Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1911-12-14
DO LIGHTNING RODS PROTECTa

''41@<S eANJ 'N4A ~ 81 tAChAk II ~. soV
per foot.
Lightning Conductors are made
without joints in cable form and are
used entirely by all responsible con-
Germs. Lightning Conductors cost the
farmer no more than Lightning Rods,
although they cost the erector fif-
teen hundred per cent more than he
could purchase rods for. The farmer
heretofore has not been in a position
to discriminate between the good and
the bad with the very natural result
that he has condemned all systems of
Lightning Protection.
In order to show the inconsistency
of those who still doubt the efficiency
1 of Lightning Protection we inserted
as an advertisement in the Gloucester
/ County Democrat reward of $4,000
to any farmer, lawyer, minister, doc
! tor or school teacher who could ans
wer any Of the following questions:
/ The questions to be answered in
order to claim the reward were
! /. What journal published in the
I interest of farmers (there are AZ in
the IT, Sd does not strongly advise the
! protection of town and country prop
erty by use of Lightning Conductors?
] 2. What civilized government does
not use and urge the use of Lightning
Protection?
! 3. What college or university does
not teach the assurance of Lightning
Protection?
4. What modern text book of ply
sizes, or encyclopedia does not explain
and endorse Lightning Protection?
5. What scientist does not show
the Inconsistency of those prejudiced
/ against Lightning Protection?
All contesting for the $4,000 reward
offered last week will send their ans
wers to the Democrat
Our claim-That there is no farm
journal, no civilized government, no
college or university, no text book or
encyclopedia, no scientist that does
not unqualifiedly endorse Lightning
(, Protection.
! The answers were to be sent to the
Democrat office, not to us and you
will see by their letter that we re-
ceived no replies to these questions.
Office of
Gloucester County Democrat.
Up to the present time, June LIST,
1911, we have received no reply to
the above questions.
J. D. CARPENTER.
! Now when this subject first came
up, felt it was of such vital i'm
portance to the farmer that it was a
question that should be finally settled
once and for all and so expressed my
self to Mr.. Theodore Brown who quite
agreed with me. / saw Mr.. Edison
and arranged with him to take part
in the discussion by telegraph, Mr..
Edison sending his message through
Mr.. Theodore Brown.
informed Mr. Edison that a
Lightning Rod man from Bridgeton
was deceiving the farmers by showing
a letter purporting to be signed by
him, endorsing the twisted iron rod.
and that | thought he could serve the
farmers of his State by answering two
questions: First, Did he endorse
Lightning Rods Second, Would
Lightning Conductors protect build
ing from the effects of lightning? Mr..
Edison's reply to these questions
sent to Mr.. Theodore Brown is as fol-
lows:
I have never endorsed any parti-
cuiar Lightning Rod
Two or more metallic conductors at
least one-quarter of an inch in dia-
meter OF either iron or copper with
out joints when connected with a
proper amount of metallic surface con
nected with a permanently damp
! earth will certainly protect house
from the effect of lightning. Any
metallic surfaces on roof, etc., when
connected with the conductors will
increase the protection"
! You will note that while Mr.. Edison
does not endorse Lightning Rods. he
says, Lightning Conductors when
properly erected will certainly pro
tect buildings" and surely this state
ment by Mr.. Edison will definitely
settle this question in all reasonable
mems minds.
But why multiply these endorse
ments? They could be supplied in
definitely until your home could not
contain shelving sufficient to hold
/ them. Indeed the whole story may
be summed up in few words.
Mark you, use each word advised
ly. There is not one single scientific
man OF note to-day, be he an Astrono-
mer, Physicist, Geologist, or Electri-
/ clan, who does not unqualifiedly en-
dorse Lightning Conductors.
But for arguments sake let US dis
card all authorities.
Let us rate philosophy as fiction
and science as hearsay.
Let us discount the Governments
appeal to the farmers in the bulletin
/ above mentioned and disregard the
fact that all Federal buildings are so
protected.
Let US put to naught the fact that
all universities and colleges that have
Physics in their curriculum teach
this doctrine. Let us neglect to con-
suit the advice of all the encyclope-
dias. Then what? Let us then ap-
peal to reason-to horse sense-to
our own observations.
The results will be, that we will
recall that we or no one else ever
knew locomotive to be struck ty