The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-06-02
ELEC'TRICITY!
It's Details and Departments.
A New Enterprise.

Among the new enterprises that
have sprung up in our midst. within
the past year, is that of the Mamkato
Electric company, winch should not
escape our notice, both to show the
new industry at home and abroad.
The managers of this company,
Messrs Clark 4 Smith. have for some
time contemplated this and had quiet
ly laid their plans previous to making
it public, so that rs soon as
possible they might be pre-
pared to fully handle the work laid
out. \ visit to their Office Il few days
since somewhat surprised us us To the
extent of those matters which are
included undc, the head of electric
ity. Going back to the year 1856 We
learn that Ben jan min Franklin first
invented the lightning rods which are
now so extensively used in protecting
our buildings. 1t was also Franklin
who first tanned the lightning and
brought it from the clouds by kite
dying. Thus did the study begin, and
since that time, electricians have
made this study such that to-day
there is no branch of science that is
attracting 50 much attention.
After repeated trials and discour-
agemcnts Prof. Morse, in lS44, sue
cecded in successfully causing to be
transmitted the first message by wire
through aid of batteries us follows
"What hath God wrought" and
well may we of this latter day and all
future time wonder ut those words;
yea, and mediate thereon, for we
cannot answer. Still it finds many
great men searching for the key to
the hidden mystery, but time alone
will show what progress they make.
This short line which told SO much
has increased in length, until to-day
there are more than 100000 miles of
wire in the United States used for
transmission of messages over noun
tains and prairles, under oceans. seas
and rivers, telling of new life or
death. of business and pleasure.
The press of to-day and many of
the trades could not survive without
it, and the constantly increasing de.
mand for more facilities toward con.
trolling the vast business enterprises
is still calling for something which
will not only connect towns and cities
together 10y wire, but the manufac.
turer with his Office, the merchants
with their customers, etc. thus all
can he in direct speaking cOmnluni.
cation with each other. This demand
called forth the wonderful invention
the telephone, called by the Indians
1.-The white mans talking machine =
which to-day is making such rapid
progress all over the civilized world
Every enterprising city has Il tele
phone exchange. and 10y these sys.
tens distant cities are brought with,
in speaking distance and the sound of
their voices instantly heard and rec.
ogniZed.
While we were securing these items
that we might present them to oul
readers, we just mentioned the rlec.
tric light as that it is growing in fa
v"r i'll larger cities, but in tins we
touched Il tender chord and could learn
nothing definite. they being in cor,
reSpondcnce with several companies,
and not yet ready to give us any pos.
tive information. only that after a
little they hoped to have matters ar.
ranged so il company might be formed
by our own capitalists, and our
streets yet he furnished at night nv a
light rs brilliant us old Sol" himself
We also inquired why they asked
Our city counsel to grant them the
privilege of heating purposes when
they said. "Franklin once cooked n
chicken by electricity, and it will
he done again, hnt just here we want
to tell You of our pet, which is an
electric motor power. BY this. we
can run your printing presses with "A
steady and reliable power, the Sprce
mills of our city, also sewing ma,
chimes, the engines i'm Our qrarries
AMI brick yards. lathes i'm factories.
ETC. This may not be believed but
It's true. we are coming to it rapidly.
When asked regarding their bur.
glar alarm system, they said they
could, by batteries. form circuit
connecting by patent attachments
every door, window, scuttle, or other
openings so that whenever these
places were deserted an alarm would
be sounded, and kept up so long as
the circuit was broken, and burglars
cannot gain entrance to house so
secured without assistance from the
inside; further that fire alarm attach
ments can be included in this circuit
and the warning sounded loud enough
to wake any but totally deaf person.
Call bells can be placed in this circuit
in the same manner for convenience
of sick persons to call when needing
attention. and many are the advan-
vantages and contrivances that can
he used Herewith. For a cheap alarm
bell they have one which is Il sure
give away to all tramps and sneak
thieves against entering the door to
which it is attached.
What surprised onr reporter was
the number and useful inventions
which have been produced pertaining
to this branch of science and the