The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-06-15
G." OBJECT LESSONS.

While passing the corner of Main and
Wall streets Saturday night my attention
was called to a curious thing. Two police
men were standing near the telegraph pole
on the southwest corner, and one of them
was feeling the wood as high up as he could
reach, did you ever see anything like
that?' asked one. "You can pinch apiece
off, it's so soft" 1 tiled to pinch it and
got an electric shock that made the fingers,
the hand and the arm tingle. "Now all
take hold of hands and the end men touch
the pole,'' was the next suggestion. 1t was
carried out, but the current was only strong
enough to effect the two who were nearest
the pole. Then other experiments were
tried. One of them was to touch the
pole as high up as a man could
reach with one hand, and place the toe of
one boot to the pole near the ground. Nat
urally the result expected would be a cir
cult through from the hand to the foot
touching the pole. But it wasn't exactly
that way. The hand got it pretty strong,
but the effect nearest the ground was felt
in the heel touching the wet sidewalk.
Another scheme was to get two men to
place their hands on the pole, one above
ullO Nllo tho IA hlehSSb Wy XIV tiiV
shock; the one under it felt nothing. The
man whose hand was highest up suddenly
took it away. The nan lower down got a
stronger shock than usual.
And the whole entertainment was the
accidental discovery of a gentleman who
had been seeing the own and who had
leaned up against the post to rest. His
clothes were damp from the rain and he
didn't stay there long. When he landed
against the side of the nearest house he was
very much soberer than when he under
took to rest by the telegraph pole. Like
the man who first invented sleep he did not
keep the blessed thing to himself. And
all night long through the drilling rain
man after man would stop and try to
pinch the wood from the telegraph pole,
Among them was a tall fine looking young
fellow on whom the current did not
seem to nave as much effect as on other
people. But he had had a shock in the NOM
> ing which did have some effect on him, and
i~nferentially might have proved disastrous
to one moro susceptible of receiving the
/, electricity. He had tried to draw a bucket
5 of water from the hydrant at the Murph,
block. AS soon as he grasped the handle
t lie was thrown about six feet and given
f shaking up, the effects of which remained
= with him for hours. He could not under
= stand it, and called q friend. The latte
o could not get within two feet of the by
drant. The very air seemed to be charged
A little further experimenting showed tina
all the iron about the 'front.' of the buldin
n was loaded with electricity. SO were tn
o iron covers on the stairway. A dog starte
up stairs. He got half way, rolled down t
Q the sidewalk, lay there dazed for a secon'
), or two, and then got up and walked off. II
j. couldn't understand it at NIL.
i Why was the pole 30 heavily charged an
l. why was the iron front Of the Murph
block in similar condition? For a re;
10 scientific explanation ask Edison. For
Il simple explanation look at the guy wire
Of which stretch from pole to pole across Mai
rs st eet. They are to hold in position IL
e; wire along which lows the power Thu
u drives the electric oars. Glass is IL non-col
ds ductor of electricity. SO is wood. At leai
Oh that ID what the natural philosophers teacl
g. The philosopher who laid down that ru
must have lived in q dry country and not