The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1884-11-07


fioor-"by nature there are no castle
; in thunder storms; yet say but th
word and this cottage / . can make
Gibraltar by a few waves of this wand
'r Hank, what Himalayas of concussionsl'
you interrupted yourself; you
e special business you were about t.
:, speak Of"
"My special business is to travel tn,
e country for orders for lightning rods
, This is my specimen-rod;" tapping hi,
staff; 81 have the best of references
, fumbling in his pockets. ''In Griggan
last month, | put up three and thirty
rods on only five buildings. y
Let me see. Was it not at Griggan
last week, about midnight on Saturday
that the steeple, the big elm, and the
assembly room cupola was struck.
Any of your rods thereP"
mot on the tree and cupola, but on
the steeple.''
"Of what use is your rod, then?"
''Of life and death use. But my
workman was needless. In fitting the
rod at the top to the steeple, he allowed
a part of the metal to Craze the tin
sheeting. Hence the accident. Not
my fault but his. Harkl"
"Never mind. That clap burst quite
loud enough to be heard without finger
pointing. Did you hear of the event at
Montreal last yearp A servant girl
struck dead at her bedside with a rosary
in her hand; the beads being metal.
Does your beat extend into the Cana
dasp"
mo. And | hear that there iron
rods only are in use. They should have
mine, which are copper. Iron is easily
fused. Then they draw out the rod so
slender that it is not body enough to
conduct the full current. The, metal
melts, the building is destroyed. My
copper rods never act so. Those Cana
dams are fools. Some of them knob
the rods at the top, which risks deadly |
explosion, instead of imperceptibly |
carrying down the current into the |
earth, as this rod does. Mine is the
only true rod. Look at it. Only one
dollar foot"
'This abuse of your calling in an
other might make one distrustful with
respect to yourself"
"Hark! The thunder becomes less
1t is nearing us, and near
ing the earth, too. Hank! One cram
med crash! All the vibrations made
one by nearness. Another FASH
Holdr'
"What do youp" 1 said, seeing him
now, instantaneously relinquishing his
staff, lean intently forward towards the
with his right fore and middle
finger on his left wrist.
But ere the words had well escaped
ne another exclamation escaped him.
'Crash! only three pulses-less than
1 third of mile off-yonder, some
where in the wood. l passed three
oaks there, ripped out new and glitter s
ng. The oak draws lightning more ,
han other timber, having iron in So 1
ution in its sap. Your floor there |
Gems oak" {
"Heart of oak. From the peculiar |
ime of your call upon me, l suppose ]
Tou purposely select stormy weather
or your journeys. When the thunder q
5 roaring you deem it an hour peculiar
y favorable to your trade"
''Hark-awfulr E
''For one who would arm others with :,
you seem unbeseemingly a
imersome yourself. Common men 9
hoose fair weather for their travels; .
on choose thunder storms and yet" !,
''That travel in thunder storms, l 3 3
rant; but not without particular pre- q
autions, such as only lightning-rod n
IAN may know Harkl Quick-look +,
t my specimen rod. Only one dollar n
foot" -
ga very fine rod, dare say But !;
hat are these particular precautions a
yours? Yet let me first close yonder n
lutters; the slanting rain Is beating II
trough the sash. / will bar up" ~
''Are you mad? Know you not that II
on iron bar is swift conductors NJ
esist" r
l will simply close the shutters then, ct
nd call my boy to bring me a wooden re
ar. Pray, touch the bell pull there in
care you franticp That bell wire
light blast you. Never touch bell IL
ire in a thunder storm, nor ring bell q,
any sort" n;
"Nor those in belfriesP Pray will you f. r.,
II me where and how one may be safe
time like thisP Is there any part T,
my house that l may touch with y;
,pes of my lifep' al al
''There is; but not where YOU now
and. Come away from the wall. The en-
lIIcHl Will SOutilllleS run uOWu m.
all, and-a man being better con- Il,
lctor than the wall-it would leave Il,
e wall and run into him. Swoop! Co.
lat must have fallen very nigh. That ~
ust have been globular lightning" III
''Very probably. Tell me at once
hich, in your opinion, is the safest part of
this houseP' We
"This room and this one spot in it tn
here | stand. Come hither" Sa
1.-The reasons first" mi
"Harkl-after the flash the gust-the m;
shes quiver-the house, the housed att
me hither to mer' oh
1.-The reasons if you please" wi
Come hither to me. y mi
THANK you again, think l will try Gil
y old stand, the hearth. And now en-
r. Lightning-rod man, in the pauses
the thunder, be so good as to tell me roi
ur reasons for esteeming this one of
ON of the house the safest, and your I'm
m one standpoint there the safest tn,
OF in it, tn,
There was now little cessation of ca