Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-11-16
The Age of Electricity.

"Thirty years ago." said member OF
Congress to newspaper reporter, II
walked six miles over hot and dusty
road from my country home to the coun-
ty-seat to see circus that advertised to
have on exhibition light made by elec-
tricity. There were scores of others in
our neighborhood who went, not to see
the circus, but to get sight OF this new
marvel, the electric light.
"That was thirty years ago. Last
month, on advice of my physician, went
out to a suburban sanitariunifor a rheu-
matte trouble. AT the corner took an
electric car that carried me to the suburbs.
There entered an electric automobile
that whisked me mile farther TO the san
itarium. Having arrived there, | was
taken by an electric elevator to my room,
where the attendant turned on the elec-
tric light and switched on the electric
fan. A moment later the house physician
came in. On leaving me he said that |
would be notified when to come down
to the treatment room. Soon after his
call an electric sign on the walls flashed
the words, Treatment ROOM
"On going down to that apartment, |
had an eIectric-light bath, after which the
physician applied electric sponges to my
aching joints. When | returned to my
room the electric telephone at the head
of my bed rang, and lying there, | talked
to my secretary in the House office
building in Washington. He had called
me up to ask after my health.
"Just before day the next morning |
awakened, and desiring some hot milk,
summoned the night attendant by press
ing an electric button. When ! made
known my wants the attendant retired,
returning in a few moments with a small
electric stove, on which he soon heated
palatablea drink. Before rising that
morning had an electric massage. The
nurse told me that he had just been at
tending patient with chill. and had
materially relieved him by packing elec-
tric bed-warmers about him.
"During the forenoon had a slight at
tack of nervousness. was placedin an
electric chair,-not the electric chair,-
and its gentle vibrations soon sent me off
into soothing sleep.
During the afternoon ! had occasion
to communicate with colleague on a
matter that did not care to trust to the
telephone. Accordingly, ! telephoned
my secretary to have the member in ques-
ton call on the telautograph punctually at
a certain minute. This he did, within a
quarter-minute of the time had set, for
the clock at the sanitarium and the clocks
in the House building are both connected
by electric wire with the government OF
ficial clock at the national observatory,
and regulated to the second each day.
Then sat down and carried on secret
correspondence on the electric telauto-
graph, by means of which the words
were written at a distance OF eight miles.
"When recovered sufficiently to walk,
strolled up the valley one day to the
source of all this power. II was a HUM
BILE little stream that tumbled down
through an iron pipe TO turbine wheel.
do not know which excited my admira-
ton more, the numberless uses to which
had seen electricity put, or the simplic-
ity of this falling stream that was the
moving power Of it; but | do know that
my emotion did not compare in intensity
with the amazement that felt thirty
years before, when | first beheld that
glowing glass bulb under the canvas OF
the old circus tent in Indiana"