The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-12-21

''This is it, he answerenc "Sue and l
came here alone and found it hundred
years ago, and these later immigrants, as
you see, never tire of thanking u.s.
| was about to ask him if he found the
pole put up on that spot on arriving, when
we heard the salute, "Welcome home, Col
onel Fitch!' by some young ladies nearby
They were blooming creatures, full Of
ruddy health, little inclined to the bois-
terous just on the outer edge Of giggle-
hood.
"These ladies have been here" he said,
''since the time when your father was
born"
"Impossible!' l exclaimed.
"And some of US were very passe at that
time" said one, laughing
belonged to the Palaeozoic Period, {"
said another.
"You don't look at all antique at this
time" remarked.
81 fiatter myself not We've been doing
the circuit" said she.'
"What is it, if you please?' asked.
"My friend has just arrived" exclaimed
Fitch.
Twill you come and take a walk with
me ?" said the prettiest of the bevy. gave
her my arm with a little thrill of regret
that had not known her before, and we
walked toward the Pole.
| or ,pao AZ yaoro old ,rbo, ,ya mot how,
she frankly explained 81 ran as hard as
| could the first day, and went round the
Pole with the sun 730 times | was dread
fully tired that night but knew had got
ahead of the cruel tyrant of the skies by
about two years. How much better you
look, sad my friends the next morning
These elderly people here, walking the
same way we are" she continued, "are
growing younger all the while. OF course,
they are just as many days younger as they
are able to keep ahead of the sun. That
scrawny-looking old ruin over there in u
poke bonnet they revert to the costume
of the states sometimes, when they walk
very FAST has been here only Il few days;
she will be blooming girl of Il or 90 sum-
mers before the sun rises next spring. You
notice she carries a parrot on her finger?
Polly grows Young too"
''Why are some OF the people going the
other way" kids aie always nuisance
when they are young; SO their mothers, or
the nurses, take all the young things at six
weeks old and draw them rapidly around
the Pole on these cradle sleds, against the
sun, of course. By this expedient, infants
six weeks old get to he six years old in
about a month. OF course, the mothers
and nurses grow rather faded in this opera
ton, but they take measures to make
themselves young again when the babies
have been properly matured.'
After we had walked for an hour, and
| was beginning to get quite an idea of my
new surroundings. she suddenly cried
"Do you see that scythe hanging up on the
\. p? That's symbol, indicating that
old Time hasn't any further use for it,.
Now must ask you to excuse me. l have
walked altogether too far in this direction
already; but the presence of a stranger Mas
exhilarating, and | walked on. Now |
must run around the Pole 30 times in the
other direction, for am falling into state
of ridiculous juvenility."
saw Colonel Fitch at little distance,
and | thought l would ask him who
put up the Pole; but he cut me off
with, GLOW do you like our lights"
"Wonderfuln' l responded. 'Did | I'M
derstand you to say that your light and
heat are obtained without fuel?''
Great Scott! | should hope"' he ex
claimed. "Fuel is antiquated We draw
our electricity from the inorganic universe
direct, releasing it without the aid of COM
bustion. This planet is an immense stor-
aye battery, ard the aurora borealis in all
the while being emptied into it through
the majestic pole. intercept this electric
torrent by simple contrivance, and get all
the power we want for light, heat, trans
portation and other dynamics."
Sir" said l gaspng for breath, 81 sup
pose you gear the Arctic Circle to the inner
fange of the armament by cogs? You are
making fun of me. This tapping the
aurora borealis is ridiculous and impos-
sible.'
Certainly" he calmly observed, that's
what it is: All great inventions are redic-
ulous and impossible. That's the popularity
of them. Look at Edison's monograph,
for instance, and the kinetoscope.
who put up that pole?" l asked break
ing away from his theme in desperation.
so, yes, " he said, II meant to tell you.
The old Norwegian put it up, Come and
look at itn'
The pole was about two feet through,
and we approached and inspected it. The
electric lamps made it look like colossal
candelabrum.
Letters on it, said. "What lot Of
queer characters cut in the bark!'
Every old wood" he explained. at
does look like bark. 1t is undoubtedly
| Al. a l,t, DO, ~,