The Wahpeton times., 1889-01-10
He Thought 1t Was An Electric vir

ne InOnght IL was An Electric wire.
A few weeks ago Mr.. James Harley,
the boss I work for, procured about
twenty-five feet of copper wire, such
as is used by the electric light com.
panies. He told me he bought it over
in New York, and it was @ sort of a
remnant that had passed from the
main wire to an arc light, and then
returned again. 1t is about the size
OF ordinary sewer wire, yet, while
strong, is q bit more flexible than
steel wire.
Last week Paddy Monahan, alias
Wiggins, the laborer, and were sent
to a house on Seventh avenuet take
out the drain pipe running through
the cellar bottom, and replace itwith
five-inch cast iron.
Paddy was to dig the trench forme,
and help until the job was finished.
AS we started for the oh the boss
said: ''Paddy, take this wire with you,
and when you have taken out tile
drain pipe down to the cellar front
wall run it through all the way down
to the sewer. Youcan tie q good-sized
rag on the wire, as you will have a
good chance to work it to and fro"
The copper wire was covered with
a white casing, or insulating materi-
al rather, and only about four feet of
it was bare.
"Be jabbers, Misther Harley" said
Paddy, 9Th divil q bit av me loikes
tn luke those wires, onyhow; I've
heerd SO much of it KILN people that
I'm afeerd till thrife wild It,"
GLOW is thatw asked the boss in
astonishment.
"Sure, don't I heer tn electricity
from it kills people that tutch it OF
Phes onything till do wild it,"
ooh, you foolish fellow" said the
boss; "that's only when the current
is going through; take it along with
you, because it's q little bit more
timber than steel or iron wire, and it
can be pushed nearly around q quar-
ter bend.
"All roight, Mister Harley, if you
say there's no danger in it III use it;
but, be jabbers, if onything happens
till me III lay me deth on yell"
"All right" said the boss, sIll in.
sure your life."
We went up to the job, and Paddy
began to dig up the cellar and pull
out the old drain pipe. We found
out that the sewer was stopped up
in the sidewalk, and after all of the
drain pipe had been taken out, Pad
dy tied big bunch of rags around
one end OF the wire, and began to
force it through the sewer pipe.
The pair OF us worked the wire, and
soon had it away down the sewer,
There was only about six feet remain
ing out of the pipe, and the end hap
pend to he the one that showed the
four feet Of the copper.
Paddy every once in q while would
tell me about the danger of 'th' elec.
thricity that kills min an horses
when they steps on or handles tn
wire"
"Well, we've got her down almost
till tn soor," said Paddy. "an' I'm
going up stairs till git sum terbacy
from me coat"
I followed him upstairs as wanted
to see about the leader connection.
We leftmy Isaac in the cellar tending
to the fire.
We staid upstairs not more than
ten minutes and then returned to
the cellar. Paddy "sput" on his
hands, and took hold of the wire to
work it in and out. All OF u sudden
he dropped it and yelled out: "Be
jabbers, it's full of electricity; don't
go near it for tn luv av Hivin, for
it'll desthroy ye!''
l got in the ditch and took hold
of the wire, but dropped it like q hot
potato.
AS soon as Paddy saw me drop it
he became more frightened, and be-
fore could stop him he flew up.
,, stairs, grabbed his coat, and ran off.
Isaac attempted to follow, but
grabbed him by the neck and under
; a threat of giving him good wal.
Looping if he didn't tell the truth, he
acknowledged that he heated three
or four feet of the wire in the furnace
SO as to frighten Paddy. He succeeded
in doing it, for Paddy swears that
he'll bring it up ut the ''nixt meetin'
av the plumbers laborers, that Mis-
ther Harley, the plumber, has dan.
gerous sewer full av electricity, m
warranted to kill man or baste. An
if he doesn't shtop AKIN his min till
use it, Crimmins, tn delegate, will
Civ ordthers to boycott him, be jab'
bers!''-The Rasp.
Entertained the Butler.