The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-07-30


fC0NTJSJTp From FIRST rkoTN
top. Ailar that apparatus had been put
up. Il Vas !ef; alone luc :, little time. NJ!
guarded. Fortunately. before the man
went 10 put his weight on the rope. he
CHANGED to examine il and found that the
strap OF the block had been clearly cut
ON the under side there there was every
chance of the mischief passing unob-
served. Had the man trusted his weight
to it. he would have fallen to the street
and been dashed to pieces 1t could not
he positively known who did the cutting
but | have strong belief on the >ubiec,
myself"
= Are not the practices of the light
ming rod peddlerS having some effect i'll
deterling people. through fear of being
yictimiZed. from such increase of Use of
rods rs might otherwise he expected from
the growth of the country: the reporter
asked.
We'll no: think not. replied the
manufacturer. The use of lightning
rods has increased steadily ever since
Franklin discovered their usefulness
There are now three large factories in
Philadelphia. Chicago and ST. Louis,
are an almost infinite number of smaller
concerns. We manufacture great deal
for Mexico South America. and the
West Indies. In the latter country they
want the best. have had to furnish tol
these specially constructed points or tips
heavily plated with platinum. which
cost $50 each. All the tips are supposed
to be pointed with platinum or gold
plated, but very often they are simply
brass. or covered with a yellow wash
that is the sort which the peddlers very
often sell. Good ordinary tips are worth.
manufacturers prices, 81 or 81 each: iron
rods about s cents per foot: copper rods
from to 20 cents: insulators. or trim
mings, al the rate of from | !. OF , cents
up to II cents per foot on the length Ol
rod employed We do not send any light
ning-rods to Europe. The best protect
ed building in New York. | think, is the
churches of st. Lee and st. Bernard arc
also we'll roddcd. The Cooper Institute
is well supplied with lightning-rods
which were intelligently provided for III
the original construction Of the building
by the making of IL small well-hole, from
the roof TO the ground, inside OF the edi.
tice-near where the elevator now is
through which they run down. The
best rodded private residence | know o
is that of Mr.. Moses Taylor, at Elberton
near Long Branch. 1t was a good thing
for both the public and the lightning rod
men when the discovery was made that
lightning always went for angles and
sharp projections of buildings, so that
rods were required at each corner tC
make the house really safe. What with
circuits, four ground connections. added
tips. etc. the bill for rodding a house
ought to be satisfactory to the man who
makes it out, and the results ought to
satisfy the man who pays it.
4 iightning-rod man came down t.
Uncle Dan'l Drew once with note from
some professor at the theological college
that he was interested in, suggesting
that the college should be rodded
What will it cost asked Uncle Dan'l
! cannot say positively, said the man,
until have measured it, but may he
as much as $500, or possibly, even $500.
oh. That's all right; 90 ahead, said
Uncle Dan'l, and lie gave him a written
order. The work was done and the bill
was sent in for 81 800 Uncle Dan de-
clared he wouldn' t pay it: that the man
who took the order said it would be only
S4O0 or 800. All" said the bland
gentleman who came TO collect. we can,
not be responsible for the mistakes and
bad judgment Of our employees. Uncle
Dan, had us send Il man to the college
To sec if they had actually put up As
many feet Of rod as they claimed. He
found the building overland with rods
until it looked as if it was in big cage.
That Professor would not let him dig to
ascertain what the ground connections
We're. but he did pull up one ground rod
on the sly. and found AT the bottom of :,
deep hole eighteen feet of rod coiled up:
Uncle Dan'l evidently paid the bill, but
never heard of his buying any more
iightning-rods.
1t will not do to be too economical
i'll ground connections, however as that
Egyptian official was who put lightning
rod on his powder magazine, but deemed
it nonsense to carry it down to the
ground, the result of which was that on
the occasion of the first thunder storm
that magazine was spread over about
forty acres of ground, more or less, and
his faith in lightning rods was forever
blasted.