.500 THE INTELLECTUAL RISE IN ELECTRICITY. 



paratns, in which the flow of ink to a record surface is regu- 

 lated by the electrifying charge. 



It is a remarkable fact that, despite the progress which 

 had been made in electrical knowledge since the time of 

 Gilbert, no one had demonstrated any practical utilization 

 of it. Of course, the discoveries made were the founda- 

 tion of modern useful developments; but, at the period 

 now under review, they had not been recognized as meet- 

 ing any human need. Perhaps it was enough that they 

 should have freed themselves from the ancient atmosphere 

 of mysticism which surrounded all electrical effects, and 

 had come to be clearly distinguished as purely natural 

 happenings. From this, however, came the noteworthy 

 sequel, that as popular familiarity with them increased, so 

 far from its bringing with it indifference or sated curiosity, 

 its accompaniment was augmented wonder. And this in 

 turn led to the query, soon the demand, whether the new 

 force could not be made to do its part in the world's work. 

 Because those who ask it seldom have any conception how, 

 or in what channels, such utilization is possible, this ques- 

 tion, in the beginning of a new art, always takes the form 

 of u cui bono;" and, moreover, as it often bears rather the 

 aspect of belittling the importance or merit of the achieve- 

 ment than of evincing a desire that it shall be conclusively 

 answered, the discoverer is as likely to retaliate with such 

 counter demands as that the utility of mosquitoes or earth- 

 quakes shall first be explained, as he is to adopt Faraday's 

 advice and silently proceed to "endeavor to make it use- 

 ful;" or Franklin's genial philosophy summed up in the 

 famous reply of "What is the use of a baby?" 



So when the Germans had digested the feast of marvels 

 which Bose and others spread before them, instead of glori- 

 fying the philosophers they manifested an inclination to 

 taunt them with the uselessness of human fireworks, and 

 such electrical shows generally. The man who answered 



