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20th July In the evening Bräker and Salome walk over to a neighbour's, to admire the crops. [Chronik, p 241]

22nd July "On a sweltering hot Monday with much thunder nothing different took place than on other Mondays. Except that at our table somebody was reading aloud from the newspaper about violent thunderstorms, flood damage and so on. The conversation turned upon lightning-conductors, whereupon some farmers became vehemently enraged that anyone should take on such things that tempted God." [Voellmy, v 2 p 118]

127

1st Aug. Bräker has visitors from Lichtensteig. Salome welcomes them politely but Bräker knows he will pay for this later. [Chronik, p 242]

9th-10th Aug. Bräker is sad that the days are shortening again, but comforts himself by considering that the harvest has been good and even winter has its joys, when the flowers bloom in his room. [Chronik, p 243]

127

The lightning-conductor was invented by the American scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1753, but not put into use until 1782, in France.

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