Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-08
THE ILLUSTRATED BEE,

OF Colorado ventures. The tunnel was
built and is a success, both for railroad
and mining purposes. and Mrs. Murrell
could easily be president Of the company
which operates it, Gid she not prefer to
enjoy the princely income it yields her
rather than take up tn burdens of active
management.
Falls City mas a public library Of which
its people may well feel proud. It is the
Gift primarily Of he late Mrs. Lydia
Bruun Woods, who was a longtime resi-
dent Of Falls city. but who died i'm Den
vor. In her viii Mrs. Woods made a be-
quest Of j 10000 to be devoted to the cree
tiCn and equipment Of a public library. the
people Of Falls city to maintain it. J. II.
Miles donated the site upon which tho
building stands. II is a handsome two
story structure, the lower floor being
given over to library purposes and the
upper floor used as a council chamber and
offices fer the city officials. Early in May
the building was formally opened and dcd-
icated TO its uses. The affairs Of the
library are managed by a board composed
Of j. II. Miles. president; Edwin $. Towlc.
vice president; W. 4. Grcenwald. secrC.
tary; join w. Holt. j. l.. Slocum, J. +.
Leyda, A.. J. Weaver, A. f. CAN'T and s.
II. Harvey.
Matt b. Thurber of Tecumseh is an in.
Nentor Of somewhat remarkable ability. He
Is "A young man, being but 26 years of age.
and Of an inventive frame of mind. Before
he entered his teens he constructed a crude
hand car on which four boys could ride
through the streets of the town by giving
power to the vehicle very much the same
as tho railroad apnpI,Vag a., e, r,u,1,t;,.
hand car. At the age of II he made a nina
ture stationary steam engine which run
with accuracy. Dozens of other construc-
tionG, mostly of an electrical character,
followed these during the next few years.
At the age of is young Thurber, who was at
that time thrown upon his own resources,
was appointed city electrician Of Tecumseh,
which position he still holds. During the
years that he has been serving the city in
this capacity he has at the same time de-
voted much time to study. His latest ac-
Complishuents are the perfection and COM
pl'te construction Of an X-ray apparatus a
year ago and, finally, the making and de-
Cidedly successful experimenting of wire
less telegraphing devices. not wholly unlike
the ones invented by MarcOni. Mr.. Thur
bCr's N-ray machine is now being used by Il
Beatrice physician in the treatment of can
Ger, ana MS devices Tor space telegraDhy
are exhibited at his home here daily. The
first test of his machines proved conclu>
stvely to him that his experiment was a
success, though he has since greatly i'm
proved his outfit. Messages are success
fully transmitted several blocks through
houses, brick walls, or any other obstruc>
tion, with no regard to the direction the
wind is in. One of the machines in a cellar
three blocks away promptly responds to ii
message sent from the one in the second
story of the young mans home. Two opera
tors send messages back and forth with
satisfactory results several blocks apart.
Practically the same kind of a t]ransmitter
is used as that used by Mr.. Marconi, but
Mr.. Thurber's method requires no vertical
wires. In place Of these metal plates about
SKIP inches in size are used in transmitting
and receiving the electrical vibrations. Mr..
Thurber is the son Of the late DR.. S. w.
ThurbeT of Tecumseh and he lives with his
widowed mother there. He was born in
Omro, Wis, but has lived in Tecumseh since
infancy.