The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-10-27
at IL wonderful exclaimed.

looking around at the stranger. who
was standing near; what is the princi-
pie upon which it works?'
ut is a discovery of my own, he an
swered. 1 worked it out with much
labor and at large expense. have
spent million dollars on it. 1 reas-
oned that il the vibrations of sound
waves could be transmitted long dis
tances, the vibrations of light waves
were subject to the same laws, and
only needed the proper medium to be
transmitted also This medium | dis
covered, and with it the glass tubes are
filed. The light waves strike the
diaphragm of the receiving instrument
and are transmitted with the sound
waves over the wires When they reach
the receiver they are transferred to
the medium / have discovered and the
light from it is reflected in such a man.
ner that a perfect picture of the speaker
is thrown on the retina of the eye of
the person who is at the receiving end.
The invention is only in its infancy
yet and it's possibilities are only
dreamed of. When it shall be per-
fected the mysteries of the stars shall
be made plain and the secrets of the
heavens shall be opened to every man.
In that day the whole world shall be
of one family and you can sit in your
home and talk with the remotest peo-
pie, seeing and hearing them as well
as II they were in the same room with
you Then we shall know whether
Mars is peopled or not, and no star is
SO remote that we cannot study it as
well as If we were on it.
This flow of eloquence on the part
of the stranger" continued the clergy
man, "astonished me and l looked at
him to see if he were in earnest !
saw that he was only saying what he
believed, and also noticed that there
was in his eyes a glitter that showed
that he was on the border of insanity.
Much application in working out the
wonderful invention had no doubt
caused him to lose his Judgment and
made him over-enthusastic. had no
fear of him for knew that, even if he
were insane, humoring his whims
would keep him from offering me any
L
some use Of my hands and some conf
dence in my strength.
II had seen enough with my own
eyes to convince me that a new appli-
cation of electricity had been discov-
cred and was really not prepared to
dispute with my visitor about the
limits within which it would be con-
fined, for it is not safe in these days to
say to investors, thus far shalt thou
go and no farther for they are con-
stantly oversteppng the bounds, and
the impossibilities of yesterday are the
unremarl1cd facts of to-day.
what is this medium you have dis
coveredT asked; it looks like quick
silver
Before had time to think or de-
fend myself the stranger had me fast.
With one bound he grasped me around
the arms with one of his and had me by
the throat with his other hand. Then
began the most awful struggle l was
ever engaged in.
"'Ahap exclaimed my assailant,
you have guessed part of my secret,
ton. 1t is time for you to die
"Then l realized that | was in the
hands of raving maniac, who was
bent on comprising my destruction.
Struggle as would was as a child in
his hands. Without apparent effort he
carried me to the window and thrust
me far over the sill could see down
that /, xrf,,l ha;,r1,t arj I ,,.>t;oad +h 4, . %ho
people in the street were looking up.
A policeman rushed toward the en-
trance, but knew he could not help
me, for no elevator could bring him up
quick enough to save me from the death
that stared me in the face. could not
speak, for the maniac held my throat in
n grip of steel.
"Die! die! dier cried my assailant,
and in an instant | was falling head
long toward the stone pavement hum
dred and fifty feet below.
ut is wonderful how rapidly the
human memory works on occasion. |
remember that my whole life flashed
before me. Little incidents of child.
hood came back as clearly as il they
had NOT happened half lifetime he
fore. l wondered what my wife would
say, and how ] would look after had
struck the pavement. ! specialized as
to whom they would call upon to
preach my funeral sermon and what
they would say. imagined what the
papers would say, and what would be
done with the man who had murdered
me. All these things and thousand
more rushed through my mind, but
above all and over all was an awful
horror of the death | was about to
die l imagined the dreadful crash
as struck and the feelings | would ex-
perience as my bones and flesh would
crash onto the stones below. 1t would
take = lifetime to detail my thoughts
and sensations during four seconds, for
all of my life rose up before me.
could see | was nearing the pavement,
and in an instant struck it with
dreadful force"
Wonderful wonderfully exclaimed
the portly gentleman, most wonder
full BY what miracle were you saved
from instant death?"
II have thought" answered the rev.
ercnd gentleman, gazing reflectively
down the line toward tae belated