The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-08-06
AN ELEorRlElEn FENCE.
dow Scientist "Got Even" with the Bad
Boys.

Boys.
A gentleman who lives almost under
the shadow of old Harvard's walls, at
Cambridge, has for several years en-
ployed his leisure in "dabbling in
electricity" as he expresses it. In his
home all the doors, drawers and win
dows open and shut by this mysterious
force Mrs. c., the gentleman's
wife, declares that she hesitates to
touch anything--even to lift hair
brush-in his private room, for fear it
may be somehow connected with a hid
den wire. One of his inventions is
unique, and has been the means of af-
fording him and his friends no little
amusement.
In his back yard are several fine old
pear trees, which have sometimes led
certain boys in the neighborhood to
overlook the distinction between meltDa
and tUum Running along the rear of
the fruit garden is a board fence,
hundred feet long perhaps, over which
the roguish lads were won't to climb
when they wanted pears, and which,
likewise, too frequently formed the
stage for concert-giving cats.
On the top of this fence Mr.. c.
tackled strips of zinc, which were con-
nected with the electric wires leading to
the house. By pressing a button
more or less strong charge of electricity
could be sent through this zinc, odd
sections of which were united to the
earth by means of wires.
Uususpecting cats would run along
the fence, and the moment their fore
feet touches the non-insulated zinc, an
astonished feline rose from one to three
feet in the air, sometimes to turn a
complete somersault, and then to descend
with all four feet outstretched as if to
fly. If the unlucky cat in falling
CHANGED to hit the zinc again, the per-
formance was apt to be repeated with
variations. The instant puss touched
solid earth, she would utter one shrill
meow of terror and dart away.
One afternoon during the past fall,
Mr.. c. was sitting in his room, when,
CHANGING to look from the window, he
spied boy in the act of climbing the
fence, his hands resting on the zinc,
Mr.. c. Immediately recognized him
as one of the purloiners of his pears.
He put his finger on the electric button,
and the next moment a startled boy
jumped backwards. and tried to let go
his hold on the fence.
But electricity had set it's grip upon
his hands, and he was as powerless to
get away as he would be to throw down
Bunker Hill monument with puff Of
his breath.
He kicked he pulled backwards, he
struggled this way and that, and final
ly, in despair, he shouted Justify for
help
Mr. c. watched the lad for a time,
and then thinking he had punished him
sufficiently, removed his finger from the
button and released him from electrical
durance. The boy, meantime, had
caught a glimpse of Mr.. C-'s smiling
face at the window, and Immediately
connected him with his own peculiar
sensations. He gave vent to his feel
ings, therefore, in an angry threat that
he and the boys would tear the old
fence down, and ran off.
A few minutes later half a dozen
ragged-lool1ing urchins, led by the elec,
trifed boy of a few minutes before,
were seen approaching the fence, as il
with a determination to tear it down.
Mr.. C--'s finger sought the electric
button. One of the ragamuffins put his
hands on the fence, and that instant
uttered a shrek of pain and terror.
Electricity had caught him!
His comrades stopped just long
enough to see that the boy was held
fast, and took to their heels and deserted
in body. Mr.. c. gave the fright
ened lad a few words of advice, and
then suffered him to depart. Not a
pear was disturbed after that, nor has he
since known of a boys attempting to
climb that electrified fence.--Youth's
Companion.
A Serious Error.
Gazzam - Do you know what the
greatest mistake Of my life was?
Misunderstanding born, | suppose