No Danger.

Otago Witness, Issue 2080, 4 January 1894, Page 49

No Danger.

Andrew Crosse, the English electrician, had odd encounters with people who did not understand his art, it being a time- when it was far less a matter of every-day experience than it is now.

One day a party of strangers visited him to see his electrical arrangements, and looked with some anxiety at two Leyden jars when their host mentioned that, in certain states of the atmosphere, he could charge them with electricity from the clouds.

" But, Mr Crosse," said one old gentleman, gravely, " don't you think it is rather impiouß to bottle the lightning ? "

" And don't you think, Bir," was the prompt reply, " that it is rather impious to bottle rainwater ? "

Tits scientist was very food of telling one story counseled with a Welsh housemaid he had engaged, and who proved so zealous that she would fain scrub and dust every article afc hand. In the organ gallery of the house was. an apparatus for testing the electricity of the atmosphere.

" Noli me tanyere " was engraved on the brass receiving cylinder to warn off intruders, and ttte servants were told, in plain English, that they must on no account touch the machine.

One day, however, the housemaid noticed that the cylinde* was dusty, rubbed it vigorously, and received a sharp electric shock. She went to' her master, complaining that the " nasty thing in the music gallery had nearly tfiosked her down." " 1 told you not to touch it," naid Mr Crosse. " Yes sir," she replied, " but I thought you'd wrote no tavger on it ! "