The Portland daily press., 1881-09-09
The Vindication of Cats.
Their Great Practical Value Finally Rec
ognized-A Substitute for lightning
Rods.
New York Times.l

| new 1Ork Times
The fact that neither cats nor back fences
are struck by lightning indicates a close rela-
tion between the two. 1t suggests that either
the fence protects the cats or that the cats pro-
| tect the fence Prof. Schmidt, in inyestigat-
| ing this matter, demonstrated to his complete
satisfaction that there is no self-protecting
power inherent in back fences. He found
that spark from Leyden jar could be
passed directly through any back fence, and on
| one occasion, having placed a section Of back
fence on the top of house, he actually saw it
struck and totally destroyed by thunderbolt.
1t was thus made reasonably certain that the
immunity from lightning enjoyed by back
fences is due to the cats which constantly in
fest them, and as cats are never struck by
lightning it follows that there must be some
thing peculiar in their electrical condition.
Now, every one knows that cat is simply
full of the very best quality of positive electric
ty. If she is rubbed little in the dark the
electricity streams from her in ashower of
sparks In this respect she differs widely
from all other domestic animals. You may
take pig or horse or a COW into the dining
room closet and rub it for hours, and it will
not give out a spark. The electricity of the
cat being positive, it ia of the same quality as
the electricity of the clouds Electricians as
sure us that electricity of one kind is never at
tracted by any object charged with the same
kind of electricity. Thus house, in order to
be struck by the positive electricity of the
clouds, must be charged with negative electric
ity, and if by any chance it is full of positive
electricity is perfectly safe. 1t is the posi-
tive electricity of the cat which renders that
able animal safe in the seyerest thunderstorm
Hba oil oil Of ha INN ndarh holt
slides off the cat as easily and safely as rain
from the back Of a duck. The lightning of
the clouds may aim at a cat all day but it can
not hit her, and wherever that cat may be
she will protect her immediate neighborhood
from lightning not only as well but far better
than any lightning rod.
This is the reason why back fences are never
struck by lightning. At rule they are hard
ly ever free from cats. Prof. Schmidt has
made calculation showing that every cat pro-
tects surface, the square root of which is
three times the length of the cat including the
tail. AS an average full-grown cat measures
eighteen inches from tip to top, she protects
surface of 2916 square inches, or a section Of
back fence "a inches in length. Thus, three
cats and small kitten, arranged at equal in
tervas from one another, are amply sufficient
to protect the back fence of an ordinary city
lot from lightning, and as an average of twelve
cats to a back fence is always to be found, we
need not wonder that our back fences are
safe.
If we substitute for our lightning-rods,
which are supposed to protect our houses, bat
which rarely do protect them, quantity of
CATS disasters from lightning will be unknown
This work Of protecting houses is the true mis-.
sion of the cat The animal at whom we aim
oot-jacks and bad language when we find her
perched on our roof is really rendering us an
important service for which we owe her debt
Of gratitude. Since Prof. Schmidt has made
his grand discovery of the protective power Of
cats, we may expect to see complete change
If public sentiment in relation to them. Our
insurance companies will insure no houses
which are not well provided with cats. On
the roof of every house will be placed cat ken
nels with constant supplies of milk and 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 the lower will
be his insurance premium. The day of triumph
for cats has been delayed, but it has come at
last. Hereafter, whenever thunderstorm is
in progress we shall find men and women sit
ting with their arms full Of cats and invoking
blessings on the only sure protection against
the bolts that laugh at lightning-rods and mock
at feather beds.