Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-05-30
&v Experiment.
O
OlG1

a o YOU have come to see that let
- ter? Well, sit down." said the
Professor, when the red-headed re
porter for the New York Evening Clar-
on explained why he was there. "Since
you promise not to mention my name, L
will give you the details as briefly as
I can"
Professor LofIlin handed well-f1lled
cigar case and as the reporter leaned
back and puffed away, he began:
You must know that three years ago
was Professor of Astronomy at -
was within a short run of New York.
One evening" forget the exact date,
but no matter-I got a telegram from
my young friend Tom Ridgrave saying
that he was intending to run up to see
me for day, and, sure enough, the
6 o'clock train brought him.
You will remember that Ridgrave
was operator for wireless on the big
ocean liner Smeltic running between
New York and Liverpool He was an
exceedingly bright young electrician
amounting almost to genius. His
only fault seemed to be a passion for
gambling.
That evening among other things, we
talked of a new attachment he had in
vented which he called an "Electro-foc-
us-agitator," the nature of which I am
not electrician enough to be able to
n no hut 7
Der he calculated that by means Of it
a wireless message could be sent in
any direction to any distance without
any possibility of interference with
messages in transit He claimed that
1t furnished electrical currents of a
compounded rapidity far exceeding that
Of light.
"How far, Tom," I asked him, do
you suppose you could send a wireless
message with this attachment of yours
If the conditions were right?"
GLOW far? You wouldn't believe me
If l told you
Eyes, I'll try to-" 1 replied for had
great faith in Toms genius.
"WeIl, Them" came his answer, "as
far as any of the other planets"
you don't mean that!"
Certainly I do Tell you what, Pro
fessor. Just look UP your astronomical
calendars and tell me when the planet
Mars will be very plainly visible at
sea-"
con the DIST OF July Mars should be
plainly visible" 1 replied. "just about
the time the Smeltic will be leaving
Queenstown Oil your way to Liver
pool"
'By Jove, Professor, that ought to
suit us very well, Couldn't you come
and see the experiment.
Lets see | answered, that will be
some weeks hence"
EYES," he said, "we have round
trip to make il between so you have
lots Of time to make your arrange
ments"
Finally, promised to go; we fin
lshed q game Of crib, and toddled off
TO bed
Next morning, as he stood at my
gate ready to catch his train, Tom sud
denly looked up at NE, smiling. Don't
forget to bring a big telescope with you,
Professor. But please do not mention
1t In the meantime, as I don't want it
in the papers until the experiment is
over, as 1 must protect my patents"
1 promised, CT course, and after Tom
had gone, put the matter on one SIDE
being busy with my many duties.
When l stepped on board the Smell
tic for the appointed trip, | found that
there were, on the usual large passen-
ger list, the names Of two Of New
York's young multi-milliOnaires John
@. Whimple and Sol. Stiffenheimer
both Of whom had made their millions
in steel. Besides these was a SIT Ar
thur Bentham, a young English baro-
net, with heaps of inherited money.
merely mention these three as later
they come somewhat prominently into
the story.
But the finest stateroom in the ship
had been taken by strikingly hand
some young lady, a Miss Galena Win
stone who appeared to be travelling
alone with her maid, and whose beauty
and vivacity drew universal attention,
especially when it became known that
she was a great heiress in her own
right from some place in California.
You may be sure it was not very long