The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-01-11
AN ELECTRIC SUPPER.
The Little Surprises Mr.. Hammer
Provided for his Guests.
n. Y. World.


Mr.. William Hammer, of Newark, gave an
electric supper to few old classmates on
New Years eve 1t was like an evening in
sheol Mr.. Hammer has been associated
with Edison the great electrician, for long
time, and has become so stepped in electlici-
ty that it fairly oozes out at his finger tips
He carries lightning about in his pockets as
carelessly as boy would carry a toad. His
pretty little home at No. % Rowland street
is built upon Leyden jars and batteries and
queer electrical inventions. You can't walk
across the threshold without ringing bells,
or sounding burglar alarms, or lighting the
gas. or doing some odd thing that you never
dreamed of doing.
On Thursday evening Mr. Hammer had all
the hidden wires about his house connected
so as to give his twenty guests lively time.
AS far as outward appearance went the par
lors and dining room looked like any other
well-furnished apartments. But hidden be-
meath the carpets and in the walls and cell
ings were strange systems of wires and but
tons. You enter the gate and the house ap-
pears dark, but as your foot touches the
lower stoop three electric lights blaze out,
and the number of the house appears in
bright relief. The next step sets a bell to
iingling, and the third throws open the
door and lights the gas in the hall by cleo
tricity transmitted by the pressure of the
foot Inside the hall there is an odd-looking
foot-rest attached to the. hat-rack, and by
pressing button pair of brushes come out
and shine your shoes Up stairs, where you
remove your wraps there is a bedroom that
would be worth a fortune to a lazy man.
BY touching your head to the pillow the gas,
e .srl1.a I,rr
pressing knob at the foot of the bed it is
lit again. Outside the door a clock work at
tachment sounds drum at the proper wax
ing time, and, if the occupant does not get
up after fifteen minutes grace, the bed rises
on its hind legs and dumps the sleeper out
on the floor.
In the parlors the guests who had come
early stood about in little groups. Nobody
sat down, although ottomans and sofas and
chairs were scattered through the rooms.
Every newcomer was cordially greeted and
a chair pushed toward. If he sat down-as
he usually did--the chair either doubled up
on him or started for the door with him, or
disappeared or completely exploded Ii he
sat on a sofa he set a banjo to playing on the
opposite wall, and a drum to beating; or if
he took another seat the movement put out
the lights and introduced queer phosphores-
cent figures. No man knew when he was
safe, although there were few apparently
safe seats. In one of these Humorist Brown
was telling a very funny story He had left
electricity far behind, and just as he reached
the climax pretty funnel shaped Japanese
affair." like big Ounce cap, that 0rnamented
the ceiling overhead, dropped quietly down
and covered him up, silently extinguishing
the story and the story teller.
Somebody proposed music, and half Sc
lection went very nicely on the piano. But
inst as every one became interested some.
Thing seemed to give way, and instead OF
strings the keys beat upon horrible Jangle
of go1gs and drums and bells and every kind
of noise-producing implement. But the
worst came IN the dining room About IL
o'clock the twenty guests sat down to Ia
BILE loaded with the usual delicacles.. AT the
head figure of Jupiter presided, AT sig
nal the great god began to talk (phonograpn-
lcally), and made welcome address, he
wore electric lights for shirt studs, blbu-
Ious req nght Tor nose, and his green eyes
nag tne snap OF lightning in them, while blue
bolts blazed from his pocket.
The table seemed bewitcbed, Touch a
knife or fork and it put out the lights and
introduced queer sights. Put your spoon in
to a dish of cream and it flared up in great
columns of green or red flames many feet |
high, like a fountain of fire. Reach for an |
innocent looking sandwich and it rang a hell !
inside, where the meat ought to be- Try TO |
pick up an orange and drum beat inside. |
Help yourself to pudding, and the dish and /
all slid silently into the great unknown. Ask |
for Malaga grapes and find that an electric |
light flashed from each one as you pulled the !
stem, Pour glass of lemonade and it was