New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-13
4 ErV1EE1BLE LOWELL INTENT

4 M " II n amir IsOp run ~ ~ NV.
\ story is given "a the press from Lowell,
Mass, Of wonderful electric man which has
tccn constructed hy an ingenious citizen of that
place The automatou is described rs appearing
like Guc-loo1ine young man, of about twenty
five y.arS of age. five feet clVut incic, u height.
aud with an open. intelligent couutenance. lie
We refer 10 tie electric con'rINaucc under coHsid-
Grafton l. dressed ~ present lu summer suit OF
cray MIXED goods. white shirt, collar and cuIS.
soft felt hat. kid gloves and ". tan shoes. Ills
clothes can Of course De- changed rs desired, and
biz owner is already said 20 have provided him
with several suits. Tie account assures us That
there are none Of the jcriy movements that are
So commonly seen ir mechanical h-ureS. but
thar on the contrary his motions are easy ami
natural and that b. j, n much at home IN tie
drawirg-room rs on tie street His walk is par
ticuMrly natural and Ac has firm. springy step
that suggests the trained athlete ~ pr sent tbs
combination of cast-ron. electricity aad other
things is ENGAGED IN pushing sort OF oFcrEro"n
baby carriage about town IN which two or three
persons can ride and he dispatch closes by say
Ing that he lifts his hat gracefully wien he re-
ccivc, fare something which, We believe. tie
average cahman sometimes ncscct, especially ii
II be- only the legal fare
The account of this electric man from which
We iIAf OldNN 'tl lIA'l Ii'''''I "pl'''' ~ ''
authentic. and W. have no reason t. believe that
he is not in daily operation in Lowell 50 long
a, his attention Is confined 10 pushing the pc
r,mbuator, We suppose that nothing can he urged
against him. bat who knows to what diahollcal
ends he may not ne used He is provided with a
siN horsepower battery. This makes him remark
ably strong. ~ we do not suppose that any flesh
aud-blood man i'm existence IAN De said 10 be- "a
.iN horse power man. There are OCCASIONS of
course when "a man feels as strong "a, several
horscs-say. for instance. when b" goes out OF
his Way to assault policcman-hut thc~" are in
variahly decisions readily removed hy little
official clubbing. But what policeman would care
10 undertake the task of clubbing sin horse
power electric man into submission, or, on the
other hand. if such man were 70 be- put on the
police force, what citizen could hope 10 survive
the first six horsepower blow?
Bat it would seem that the greatest danger
lies in another direction. With the employ
men, of Lowell electric men rs bill-collectors a
dark era will open before a great many estimablc
people Controlled by electricity from a central
Office like some kinds Of torpcdoes, these siN
horsepower collectors could be sent all over
town 10 the terror of all rightly disposed persons
who owed bills The present hlllcollcctor Is
highly unsatisfactory, but hc can. We are given
10 understand. necessity demanding. be- expelled
and in extreme cases kicked down a illght or
two of stairs-an operation which, if II does not
better mans financial standing, at least greatly
relieves his mind. As We understand IL, II would
be- an almost frutlcss proceeding 10 kick the
Massachusetts electric man. Putting on pair
Of rubber gloves the harasscd business man may
be- able to get behind the electric collector and
cut the wire which directs his movements from
the central financial torpedo station. but some
way may he invented to prevent even this, and
the general public left at his mercy. On the
other hand, have much ialtn i'm the great
unorganzed body of debtors. It, must be that
they will contrive some way to ciTcumvcnt tins
new terror of the successful business man. We
have Napolcons of finance in these days, and it
will take bright electric collector 10 get ahead
of them. We await the intelligence that the
Lowell mechanical man has been elected TO the
Massachusetts, Legislature.