The Yellowstone journal., 1894-07-10
MYSTERIOUS ELECTRICITY.
The Human Mind May Never Solve ths
Problem of What 1t Is.

The Human Mind May Never Solve ths
Problem of What 1t Is.
To the metaphysical mind on the one
nand and to the confident ignoramus on
:ae other the mysterious nature of cleo
;-icitv offers a fruitful subject Of specu-
a To the latter especially it seems
- ach that the true nature Of cleo
ipy has not lcng before been made
manifest, and he is always prepared 70
dash off an explanation with much more
confidence than Newton proposed his
theory of gravitation. 1t seems inexpli-
cable to the public at large that the mys-
terry surrounding electricity is not dis
PEELED. 1t does not seem to occur to
those who are impatient to have the
great question, What is electricity"
answered that we are in just as dense
ignorance as to the mechanism of other
phenomena. Gravitation, light, heat
and chemical action are in the same
category of scientific mysteries and have
had centuries more of thought bestowed
on them than has been devoted to the
new agent. While it now seems tina.
we may be on the threshold of ore OF
the greatest discoveries of the human
mind, yet it is possible, and even proba-
BILE, that the knowledge of man may
never be permitted TO extend to the en-
tire solution of the problem, for it is the
very problem Of the universe itself.
Assuming what seems to be unques.
toned, that electricity, electrical action
or whatever we may call it, has its seat
in the atoms or molecules of matter or
/ of the hypothetical matter, ether, We
are brought face to face with the same
conditions that confront the cosmical
philosopher. As the latter can neve,
hope to have his material vision extend
to the bounds of the universe, neither
can the molecular physicist hope to ma
terially appreciate the ultimate elements
of matter. Lord Kelvin has shown that
if a drop of water were magnifed to the
size of the earth one of its constituent
molecules would only be magnified to
approximately the size of a cricket
ball. Bearing this in mind, the i'm
mensity of the problem which is so Otter
| fippantly referred to is evident. True,
we may demonstrate the exact relation
between electricity and magnetism and
other phenomena an, even obtain a
working hypothesis that will answer all
scientific needs. but the ultimate solu-
| ton may forever eyade the human mino.
Whatever we do learn, however, viii!
not be through the speculations of meta
| physicians or the guesses of tyros, bu'
| through the physical Investigations oi
| .i-rtzes and Teslas. While as a mental
raining metaphysical speculation may
| l. its l.se. me absolute lack of adGi
| IONS - car real knowledge during the
| rluGy centuries from Plato to Bacon
when metaphysics held full sway, is con-
elusive that nothing can be expected
from this direction, and merely specula.
tive theories ia regard to the nature oi
electricity deserve as little considera.
ton as is now gwen to the metaphysics
vagaries of the schoolmen of the middle
ages.-Electrical World
AT the ring ne smiled sarcastlcany
and said crrtly, So. But / was oh
stinate. and slipping the ring on my
finger went out.
Il easily got 10 plunkers on it from
another money lender. ."-Philadel
| ,~I,a Gall