The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-06-23
AHaerspt1 gatelligeHtsr.
Broom StraWs.


"Now here's a queer thing ?" said the
boy, bursting into my room between
eleven and twelve o'clock one night.
I'm quite used to his energetic en-
trance. I only turned over sleepily, and
asked, "What have you got now"
"We've been trying some daisy exper-
iments. Now.this is really curious. Get
up and see," he cried.
Thus urged, I got up and lit the gas.
"What is it? Two broom strawsl
Dragging me out of bed for such nom
sensel I declare !"
"It isn't nonsense. Just see here"
He stood before the mantel-piece, and
rested his hands lightly upon it it. Be-
tween the thumb and finger Of each hand
he held the end of a smooth broom straw
about eight inches long.
"Now hang these two bits of straw
across this one, one at each end, by my
fingers" he said.
picked up two bits. They were each
shout two inches long, doubled in the
middle, making in shape the letter V. I.
hung them across the long straw as COM
nlanded, their ends just touching the
mantcl.
"Make the points incline toward the
centre-just g little," ordered the boy.
Command comes natural to him. The
queer thing is that people don't often
protest.
I I turned the points toward the centre
c-jast the tiniest bit. Then funny
thing hoppened. Slowly, slowly, as if
by some irresistible impulse, the two lit
File pointed bits of straw began to move
aloag their support. They went at about
the saisSs rate, their legs moving along
the mantel, shsir heads pointed toward
the center of the staw.
"Well-I-declale p'
"steady, steady" saia tbs boy, flushed
and laughing.
The two little broom straas walked
along. Walkedl Yes, they seemed to
do lust that, If ever things in this wcsld
appear to know their purpose, and move
steadily toward it,, those two broom
straws did. They walked evenly along,
met in the centre, and, their points
touching, stood still, forming a pyramid.
. "Therep p cried the boy, triumphantly.
! He lowered his long straw, drew it out,
land the little pyramid stood erect, made
so,Gipspalently by its'own solitiou.
"I neI!Sed7s would have believed IT," ]
said. =
"Isn't that worth getting up .for"
asked the boy.
We tried it on the poaayhsd' footboard
of the bsdstead, and on other surfaces.
The little broom stra~s didnt Ike too-
much friction; but who does7
Then we experimental little. If ne
started the asraws in the centre, the
points slightly inclined outward, they
walked in the opposite direction, stop
ping only at the fingers holding the
straw. Ifone was bent to form sharper
snglethan the other, and its '.legs" cut
little shorter, the longer, broader straw
would pass completely over its smaller
comrade, the little one going under with
] out a hitch, and each proceeding on the
even tenor of its way until it reached tbs
opposite end. This Was very tundy.
The stra,W7s must not drag too much, just
EjtoGch.
dseems just IS if they had sense,
doeskt ita" masingly asked ths boy,
watching skeni,
"If I hadu's seen it; I; never would
have believed itp Frepeated, cresping,
.shiyering, back to bed as last.
B Il wouldn't myself, eithss,p declared
Tho boy, emphatically.
2 But that's nothing. That boy neVer
believes anything until it is proved 70
his complete satisfaction. .-Harper's
Youag People.