The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1882-07-27

VII TI1udy YOU COll lJlc 10 VIpc OA
Mine shin off,
Anudder dime you call me
Old Stick-in-der-mud;
Und now, for dose dings,
lend you-a fife-cent nickel,
Und took mortage
On your old paid head!'
WHAT ELECTRICITY CAN DO.
From Blackwood's Magazine.
Take once again the illustrations of
waterwheel. In former days such
wheel could give power to grind our
corn, or weave our cloth, or make our
paper, or crush our quartz, provided the
materials could be conveniently brought
to the water-power. Now, not only can
such water do the same work miles from
where it it running, by its power being
used to produce electricity; not only can
it work our clocks, drive pater familias'
lathe and masters sewing machines,
pump the water, turn the spit,
work the dinner hoist in
our private houses, and thresh, grind,
spin, weave, and calender in our factor
lest can with ease do much more that
the water power could not do, even if
close at hand with the most complicated
appliances. 1t can make the running
water tar away ring our bells, regulate
our clocks, rectity our alcohol, plate our
spoons, gid our ornaments, multiply
our engraving plate, make permanent
our photographs, and work our ploughs
and our tram cars.
fNhnSn h,1f i111,c rot; C,f l.4
be done and is being done. But even
here the wonders do not stop; for not
only will power such as water, when,
employed to produce electricity
be available at a distance from the
place where it exists, and for purposes
which it could not of itself fultil-strange
as it may sound, the power Of water will
produce by it's new application Of heat
aud light. A water wheel, by being EN-
ployed to generate electricity, may light
our rooms, cook dinner, and ripen our
peaches. We can have light from it by
which we can work as easily at night as
in the day-a light which will neither
consume our fresh air, nor vitiate it with
foul gases, nUr suIUkC oviiiug, and
destroy our curtains; which can Set fire
to nothing; the globe Of which can be
hooked to an invalid's bed-curtain with
cuc It7h VI etCtONHCu W ACAlDlC
taken into the most confined corner to
give light to workman, without danger
of fire.
1t would ill a volume to state at
length all the practical advantages which
this development of electricity has
opened up already, and more than vol
ume to state ali tint it may he expected
yet to accomplish Let it also be under
stood that while the foregoing ilustra-
tons have been stated in relation to wa
ter-power, they are equally true
for any other power such as steam
e or humass 'seng sbef;. fSe pixeG
engine on a farm can do the ploughing
hundreds of yards off: The gas engine
that pumps water by day can light the
house at night. The horses that drag coal
carts for many miles to work asteam-
engine in some outlying place can be
used at home instead to work I'LL electric
machine, with no loss of time, and in
many cases with less waste of labor. The
convicts on tread mill can he doing
work by it in any part of, or even out
side, the paison.
IN q word, the power for work can be
generated by any ordinary means, and at
any place where the means exist, and
can then be economically conveyed to
the spot where it is to be usefully APP
piled, without loss oftime, and practical
ly in full strength The tide on the shore
can do work inland; the stream in the
mountain gorge can do work on the hill
top; the windmill the eminence can
DO work in the valley; the horse in the
yard or the man in the out house, can
do work in the dwelling. And with all
its power, and it's universally of applica-
ton, this new servant which science has
supplied us with is the most docile OF
animals. A touch of a lady's finger will
bring into action a power which
thousand men could not resist; another
touch will stop its action or reverse It in
a moment.
But even this is not all. This power
that can be thus used for thousand diff
ferent practical purposes, and with count
less varieties in the mode Of application,
moments notice, and at any place, and
in ilkmtable quantity; it can also be
stored up when needful for future use.
Within the past few years the problem
of producing electricity, and storing it
up for immediate use, has been practi-
cally solved; 50 that Sir William Thorn
son could in Glasgow perform powerful
mechanical work by electricity which had
been generated in Paris, and brought
ready for instant application from Paris
to Glasgow, Just as a clock wound up
abroad could be brought to this count ry
and set going here. OF course it will be
understood that this is only popular
description of the operation-the reader
being presumed to be at present only in
terested to know what can be done.
A scientific explanation of the process
would be out of place here. The fact it
is desired to impress upon the reader is,
that not only can the force Of electricity
be carried far from the generating source
for immediate use by being conducted
along wires, but that it may be bolted
up in movable vessels, which can be car
and at once made available for any pur-
pose for which the electricity could have
been used at the spot at which it was
first produced. Electricity can be stored
in square cases, which can be conveyed
by hand or carriage to any spot where
it is required. The doctor can take his
bottled electricity to the sick room UNI
der his arm to perform an operation.
The lecturer can bring it stored up to
the lecture table,
The 8rOnaut can carry it slOred up in
his balloon. The owner of boat with
screw can convey electricity in wheel
barrow to the waters edge, place the
cases in which it is stored in the bottom
of his boat as ballast and turn his pro-
peller with it. The lady can have it de-
livered at her door as the milk is and
work her sewing machine with it. The
trlcyc can put a case under his seat
and run by it. Lamps can be lighted,
clocks lighted, clocks can be worked
and regulated, safes secured. spoons
plated, copperplates made by electricity
stored up in cases. Indeed, any opera
ton within the power of electricity to
accomplish otherwise, can now be done
by stored electricity.
But if our giant is thus prodigy both