Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1896-09-17
AMBER PUZZLED THEM.
That Is Why the Greeks Called It
"Elektron."
And from That Word IL Derived Our
Own "Electricity"-A Chinese God
inside of u Pearl = Other
Rare Curios.
Especial Washington letter.

Electricity is something about
which nobody knows very much, and
concerning which very few know any
thing" says the electrician of the cap
itol. II have been handling electricity
for many years, but have much to learn
about it.
Until very recently / did not know
the derivation of the word, because am
not dialectician. have become inter
ested in the collection of amber, pearl,
crystal and other peculiar things in ma
ture, and will show you the collection;
but first want to tell you about cleo
tricity. 1t originated in the Greek word
elektron, which was applied to amber
thousands of years ago. The ancients
discovered amber, but it puzzled them to
know whether it was n metal, mineral
or jewel. They found that it was made
electrical by friction, and so they called
IL elektron; and from that we get our
word electricity.
There are various forms of electric
fly. Common electricity is produced by
friction, and for many years glass and
amber were the principle articles used
in producing it. Until it came into
common use electricity was looked upon
with awe by even those who produced
il by friction. Then there is galvanic or
voltaic electricity, resulting from
chemical decomposition in galvanic
battery. Atmospheric electricity is seen
and wondered at by everybody from
childhood to old age. 1t comes with
thunder storms, and is sometimes very
destructive, SCATTERING church steeples,
setting fire to houses, rushing down the
sides of trees, and sometimes killing
people in open fields. There are many
artificial manifestations of this mys-
FERROUS power of nature, and it is be-
coming necessary part of modern civ
ilization. 1t is the most economical
and popular motive power for street and
suburban railways; it has superseded
gas as an illuminant; it is used for
cookery in place of wood, coal and gas
oline; and its uses for telegraphing and
telephOning are marvellous in extent.
Here in the capitol life would sometimes
be uncomfortable with gas light and its
heat.
There are thousands of miles of wire
concealed in these solid marble walls.
and throughout the granite easements
and subways. The weather bureau has
it's connections here, and in the senate
and house and Hobbies there are skilled
scientists who tell the statesmen all
about the weather in their distant
homes, as we'll as the speed of the wind
and the condition of the temperature
outside the capitol building. The tele-
graph wires which connect the capitol
with the white house and the executive
departments also tap the through wires
electricity we are constantly in connec-
tion with the entire world. And yet, as
/ said before, very few people know any
thing scientifically about it, and only
recently did l know the derivation OF
the word.
But, like all men, l am talking about
my own speciality, when l started out
to show you my curios and tell you
some of the strange things about
them. Amber being electric was called
elektron, and you see how attractive it
becomes with a little friction. Here
is a large piece of virgin amber, one OF
the largest pieces in the world. By rub
bling it with this channels skin it be-
comes heavily charged with electricity.
See these bits of paper and cardboard
flying after it as l pass it over the
table. 1t is not to be wondered that the