The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-03-22

name OF Charles Foster he was laughing at.
Il was lsughing-hsi hal hel hel hi hi
think that you think you've got ahead of
me!p
"Got ahead of you? Well, did get ahead
OF you" said the farmer. II got them light
ning-reds for nothing"
Yes" gasped the agent, in paroxysms OF
mirth; but go and look at them lightning
rods, and see if they are wound up-hol ho!
hol"
We'll, and suppose they amt wound upP
What difference does ii make?'
What difference does it maker" echoed
the agent in well-feigned establishment.
Shade OF S. T. B. Morse Here is q man
who doesn't know the difference between
positive and negative electricity Just you
go up to the house, and il you have Wheat
stones 'Pragmstic Analytical Synopsis of
Differentiated Electricity'-the edition OF
1876 is the best-overhaul the eleventh
chapter, and you'll see what the difference
fsl'
Il haven't got the book" said the farmer.
What is the difference, any way?'
The difference Is that lightning-rod,
when properly wound up conducts positive
electricity from the clouds to the earth.
When not wound up. conducts negative
That's all the difference there is. The earth,
as Huxley says is a great reservoir chock
full of electricity, which is constantly seek.
ing utilization with the oxygen aud metheg-
lin OF the atmosphere. Your lightuing-rcd
is probably the Only nein the North western
States that is not wound up; consequently
the surging currents of electricity which
nave been Wandering all over the country,
striving to find an outlet, after vainly try
ing every other lightning-rod, are accumu-
iatlng beneath your house, and are corrus-
eating and dllating or d Initiating all along
the surface of your lightning-rod. Wait till
1t gets dark, and you'll see q pale lambent
tame playing all along it's surface. The
first touch of q thunder storm you have up
here, the spectacle of awful grandeur
presented by your lightniug-rod will knock
any thing ever seen since the combustion of
dom and Gomorrsh. By the way, there's
lark blue cloud coming up yonder. I guess
r. re going to have o thunder storm. Good.
oy. AUST get out of here. for owe 1t TO
my family 10 preserve my life. IL your
laughter survives. don't you worry about
he future. IN make proper provision for
her, because it will be one hundred thousand
dollars in my pocket to be able to point to
ler as the sole survivor of man whose
house was knocked into brick.dust and
match splints because he wouldn't take my
advice about the arrangements of his light
ling rods"
''Tll get an AK and a crowbar, and tear the
I'd thing down." said the farmer after
irresoute pause
"All right Only / want as q special favor
o ask you not to begin till am over the hill
md out of sight. With that lightning rod
instinct with negative electricity, as il is il
3 sure death for any uninsulated man to APP
)rosch it."
Hi hold onl' said the unfortunate
srmer; ''Pll give you five dollars to wind
Up the thing for me-"
mi he
sheer. why, the fact that your
,oose vas burst into twenty hundred thou.
and million pieces will be worth fifty thou.
'and d1llars to the company a. an awful
example. G'lsng therel"
Hold upp' yelled the agriculturist; will
you wind up them lightning.rods il pay
1ou for them?"
Well don't know that should" re-
ponded the sgent; you see, you said they
weren't quite according to your taste, and IL
ioesnt seem exactly right TO be taking q
mans money for thing that he isn't quite
stished with. Beside, IL is taking thousands
md thousands OF dollars out of the COM
'any's pocket; because what we want is an
Iwful example to scare other fellows into
do~ever. seeing it's you, and as don't want
o have your blood on my hands, don't
mind doing 1t. Hand over the 500, and I'll
TX it."
The farmer produced the money. and the
gent gave him q receipt; then taking O
monkey wrench, he approached the light.
ing rod aud gave it a couple of twists,
placed his ear close to it, hit il again, and
hen returned joyfully to the farmer.
ITS ali right now" he said. ut has been
wound up. and is now prepared 10 conduct
positive electricity in large or small quaint.
les from the atmosphere to the earth at the
hortest notice. Bat If had been half an
lour later, should have been too late--for
'lrsady the lightning rod was beginning to
'ulse and throb, and to scale off in placer,
With the fiery element confined within it,"