rods GETS hIs pay he cares but little for
the result of his Job. Ii my scientific
y
whirlwind and directing the storm Of
popular sentiment in hls favor, would
descend into the sober and more con-
genial realms of common sense he
would come to the honest conclusion
that most OF the rods now offered for
sale are spurious and not what they
are represented to be by many I'M
scrupulous persons. But probably my
l., q I, .,
business, and if so, he may view this
question from rather mercenary
stand point. If you are engaged in
the rod business do you, when you
offer your rods for sale, explain to the
buyer the principles of electrical ac-
traction ; of the difference between
electrics and non -electrics Of the diff
ference between positive and negative
electricity? DO you explain the dam
ger in having the rod too small and
not properly put on the building?
Oh no, If you talk about this sort Of
thing the purchaser will begin 10 study
and say to himself "weil this is rath-
or n dangerous business--the rod has
to be certain size, the points of the
genuine material, the rod must be adj
justed properly, must have proper
ground cOnnectiOns-if all these things
are not done the rod, when overcharg-
ed with the electric fluid, will repel
part of the burden and my house icing
the nearest conductor, the quantity
repelied will waste its fury on it. But
the seller tells Inc the rod has all these
essentials, and maybe the motive he
has in view is merc6naTy one to
make money, and this is Il powerful
Incentive. What am | to rely>on ?
viii l allow what the slick tongued
vender calls shield of safety go up TO
house, when. if spurious, 1t becomes
as dangerous. as powder magazine?
because the rod attracts the lightning
when it comes within a certain radius,
whereas, if have no rod the light.
ming may pass on and not harm me -
Yea, this man or straw" invites
the enemy to combat and then cannot
compete with him. 1t is thus the
masses of the people will reason with
you if you explain both sides of this
interesting subject, instead of giving
eXparte explanations as Is generally
done. Mr.. q. was told that the rods
he purchased were the best in use, the
plice for them by the Agent being
forty cents per foot, with extra char
ges for points.
will answer one or two more of
the gentleman's assertions and then
conclude, as | fear l have already
taken up too much of your valuable
space. He asks me what would have
been the result if there had been no
rods on Mr.. G's house? l think it Is
more than probable that the house
would never have been touched
Why? Because the attractive powers
Of the rod is much greater than that
of the house, it actracts the
electric fluid twice the length of itself
tho rOdA obnN-o thu