Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1893-01-05

the doors, drawers and windows open
and shut by this mysterious force. MIS-.
c., the gentleman's wife, declares that
she heSitateS TO touch anything-eyen TO
touch air brush-in his private room,
for fear it may be somehow connected
with hidden wire. One of his inyen-
tons is unique, and has been the means
of affording him and his friends no lit
tie amusement.
In his back yard are several fine old
pear treas, which have sometimes led
certain boys in the ueignoorhood to
overlook the distinction between meum
and tuum. Running along the rear OF
the fruit garden is a board fence, one
hundred feet long, perhaps, over which
the rougish lads We're wont 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 connected
with the electric wires leading to the
house. By pressing a button a 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.
Unsuspecting cats would run along the
fence, and the moment their four feet
touched the non-insulated zinc an aston
isbed feline rose from one to three feet
into the air, sometimes to turn COM
plete SOmersault, and then to descend
with all outsretched as if to fly. If the
unlucky cat in falling CHANGED to hit the
zinc again, the performance was apt TO
be repeated with variations. The in
slant puss touched solid earth she would
utter one shIiu meow Of terror and dart
away.
One evening during last fall Mr.. c.
was sitting in his room when, CHANGING
to look from the window, he spied a boy
in the act Of climbing the fence, bis
hands resting on the zinc. Mr.. G. i'm
mediately 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
backward, and tried to let go his hold
on the fence.
But electricity had set its grip upon
his hands and he was as pOwerless to
get away as he would be to thrown
down Bunker Hill monument with a
puff of his breath.
He kicked, he pulled backward, he
struggled this way and that, and, finally,
in despair, he shouted Justify for help.
Mr.. G. watched the lad for a time and
then, thinking he had punished him sllf-
fciently, 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
sensation. He gave vent to his feelings
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 rag
ged-loOking urchins, led by the electri-
fed boy Of a few minutes before, were
seen approaching the fence, as if with
d W IS(i1 II uO"u
Mr.. C.'s finger sought the electric but
ton. One of the ragmuffins put his
hands on the fence, and that instant ut
tered shrek Of pain and terror. Elec
tricity 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 a
body. Mr.. G. gave the frightened Lad
few words Of advice, and then suffer
ed him to depart, says the Youths Com
panion. Not a pear was disturbed after
that, nor has he since known of a boys
attempting to climb that electrical fence.
Selected.
Oysters on Toast.-CoOk dozen oys-
tiers in their own liquor, until they just
begin to curl Season to taste with salt,
pepper, butter and a little nutmeg if
liked. Beat the yolks of eggs well
with a teacupful of milk or cream and
stir this into the oysters Have ready
a half dozen slices of buttered toast;
pour the oysters over them, and serve
while very hot This method of serv-