The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1879-11-06

tlOns 10 tne gcubtuhh Uy UOWlng 70 kuu
him. Eliza expressed her feel
ings in the premises, not only in the
stated, but by tossing her head
contemporary, and derisively saying:
"Gas, ehf / sh'd like to know what
kind Of gas. HIM, faint house gas, !
know"
. She didn't say this directly to, but at
the gentleman, switching her drea and
curling her lips as she spoke.
Understanding your meaning, mad
anne, in respect to house gas as you
term il" said the gentleman, smiling, 'I
would say that that is the kind of gas
ordinarily employed in balloons-coal
gas"
"Cold gas-hai hal hal Well, tain't
likely they'd use hot gas, mister, and
have the balloon ON fire! Can't you tell
US something elsef' ~ - s4aI
Jane looked at her appealingly, but
the look might as we'll have been di-
rected at the balloon. Eliza was in q
belligerent mood.
'You misunderstood me, madame.
Coal and not cold gas-gas evolved from
coal" and the gentleman pronounced the
two words very distinctly.
''Gas revolved from coal!- You can
tell real funny stories, can't you, mis-
terT'-c confident that the gentleman was
running saw on her and Jane, so to
speak, or, as she would have expressed it,
"trying to stuff them up" she was de-
termined to let him know that she was
cup to snuff" as it were, and not to be
"fooled," hence her derisive and ironical
utterance.
, HYou are in i'll humor, Eliza. The
gentleman was very kind, Pm sure, to
give us the information he did. Pm
thankful, myself, and Jane glanced her
thanks to the gentleman.
"Oh, you are, Ell? Well, let him tell
how coal gas if there is any such
stuff. makes balloon go up, and II be
thankful too" ~ -l9il -a
2 The speaker tossed her head and
showed Very plainly no fear of being
compelled to pay tribute to the gentle
man in the shape of thanks. 2E
- "Simply, madame, because the gas is
Fighter than air" the gentleman re-
sponded. ''''' .'il'7a7'
Fighter than airl' To Jane: IT
spose you're thanful for that most ridic-
u1ous piece of nonsensep Very sarcas-
tic she was, but turned at once upon the
gentleman: "Now, amt you smart,
mister. Coal gas lighter than air. Hal
hal hal-the ideap
l"Most assuredly it is, madame"
"Tain't no such thing, now. know
you. You're trying to stuff US up, but
you can't do it-not me you can'tP and
she looked superior to the vain arts of
the 'ttpfef,f T1HQ TTYifgI II !
I"Iamhat trying TO stuff you, madame,
I assure you. 1 simply state a fact, that
is all us.in saying that gas is lighter, than
air"
y "You get out; you can't fool me,
tell YOU. Nothing is lighter than air,
nothing-the ideal How can it bei Ali
don't weigh nothing, and what can be
lighterp tA
"Some things that you can zoe, mad.
anne, are lighter than air-clouds and
smoke, for instance."3
Eliza was tethered, az il were, but
kicked, nevertheless
"Well, them things s'pose IA. Any.
how, clouds stay up In the air, and
smoke'll go up. But balloons, baskets
and people in 'em amt lighter'n air
anyhow, if gas is. l guess you can't gil
over tHhb, now anu CllLd lcls CoiAoSloui
of victory, if looks went for anything.
"You are right there, madame '--hel
eyes sparkled and flashed with satisfac
tion-aa but gas is 80 much lighter thar
air that it will lift weight in proper
ton to, the amount confined A largei
balloon than that, filled, would take uI
a larger number Of, persons, or greater
weight of any thing understand? 2?
Jane nodded afirmatively, while Eliz,
looked iiicredulously and defiant. .a
HIM she sneered, then, spos'
you'd, tell US that's balloon big enough
could carry up this big hotel and all th'
Most assuredly, madame" l
An incredulous and derisive smil
played on ELIAS lips. -1.e -1
"What whopper! The most ridieu
lous thing ever heard of in all my borl
thankful for that, too-h mp To tn
gentleman: :" Why, you must take u
for fools, mister! Biemby you'll be tell
ing us how heavy air is, gas being $
very lghtlo Dol Be funny, now, AM
tell u.s." L1.1l..t
"Iwill, madame. Air is compare
lively heavy fluid, and its weight can b
increased within certain space or de
creased. You can rarity or expand
compress or squeeze it, so to speak"
"There, mister, that's too funny fo
any thing. Squeeze airl Ha! hal ha
Well, IL you amt the funniest man
ever saw / wouldn't say sol Amt yo
thankful, Jane, to him for telling us tina
air can be squeezed7 How I'll make tn
Hackensack peoples eyes stick out whe
/ tell 'em how heavy air is, and how i
can be squeezed. Ny! won't they thin
me scientific, thought
Jane, as little informed as Eliza in rt
gard to the subject expounded by tn
gentleman, but who felt that he wa
honestly stating the facts for the in
formation of herself and Eliza, agai
cast an appealing glance at the lattel
who, riding the high horse of disputs
ton, needed not the glance.
Smiling and unruffled, the gentlema
continued:
eyes, madame, air is not only fiui
of weight, and capable of being CON
pressed or squeezed, but its pressur
upon you and and all things is som,
thing tremendous quite number {
pounds to the square inch of surface
madame. Were it otherwise-were yo
relieved of this pressure you would fl
off into space like rocket"
"There, mister, now stop; do, fl
mercy's sake, or I shall die a Twin
, being. You are just to awfully funny fl
any thing. You are-such a funny mai
: But now, serious, mister, don't make
: fool of yourself any longer trying to fo
] us. You may her, but you can't me fl
cent? won't have it Now you je
!. tell me how we could git up when lyiil
1 down if air pressed on us so tremendo'
5 as you say. How could We walk, go u
stairs, do anything, I'd jes like
! knowf l guess I've got you no
8 misterp - I. 81
{, E" The explanation is, madame, tn