The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1881-09-30
CATS As LIGHTNING RODS.
New York TiMes,l

. New York Times.l
The fact that neither cats nor back
: fences are struck by lightning indicates
close relation between the two. 1t
suggests that either the fence protects
the cats Or the cats protect the fence.
> Professor Schmidt, in investigating
this matter, demonstrated to his com.
plete satisfaction that there is no self
protecting power inherent in back
fences. He found that spark from a
Laden jar could be passed directly
through any back fence, and on one
occasion, having placed Il section OF
back fence on the top of Il house, lie
actually saw it struck and totally des-
troycd by a thunderbolt. 1t was thus
made reasonably certain that tho i'm
m"nity from lightning enjoyed by back
FENCES Is due to the cats which constan-
tly intest them, and as cats arc never
struck by lightning it follows that there
must be something peculiar in their
electrical condition.
i NOW, every ono knows that u cat Is
simply full OF tho very best quality Of
positive electricity. II she is rubbed n
little In the dark the electricity streams
from her in shower of sparks. In
this respect she differs widely from all
other domestic animals. You may
hke pig or horse or Il COW into tho
dining-room closet and rub it for hours,
but 1t will not give out spark. The
electricity of the cat being positive, it is
OF the same 1ualityas the electricity Of
! the clouds. Electricians assure us that
Electricity of one kind is never attracted
byS-an object charged with the same
kind ofI electricity. Thus house, in
order to u struck by tho positive cleo
tricity Of thse clouds, must be charged
with negative Q electricity, and il by any
chance it is ftafsH Of positive electricity it
is perfectly safe. 1t is the positive cleo
trictty Of the cat which renders that
abie animal feinsYthe severest thunder
storm. The posiStive electricity of the
thunderbolt slidcoss Off the cat as easily
and safely as rai IN from tho back of n
duck. The ligt aiming of the clouds may
aim at cat aial day but it cannot hit
her, and whessrever that cat may be she
'iWili protect her immediate ncighbor-
hood from lightning not only rs wcll
but far better than any lightning rod.
This Is the reason why back fences
are never struck by lightning. AS II
rule they are hartllyever free from cats.
Professor Schmidt has made a calcula-
tion showing that every cat protects n
surface, the square root of which is
equal to three times the length of the
cat, including the tail. AS an average
q utt-grOWn cat measures eighteen
inches from tip to tip, she protects n
! surface OF 2,9l6 square inches, Or a scc-
, ton Of back fence 81 inches in length,
Thus, three cats and Il small kittcn,
arranged at equal intervals from ono to
another, arc amply sufficient to protect
the back fence OF an ordinary city lot
from lightning, and as an average of
- Ral- So,
bc found, we need not wonder that Our
back fences are safe.
IT Wo substitute for our lightning
rods, which are supposed to protect our
houses, but which rarely do protect
them, quantity OF cats, disasters from
lightning will be unknown. This
work Of protecting houses is the true
mission of the eat. Tho animal at
whom we aim boot jacks and bad Ian
guage when wc find her percllcd on
our roof is really rendering us IN impor-
tant service for which we owe her II
heavy debt of gratitude. Since Professor
Schmidt has made the grand discovery
OF the protective power OF eats we may
expect to sec II complete change Of pub
lie sentiment In relation to them. Our
insurance companies will insure no
houses which arc not well provided
with cats. On the roof of every house
will DO placed cat kennels witt, constant
supplies of milk aud tender mice, so as
to make home attractive to the cats.
The aim of every householder will be
TO have his roof fairly blossom with
cats, and the more he can induce to
reside permanently on his roof the
safer he will feel and ihc lower will be
his insurance premium. The day OF
triumph FOR cats has been long delayed
bnt it has como at last IIcrcaf fter,
whenever a thunder storm is in pro-
gress we shall find men and women
sitting with their arms full of cats and
invoking blessings on tho only sure
I protection against the bolts that laugh
/ at lightning amt mock feather.
, beds.
Now that lard is high and getting
2 higher, II tendency is being shown Il
y uso cotton seed oil in its stead fol
l frying purposes. 1t is used largely i,
some parts of Alabama and Othc
: portions of the South, and i5frcqucntlS
;. used in Europe, not that il is known n
cotton seed oil there, but under tho