SCIENTIFIC JOKING.

Evening Star, Issue 4295, 1 December 1876, Page 1

SCIENTIFIC JOKING.

One of our Castlemaine young men (says the ‘ Mount Alexander Mail') has been experimentalising on a Yankee notion of silk telegraphy, and so far succeeded as to frighten an old lady out of her wits. From the ‘Scientific American’ he obtained the idea of “ whispering ” to a friend at a distance of fifty to a hundred yards. This is done by the aid of a silken thread, at the extreme ends of which are two small tin cases, ene end of which being tightly covered with parchment, securely tied on, and through the ends so covered a hole is made in the centre sufficiently large to admit of the insertion of the thread, which is knotted at the ends; by this means the tins are united, the other ends of the tins being perfectly open. If yon desire to whisper to your friend at the other end of the thread, you can do so by placing the uncovered end to your mouth and speaking into it, your friend at the same time having his ear at the open end of the tin in his possession. During the experiment by our young operator, he found it necessary to fasten one of the tin cases on the fence under the gas lamp at the borough council chambers to enable him to get an accurate measurement of his silk telegraph line. An old lady happened to pass by at the time, was struck with the bright object on the fence. Ladylike, of course, not seeing any person near it, she walked up to within a short distance, and viewed it from every conceivable aspect. During this time she was closely watched by the operator. The lady having now gained courage, took a glance round to see if she was observed, and went quite close to the object, put her face down to it, and was just in the act of ‘shaking’it when the youth at the other end whispered, ‘ Thou shalt not steal.’ effect on the eld lady’s nerves was electrical; she gave Inmost unearthly yell, pleading for pardou* and asking to be forgiven, retreating as quickly as if a gentleman in blue were after her. Who will say the experiment was not a successful one V’