THE EXPERIMENT WITH PAPER
“SINCE the cat threatens to get cross, we will have recourse to another
way of producing electricity.
“You fold lengthwise a good sheet of ordinary paper; then take hold of
the double strip by each end. Next, you heat it just to the scorching
point over a stove or in front of a hot fire. The greater the heat, the
more electricity will be developed. Finally, still holding the strip by
the ends alone, you rub it quickly, as soon as it is hot, on a piece of
woolen cloth previously warmed and stretched over the knee. It can be
rubbed on the trousers if they are woolen. The friction must be rapid
and lengthwise of the paper. After a short rubbing the band is quickly
raised with one hand, with great care not to let the paper touch against
anything; if it did the electricity would be dissipated. Then without
delay you bring up the knuckles of your free hand, or, better, the end
of a key, near to the middle of the strip of paper; and you will see a
bright spark dart from the paper to the key with a slight crackling. To
get another spark you must go through the same operations again, for at
the approach of the finger or key the sheet of paper loses all its
electricity.
“Instead of making a spark, you can hold the electrified sheet flat
above little pieces of paper, straw, or feathers. These light bodies are
attracted and repelled in turn; they come and go rapidly from the
electrified strip to the object which serves them as support, and from
this to the strip.”
Adding example to precept, Uncle Paul took a sheet of paper, folded it
in a strip to give it more resistance, warmed it, rubbed it on his knee,
and finally made a spark fly from it on the approach of his
finger-joint. The children were full of wonder at the lightning that
sprang from the paper with a crackle. The cat’s beads were more
numerous, but less strong and brilliant.
They say that Mother Ambroisine had much trouble that evening in getting
Jules to go to bed; for, once master of the process, he did not tire of
warming and rubbing. His uncle’s intervention was necessary to put an
end to the electric experiments.
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