The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1912-09-25
Who Had Been Reaping
Without Sowing.
ELECTRICAL FENCE A new ONE
In the Way of Trickery and
Answered Its Purpose
Most SpIendidly.
ART OF TANNING FARM HANDS

The japanese nave always ndu
prediction for electricity" said
DR.. Nitobe, a professor of the Uni
versity of Tokyo, while visiting
Washington recently. Il recall a
striking instance of their applica-
ton of it more than fifteen years
ago that was as unique as it was
effective.
I'm the early nineties the Japa-
nese defeated the Chinese in war
and in the indemnity the japanese
acquired the large island of For
mosa, lying off the coast of China.
Now while the lower part of
Formosa is very fertile. and grows
the finest tea and rice, being civiliz-
ed as we'll, the upper portion, in
deed by far the largest part of the
island, was overrun by the blood
thirstiest of savages, who consider
ed murder and robbery as the only
genteel professions. They had been
accustomed, under Chinese rule,
which was no rule at all, to make
descents upon the few peaceful
farmers in the lower end about the
time their crops were ripe, and, af-
ter killing enough of them to salts
fy their lust tor blood, carry away
to their mountain wildernesses
enough rice and tea to last them
until time for another inGursion.
when the japanese took posses
sion and saw this state of affairs,
they sent a strong military force to
Formosa, and drove these savage
barbarians far up into the northern
end of the island. Then they
brought in a host of immigrants
from Japan who speedily cleared
the wilderness, which was dripping
with fertility. and planted their
crops-but not before the japanese
authorities had stretched across the
island, 300 miles from ocean to
ocean, along the line between them
and the savages. simple wire
fence: that was ALL
There was a barbed wire on top
and barbed wire at the bottom,
and right between ran an innocent
looking smooth wire of the tele-
phone type.
pretty soon the savage natives,
bo, he
diers had gone, started to make one
of their customary raids upon the
crops lying so temptingly beyond
the fence. They got together with
their war clubs and other such
grisly weapons and, starting on
their bloody excursion, reached the
Misunderstanding fence and COM
menced to Chamber through-when
the japanese engineers who mann
ed the powerful electric generators
connected to that particular sec
tion of the fence, turned on several
thousand-or million volts it was,
maybe-along that innocent mid
die wire. That was all, but it was
enough: as soon as a painted chief
took hold of it to get through, he
dropped like log. and so did those
who tried to follow him. / am told
that our people at the electric
plants never stirred when they
heard the wild shrieks that arose,
but merely shoveled in more coal
and turned on more Juice be-
lieve you call it. The next day
when a party went up to investigate
they found the savages strung
along the fence like so many dead
cattle.
THE natives made one or two at
tempts, further, with like results.
Then when they found they were
starving, as we'll as cursed by some
powerful god within the magic
wire, they came in and, laying down
their arms, surrendered. They say
they make the best farm hands in
Formosa now-but they've never
comprehended the mystery of the
middle wire."-[Popular Electric
ity.