McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-10-30

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special business you were about to
speak Of"
'My special business is to travel the
country for orders for lightning rods.
This is my specimen-rod;" tapping his
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
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'
'Not 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. Harkr'
"Never mind. That clap burst quite
loud enough to be heard without finger
pointing. Did you hear of the event at
Montreal last year? 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 I 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
dians 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 a foot"
''This abuse of your calling in an
other might make one distrustful with
respect to yourself.
clark! The thunder becomes less
muttering. 1t is nearing us, and near
ing the earth, too. Hark! One cram
med crash! All the vibrations made
one by nearness. Another flash!
Hold!'
"What do you?' 1 said, seeing him
now, instantaneously relinquishing his
staff, lean intently forward towards the
window, with his right fore and middle
finger on his left wrist.
But ere the words had well escaped |
me another exclamation escaped him.
''Crash! only three pulses than
a third of a mile off-yonder, some
where in the wood. l passed three
oaks there, ripped out new and glitter
ing. The oak draws lightning more
than other timber, having iron in So
luton in its sap. Your floor there
seems oak
"Heart of oak. From the peculiar
time of your call upon me, suppose
you purposely select stormy weather
for your journeys. When the thunder
is roaring you deem it an hour peculiar
ly favorable to your trade
"Hark-awful!''
''For one who would arm others with
you seem unbeseemingly
.imerscme yourself. Common men
choose fair weather for their travels;
you choose thunder storms and yet
''That [ travel in thunder storms, [
grant; but not without particular pre-
cautions, such as only a lightning-rod
nan may know. Hark! Quick-look
It my specimen rod. Only one dollar !
! FOOT {
ga very fine rod, dare say. But ;
What are these particular precautions
# yours? Yet let me first close yonder ;
hutters; the slanting rain Is beating !
through the sash. will bar up
care you mad? Know you not that l
on iron bar is a swift conductor?
)esist." !
[ will simply close the shutters then,
nd call my boy to bring me wooden S
ar. Pray, touch the bell pull there" I
care you frantic? That bell wire i
hight blast you. Never touch bell
ire in a thunder storm, nor ring bell t
any Sort e
''Nor those in belfries? Pray will you L
ell me where and how one may be safe t
l time like this? Is there any part
f my house that 1 may touch with l
opes of my life?' 4
''There is; but not where you now e
land. Come away from the wall The
urrent will sometimes run down a S
all, and-a man being a better con- Il
uctor than the wall-it would leave i
le wall and run into him. Swoop! t
hat must have fallen very nigh. That f
lust have been globular lightning"
every probably. Tell me at once
.hich, in your opinion, is the safest part
this house?'
''This room and this one spot in it y
here l stand. Come hither.'' y
''The reasons first 6
'.Hark!- after the flash the gust-the -
ashes quiver-the house, the house! :
ONE hither to me!'' =
1.-The reasons if you please" F
"Come hither to me.'' =
''Thank you again, think will try +
~ old stand, the hearth. And now y
lr. Lightning-rod man, in the pauses n
the thunder, be so good as to tell me s
our reasons for esteeming this one Il
bonn of the house the safest, and your Il
wn one standpoint there the safest y
,ot in r. - L