Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-01-07
AN ELECTRIFIED FENCE.
Il Proves TO be a Terror to Cats and Sma
Boys.

Il Proves TO be a Terror to Cats and small
Toys.
A gentleman who lives almost under
the shadow of old Harvards walls, a,
Cambridge, has for several years EN-
ployed his leisure 'dabbling In electri,,-
ity, as he expressed it, In his home all
the doors drawers and windows open
and shut by this mysterious force. MIS-.
c., the genuernan'S wife, declares that
she hesitates to touch anything even to
touch air brlsh-iu his private room,
for fear it may be somehow connected
with hidden wire. One of his inven-
tons is unique, and has been the means
OF atfording 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 neighb0rhood to
overlook the distinction between meum
and uum. Running along the rear Of
! the fruit garden is Il board fence, one
hundred feet long, perhaps, over which
the rougish lads were won't to climb
when they wanted pears, and which,
| likewise, TOO frequently formed the
stage Tor c0ncert-giyi cats.
On the top Of this fence Mr.. c. tackled
strips of zine, which Were. connected
with the electric wires leading to the
house. BY pressing Il button more
| or less strong charge of electricity could
be sent through this zinc, odd sections
of which were united to the earth 0y
means Of wires.
Unsuspecting cats would run along the
fence, and the moment their four feet
touched the non-insulated zinc an aston
ished feline rose from one to three feet
into the air, sometimes to turn a com
plete somersault, and then to descend
with all outsTetched as if to fly. If the
unluczy cat in falling CHANGED to hit the
zinc again, the performance was apt 70
be repeated with variations The IN.
slant puss touched solid earth she would
utter one shIfn meow of terror and dart
away.
One evening during last fall Mr.. G.
was sitting in his room when, CHANGING
to look from the window, he spied Il boy
in the act OF climbing the fence, Ills
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 bulton, and the
next moment a startled boy jumped
backward, and tried to let so his hold
on the fence.
But electricity had set its grip upon
his hands and be was as pOwerless to
get away as he would be to thrown
down Bunker Hill monument with
puff of his breath.
He kicked, he pulled backward, ne
struggled this way and that, and, finally,
in despair, he shouted Justify for help
Mr.. G. watched the lad FOR time and
then, thinking he had punished him saf-
ficiently removed his finger from the
button and released him from electrical
durance The boy, meantime, had
caught glimpse of Mr.. Cs 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 bali dozen rag
ged-looking urchins, led by the electri-
fed boy of few minutes before, were
seen approaching the fence, as If with
a determination to tear it down.
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
body. Mr.. G. gave the frightened lad
a few words of advice, and then suffer
ed him to depart, says the Youth'a Com
panion. Not pear was disturbed after
that, nor has he since known of a boys
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 yolls Of eggs well |
with Il teacupful Of milk or cream ana !
stir this into the oysters Have ready 1
a half dozen slices of buttcre3 toast /
pour the oysters over them and serve |
while very hot, This method Of serv-
ing oysters makes them very delicious.