Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (June 16, 1895)
- * I * > " ! * > PART j M III. THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE PAGES 17 TO 20. ESTABLISHED JUNE 19 , 1871. OMAIIA , SUNDAY , JUNE. 10 , 1895 TWENTY PAGKES. SnsTCrLE COt'Y JTIVE CENT THE LIGHT OF THE FUTURE A Prophecy Fulfilled Much Sooner Than the Prophet Dreaimd. THE BEGINNING OF ElACTRIC L'GHT Inventor llrnnti' * I'omevirntiro nnd the Alacnlllcmit Il9 < ult Iiutructlvo Hit * tory Detailed by the Nntcil Cleveland inoctrlcl.Hi , ( Copyrighted , 1503 , by Trunk O , Carpenter ) ' 'That , man , Is the light of the future ! "That Is electricity ! "I am going to light the world with It ! " These were the words of a big , broad shouldered young fellow of 28. They were uttered nbout eighteen years ago to an old man who stood In front of n shop on one of the side streets of the city ot Cleveland and looked with wonder on a glass globe In which blazed a ball of fire , upheld , as It were , be tween two black carbons the size of your little finger. This old man was A. C. Bald win of Tllfin , generally known throughout northern Ohio as old Uncle Baldw.n , and noted for his great common sense and shrewd business ability. He had made a fortune out of manufacturing churns anil he was now passing through Cleveland on bis way to visit ono of his relatives there. He had left the depot and was walking through the streets. It was In the early evening and the gas lamps cast their flick ering rays upon the pavement. In ono spot , however , there was a glare of light wh ch came from this ball of fire In the glass globe. H was before the days of electric lighting and old Uncle Baldwin stopped and gazed In open-mouthed wonder. As he did so this big , broad shouldered young man came to the door. His brawny arms were bare to the elbow. A leathern apron covered bis chest and fell to his knees. His hands were blackened and his face was smudged with dirt , but h s eye was bright and his athletic form was the personification of vigor and force. As Uncle Baldwin saw him he Enid : "That Is a wonderful light. 1 don't under stand It. What Is It ? There Is no pipe for gas ! Where Is the wick and where Is the o.l ? Say , what Is it , anyhow ? " Then came the reply : "That la the light of the future. That Is electricity ! I am going to light the world with It ! " The old man , for a very sharp old man he was , became Interested at once. Ho In quired how the light was produced. He asked many questions as to Its cost and before ho left he had told the young man that bo would take $ r > 00 worth ot stock In his company , which had been organized to push the Invention , lie rather bugged lilm- fcclf over his Investment , ns ho left the young man and his ball of fire , and when a half hour later he found himself In the homo of his friends , surrounded by some of the most pi eminent proplo of Cleveland , he could not rest until he had told of the wonder ho had seen and of the stock which ho had secured. As ho spoke the crowd burst Into laughter and Uncle Baldwin's relative then and now one of the most influential men of Cleveland , said : "Well ! well ! well ! And so you have been taken In by that young fellow Brush and bis crazy Ideas about clectr city. I have had dozens of chances to buy his stock , but I wouldn't give a cent for a thousand shares Why , uncle , the man Is crazy. His Ideas nro Impracticable and Impossible of execu tion and you might as well put your $30C Into Lake Erlo as to glvo It to him. " And BO the Cleveland man went on. He cited the noted cap.talistB of Cleveland who would have nothing to do with Brush's Invention and ho finally persuaded Uncle Baldwin that lie had made a mistake. The result was ho withdrew his otter. At ho came to the door the young man looked up from his bench and bald : "I suppose you have come to back out ol your proposition as to that stock. That Ic the way they all do. But I tell you you are making a great mistake and you are losing a fortune. " THE MILLIONS IN ELECTRICITY. H was not many years before Uncle Bald win realized how great a fortune ho had lost Within twelve months after his refusal the name of Charles F. Brush , the great Cleve land electrician , was on every one's tongue. Ills light had been shown at the Franklin In stitute In Philadelphia. It V.ad surprised the scientists of the world In the great electrical exposition at Paris and the French govern ment had decorated him a chevalier of the Legion of Honor for his achievement. A great company had been organized to operate his Inventions. The Brush stock had doubled and quadrupled over and over again until Undo Baldwin's $500 worth was of more value than all t'no savings and speculations of his lifetime. The prophecy of the young man had been fulfilled. His light ot the future had become the light of the present and today ho has lighted the world with It. The streets of the biggest cities of every con tinent blaze at midnight through the genius of Charles F. Brush. I have stood under his ire lights In Toklo and Osaka , Japan. I have seen them cast their shadows over the plg- talled Chinamen of Shanghai and Hong Kong , > nd I have threaded my way through tome of the streets of Calcutta , Cairo and Constanti nople by the Brusli light of electricity. The Bnmo light Illuminates the big cities ot South America and Australia , and Europe and the United States have turned night Into day through the genius of this man. His Inven tions In electric llght.lng alone are held by many companies the world over , are now rep resented by an aggregate capital ot $500,000- 000 and his Inventions In other electrical lines have created a capital of many millions more. There are today more than $1,000,000- DOO Invested In electrical Industries outside of Hie telegraph and telephone and the electric railways of the world have assets amounting to more than $600,000,000. Mr. Brush Is the inventor of the storage battery , and all elec tric roads which are run In this way pay him * royalty. He received $500,000 In a single tale of tame patents In London , and the rub bing of his electric lamp has caused the Kenll ot electricity to bring him a greater fortune than that represented by the wildest dreams of Aladdin. The poor young man Is poor no more , 'fiio capitalists of CleveUn 1 no longer talk about his crazy Ideas of elec tricity. He lives among them , one of the greatest capitalists of them , all. His gen I in has made his city noted and the great elec tric light company , which he founded , gives employment to hundreds ot families and Its Influence reaches to the ends of tlte earth. UK. BRUSH'S EUCLID AVENUE PALACE , Still , with all this the world knows but little about Charles F. Brush. With all his genius he Is modest In the extreme. He early adopted the policy of keeping out ot print , I do not know of a single interview ! . which he has hitherto given to the public. He has contributed little to the scientific journals , and the world knows him only through hli work. It has no Idea of the man , and there are few who appreciate > his wonderful character and the wide ex tent of his achievements. I spent an evenIng - Ing with him not long since at his big man sion on Euclid avenue. He has one ot fine finest houses In the United States , and one of the mot comfortable homes. It Is located cated In the best part of Euclid avenue , which is , you know , one of the finest streets t In the world , and it Is surrounded by seven acres of magnificent l An , where the land Is so valuable you have to carpet It with greenbacks to buy It. Looking Into the grounds from the street makes you think of one of the old English estates. Immense foreU trees shade the velvety green and tea winding walk leads through theie up to the house. This Is a massive structure of Ilerea sandstone , the whole front of which Is cov ered with carvings , save where , here and there , magnificent window > of stained gla ! * > show out It Is an immense bullilUig of three dories , with many turrets and towers. Heavy stone columns uphold the wide portico In the front , and easy stone steps lead > ou to tha wide front door. The portico Is lighted by an opalescent globe , which bangs tver you as you pass IB , and tbe mahogany- walled vestibule contains another diamond globe , whc.ic rays bring out the contrast between the polished woo.I of Sin Domingo and the mo alc floor of a Roman pattern , which might have been transplanted from the famed baths of Caracalla at Rome , As you look Into the rooms beyond you note that , though It U night , everything ( s as bright as day. Mr , Brush ha not Invented the * ekctrlc light to live In ilarlnes. , ind hie house Is perhaps the best lighted palace In the world , and there Is certainly no other which Is lighted In such a ii'rlous w.i1 It Is provided with nearly 400 Incandcscir.t and a number of arc lights , and t'.i3 ' electricity for these Is furnished by storage batteries. THE WINDMILL AND ITS DYNAMO. There are , so he told me , ten tons of storage batteries In the house , nnd the power which charges these with electricity Is an enormous windmill which he has erected Hi the rear. Every breeze that blous produces light for this house , and the batteries are so large that If there should be a dead calm for a whole week they would still contain enough electricity to run all the lights. The windmill Itself Is in large part the Invention of Mr. Brush. It is the biggest windmill In the world , and It Is operated by a wheel which Ins a sail surface of about 1,800 square feet. The tower of this wind mill Is as high us n six-story house. It Is set In heavy masonry and co made that It can tuin with every wind that blows. Within It there Is an enormous dynamo , con nected with the tower by a system of belts and pulleys , nnd the whole machine Is ko automatic In Its make-up that It needs only a little oil now and then to keep It perpetu ally at motion with the wind. It has been In operation now for more than seven years , but It Is so made that It works as well as when It vvas built. It produces enough electricity to charge the hundreds of cells of these ten tons of storage batteries , and It furnUhcs the light for the house and gives power to run the machinery of Mr. Brush's laboratory , which is located In.the basement. It costs him , Mr. Brush told me , much more than If he used the electric light furnished by the city , but he prefers to be Independent and the machiney ! Is a pet Invention of his own. NEW FEATURES IN LIGHTING. The arrangement of the electric lights In the house Is after the plan of Mr. Brush and his wife. Some of the rooms are lighted from the ceilings. Others have lights so shaded by opalescent globes and reflectors that only the softest rays surround you , and of the magnificent paintings which cover the walls , each has an Electric flame In front of It , so covered by a green reflector that you do not see It and you know of Its existence only through the rays which are thrown back by the work ot art behind. In the top of the building there Is a great hall , In which Mr. Brush has one of the finest magic lanterns in existence and this he operates through an electric light of 3,000-candIe power. The average calcium light , or that produced by oxygen-hydrogen gas for magic lantern use Is , he tells me , 500-candle power , His electric light for this purpose Is six times as strong and he has a dissolving ap paratus of bis own Invention In which al his slides are registered. During my talk with him he referred to the wonderful work which the Japanese have been doing In coloring lantern slides , having seen some which I used in a lecture recently dellverct In Cleveland on Japan , and I told him could give him an address where he couli get his slides colored. He replied : "I do not want any one elce to color my slides , would prefer to color them myself and hope to have time to experiment In this way later on. I think there might be as muct art shown In coloring slides as In palntlnt , pictures , and the artistic effects of the bes lantern work are yet to come. " CHARLES F. BRUSH IN 1503. But before I give you our conversation le mo tell you how Mr. Brush locks. I me him In one of the large parlors on the groum floor of his house. He Is a physical giant , bu so well proportioned that 1,1s form command > our admiration. When Gambetta paw him at the Paris exposition In 1881 , he hall : don't know which to admire most in Mr Brush , his mental attainments or his nng nificent physique. " Mr. Brush is about feet two In his stockings. Ho Is broad shouldered and big boned. His head Is large and It Is fastened to his frame by a strong well-shaped neck. He stands straight , wit : his shoulders well thrown back , and his che ? Is deep and full. He haa a dark complexion and dark eyes , which show out from under heavy brows. His forehead is high and full , his mouth strong and characteristic , and hie under Jaw firm and Indicative of strength Ho Is now 1C years of age , and Is In his In tellectual and physical prime. He retired from active business several years ago , and at that time expected to devote five days out of every week to his laboratory work and ono to his business. The demands of his largo property , however , are so great that he has almost reversed the order and Is now devoting about five days to business and one to his laboratory. He Is working to get away from business , and he hopes In the future to devote more of his time to scientific investigation and experiment. The day of his laboring hard for the dollar has long since gone by , and while In the future his gosd business brains will lead him to get all the money possible out of his future Inventions , still his work will be more that of scientific experiment than money grubbing for new patents. A BOY INVENTOR. During my talk with him I asked him a num ber of questions about himself and his first experiments In the field of invention. He has been an experimenter all his life. His father was a .farmer , who lived near Cleve land , and he gave his boy a good education Ho showed a wonderful aptitude for chem istry , physics and engineering. Said he to me the other night , "I can't remember when I was not interested In physics. I began to study them when I was about 12 years old , long before X had reached them In my course of studies at school. "I was always experimenting with some thing , and while I was In the High school In Cleveland I made microscopes and telescopes , grinding the lenses and turning out some very fair instruments. " HIS FIRST ELECTRIC MACHINE. "When did you first become Interested In electricity ? " "I can't tell when-I was not , " replied Mr Brush. "When I was 13 years old I had made a frlctlonal machine to generate elec tricity. It was made out of a bottle , and I had It so fixed that I could charge a Leyden Jar with It. I wish I had It today. I don't know what became of It. About this time 1 made some electro-magnets and had an elec tric battery or so. This was before I was In the High school , and I suppose my Interest In electricity could be Bald to date as far back as the age of 12. " "Had you any Idea when you were a boy that you would be an inventor , and did you ever think at that time of being able to make money out of your inventions ? " "Yes , " replied Mr. Brush , "I did. While I was in the High school 1 got up a plan for turning the gas off and on at the street lamps and of lighting It by electricity. The whole was to be done with an electrical machine and It was to dispense with the lamplighters I thought for a time that I might mala some money out of It , but , though it might operate today , at that time It was hardlv commercially practical , and I gave It up. " PROPHESIES ELECTRIC LIGHT. "What was your next electrical experi 1- ment ? " "I can't say as to that. " replied Mr. Brush. "I was always working at electricity. I read all that I could find and I watched the reports of experiments as they were given In the newspapers. While I was still In the High school I produced on electric arc light w.th a lamp and a battery of my own construction and when I graduated from there It was a curious thing that my oration was on electric lighting and I prophesied that electric lighting would be the light ol the world and That it would be generated by means of dynamos. " "Have you a copy of that oratlont'1 I asked. "I don't knovy , " replied Mr. Brush. "I have looked for It , but I can't find It , You see , I del.vered It twenty-eight years ngo and that U a long time. " "Where did you go to school after that ? " "I went to Ann Arbor to the University ol Michigan and graduated there with the de gree of mining engineer In 1SC9. I then came back to Cleveland and established a labora tory here , doing the work of an analytical chemist , but still experimenting on electr c- Ity. I kept working on my dynamo and the lectrlc light , but It was more as a toy and 0 amuse myself than with any Idea of ac- ompllahlng anything of a commercial value. THE SERIES ARC LIGHT. "When did you first apprecate that your lectrlc light m ght have a commercial altie ? " "I think It was about 1S76 , " repl.ed Mr. Brush. "It was at this time that I com- dcted my first dynamo-electric machine , I howetl this at Philadelphia , the next year t the Franklin Institute and It Is a curious hlng that Mr , Thompson and Mr. Houston , afterward of the Thompson-Houston electric ystem , were present at the t me. The first irc-llghtlng machines had to have one lynamo to each light. My Invention was the Irst that proposed a series of arc lights vorklng from one dynamo and It was upon his that all the street lighting and all the present arc-lighting systems of the present nro based. We first made two-light ma chines. Then we ran four lamps from a ingle dynamo , and th s was considered a wonderful achievement. We soon had ten Ights In a series. Then wo found we could run sixteen and It was not long before forty Ights were supplied by ono dynamo. At the present there are a number of dynamos vhlch supply 120 arc lights , and , though the lectrlc current requisite for such a result is mmense , the safeguards placed about the nachlnery are such that they arc no more langerous thin a much less number of lights was In the past With the old machinery. It vas In 18TS that I Invented this , the modern series arc lamp with the shunt coll. This vas the Invention that really made arc light- ng practicable and commercially possible. " "Where was It flrst used ? " I asked. Some were first used for the lighting ot stores and shops , and among those first to ntrodtico the arc light was John Wana- makcr of Philadelphia. One of the flrst In stances ot street lighting was here In leveland. Wo put up twelve lights In the iark and the people came out In force to see ; hem the flrst night. They had no Idea of n hat the electric light was and many of them wcro smoked glasses for fear they might be blinded by Its rays. The street Ightlng soon spread and our lights are now to be found , as you know , In nearly every real city of the world " ELECTRICITY DIRECTLY FROM COAL. "Is there not a great loss In the produc tion of electricity from coal for electric lights ? " "Yes , " replied Mr. Brush. "Wo only get about JO per cent of the force from the coal In the production of electricity , but this Is In the production of the mechanical energy. In the conversion of the mechanical energy Into electrical energy by means of the dynamo only from 5 to 10 per cent Is lost nnd the modern dynamo Is probably the most perfect machine that the world has ever produced. ' "Will we ever get electricity directly from coal ? ' ' "I think so , " replied Mr. Brush. "In fact , 1 have already gotten It , but not In such a way as to make the Invention commercially profitable. It Is now twenty years since I succeeded In getting electricity directly from coal. It was In 1874. I used carbon as the combustible element In a voltaic battery , the electrotype being a fused salt or oxide capa ble of fusing the oxygen for the combustion of the carbon. I tried fused caustic soda , bicarbonate of potash and oxide of lead and got a good electric current In each case. I have not pursued my experiments In this line of work because I thought I saw other lines which prom sed better nnd more Imme diate resuits. The fields of Invention are vast. Wo stand Just on the threshold and there will be new Inventions as long as man has mind to create and the will to Investi gate the great forces of nature and the pos sibilities of their combination " THE POSSIBILITY OF NEW INVENTIONS "Do you anticipate many new Inventions In electricity In the future ? " "Who can tell ? " was the reply. "The electric force is still to a large extent a secret from us all. Of late years there have been few new fundamental Inventions in electric lighting. There have been many Im provements and modifications of the old ones The light is steadily being made better , bul It Is the same light , just as , for Instance , we have had locomotives drawing trains ever since we were born , but the locomotive o today Is a far different machine from that o forty years ago. Still It embodies the sami fundamental principles. " "Where Is the chief work being done In electricity today ? " "It is In the field of thermo-eleclrlcltv or heat electric ty. It Is now thought , yoi : < now , that all light and heat are produced by electrical force and it Is In these branche hat the best work Is now being done. " HOW BRUSH PROTECTS PATENTS. "How about patents , Mr. Brush ? I nnci had an Interview with Mr. Thomas Edison , Ir which ho said that he had spent $000,000 In defending his Inventions , but that ho hail not had one'minute's protection. You havi had conslderab'e experience with the paten office. Does Uncle Sam run his business on the square ? " "Uncle Sam may be all right , " was th reply. "I have no doubt that the heads o the patent offices are honest , but I have hat a number of experiences which lead me tc believe that the subordinates sometimes al low Important Information to leak nut. have applied for patents again and again only to find Interferences flled before thpy were granted , and It Is only through my great care In keeping records of my work that I have been able to secure a number o my Inventions. Take the arc light. Whll I was working upon It and attempting t make It commercially profitable I kept . very full Journal of all my experiments , recorded everything from day to day. am dated It , and had witnesses called In to &lgi the records. This I found of Immense vnlu to me In my patent suits. I had 200 o them and gained all except one. This did not care to win , as there was little I It , and I practically let It go by default , am very sorry now that I did so , as It brok the record. " THE STORAGE BATTERY. "How about the storage battery ? " "I had a great fight In the patent ofllc e over It , " said Mr. Brush. "Tho Inventlo n was fought over for four years In the Unite a States courts , and It was finally decided I H my favor. I was working In the storag 6 battery and had completed my experiment at the time that Faure Invented his storag battery In Europe. As soon as I heard of I I filed patent applications for everything had In order to get my rights In America , be fore he could apply for American patents In some way or other my patents were hel back and Faure's Interferences kept me ou of them for four years , but I finally canquero and showed that I was the flrst Inventor Now I get a royalty on all forms of storag batteries and the storage battery of today I founded on my Invention. " "Will storage batteries be the street ca equipment of the future ? " "I don't know as to that , " replied M llrubh. "I doubt It. You cannot run car so cheaply by them as the trolley. I shoul rather think It would be the undergroun trolley. " I next asked Mr. Brush as to his preset ] experiments , but further than than he wa working along scientific lines he proferret not t say. He Is a man of great Intellectua activity and his chief pleasure Is In his work During our talk he told me he thought thi greatest enjoyment a man could have came with the moment of making some new dls- cevery In science or mechanics , and there Is no doubt but that his experiments will be continued to/ / the end of hli life. He has done wonders In the past. What will he not do In the future ! A Frenchwoman of fashion has Invented a btautlful shade for electric lights. She got her Inspiration from the falling of a sun beam on a beaded Japanese ecreeu , and , full of ttie Idea , she summoned an electrician for experiments. The shades were drawn , the beaded Japanese cloth was thrown around the bulb ot an Incandescent lamp , and when the current vvas turned on the effect was ex quisite , The light was split In.o a thousand shafts of colored radiance. An attachment was produced after the design of the Jap anese cloth , and the new shade at once be came tbe rage. An American electrician who h&B brought the design over here has Im proved on the original Idea by using bulb covers In Imitation of grapes , purple and yel low , and ot flowers glistening with dewdropi. THE OVERSHADOWING FAD An Irresistible Mania ProEmpta the Land and Captures the Natives. EVERYBODY WITH WHEELS , MORE OR LESS A bympoMuin of Intere tlnc < ! o lp for Ex pert nnil Anmteur Hlilprn , Well n * The IIIUo Thief Abroad In the Land. Small talk Is certainly below par cmong women nowadays. Their conversation takes on the sporting tone of their athletic brothers since bicycle r.tllng has becbme so universal. The visitor at the cycling academies In the largo cities never hears a breath of and not much about beaux and clothes , but he will hear a great deal about counting , scorching , heading and various other things Interesting to cyclers. "I Just can't take care of my vvhcsl , " said a d scouraged .girl to a New York Sun re porter. "I've had the Instructor explain and Illustrate three different times how I must do It , and I've read two excello.it articles In the papers on the propsr care of machines , but I can't grasp It somehow.Vlicn the Instructor Is talking It seems a perfectly sim ple matter , and when I take my cycling pcrap book from Its shelf and read the clippings on that subject I feel as If I could take n wheel to p eces , put It together again , oil It , Inllate the tire In fact , do anything with U ; but It a screw really gets a little loose I'm as helpless as a baby and , can't oven find which one It Is. " A western girl sat on a'bench ' t.car by humming and patting her fet on the floor , but she heard what was ( j'jlng on and re marked pleasantly : "If I were you , 1 wouldn't attempt to take care of my wheel. Why don't you keep It at a sUbUC" "A stable ? What Kind of a stable ? " "Why , a bike stable , of course , " said the girl from the woolly west. "Don't you have them In New York ? Now , In St. Louis , where I come from , the bike stable Is .riving out the livery stable. It's a very paying busi ness there , and I'm sure there must be some here , because I've always heard that New Yorkers had everyttiing that paid. You see It Is this way : There are a great many people , like yourself , who rlda wheels and either cannot or do n.it have the tlmft to take the proper care of them. ore not so unruly .is borsss , perhaps , but really they require a gr-it de l of roomIng - Ing to keep the nlckle-plate brgl-t and the thes and chains In first-class rannlng trder. The man who works down town and wishes to ride Ills wheel to and fro from burners has no place to keep It unlei there Is a bi cycle stable. And : hlnkif the masses of people who llvo In boardlus houses. What are they to do with their wheels ? The-e are very few landladies who will allow the.ii to be stowed In their halls am ! liaxements. I think the stable Is n neeJuuty. for union a cycler has a place llko tins the care of the wheel outweighs the pleasure. ' NOMINAL COST. "But doesn't It cost i great deal to kce-p a VNheel in one of thase utabliSs ? ' Inquired the discouraged girl eacily , "No , Indeed. , Only $1 a jnonth , and no matter when the owner calls' for her vvhool , , Bho IB sure to find It well { cleaned ai\d \ In thorough runningorder. The bike stables In my homo also keep w heels for rent , and the man who runs the place where I board mine told me the day before I came east that , be sides his regular customers who keep their wheels there all the time , ho stowed from forty to fifty every day , and that the de mand for rented wheels was always much greater than the supply. In , fact , he says he expects to get rich. " "I wonder If there Is such a place In New York , " said the discouraged wheelwoman and she went out Immediately to look for one. one.Just as she left , an elderly woman , the sister of a prominent Judge , Joined the party of enthusiasts and Immediately began : "Isn" the woman Instructor here an Institution I don't see how we could get on wlthou her. " "Why , you don't need a chaperon , do you ? " said a pert girl In a very short skirt "No , I do not ; but my three daughters who rtdo here , and often have to come with out me , prefer one , " said the woman rathe severely. "However , I do not view thi woman Instructor merely In the light of a chaperon. When a young girl comes here for the first time she- bees that the novlci has the proper kind of a wheel and saddle , and It a tlmrd woman comes In she arrange ! all the details about the ticket and the In structor for her , and encourages her with amiable and courteous words. Really , I be afraid to say how many lessons I'v taken , and -would have given up long ag If It hadn't been for that woman. " Another mother joined In the convorsa tlon , saying : "You are right about th woman instructor ; she Is a necessity. I ha been allowing my daughters' to ride here , al though I had scruples about their doing s < with only strange men for Instructors. On day I happened In just as a young womai fainted and fell off her wheel. Every In structor In the place rushed up to her , and while I recognized the fact that all had enl ; the kindest Intentions , It flashed over me a they lifted her out that there ought to be woman In an oniclal position around. Th thing made such an Impression on mo tha I wouldn't allow my girls to como here an more until I heard that the managers ha engaged a woman Instructor. " The pert girl said under her breath as sh rode off : "Let the old women talk all the want , but I don't need any chaperon. " DISCOUNTS TJIE HOUSE. Sometimes persons who Have never rldde a cycle , and know nothing of Its remarkabl physiological effects , will assert that It I Inferior to horseback riding , both as an ex erclBo and a pleasure. But those who havi tested both thoroughly , says Porter's "Cy cling for Health and Pleasure. " know tha this Is not so. It cannot ! for a moment be pretended that horseback Tiding does or ca n offer the advantages or produce the result which follow with certainty the regular use of the wheel , and which arc testified to by thousands of Its users. Moreover , as to pleasure , the motion of the wheel Is far and away more exhilarating ns It Is more smooth , oven and harmonious. However slowly one travels , there. Is always the same agreeable motion , far removed from the list less walk of a horse , which constitutes a considerable portion of horseback riding. The other gaits of a horse are too violent to bo long kept up by horse pr rider. At best the exercise Is variable and moro or less violent. How different Is the wheel , which Is uniformly gentle , pleasant and exhilarat ing , and Infinitely more certain and bene ficial In Its effects. ; A good many wheelmen are disposed to drink very frequently during rides In warm weather , but even wa er , which Is the ordinary drink , can easily be used to excess In such cases ; though , If one perspires freely , some liquid Is particularly .necessary. Ex ercise , during Its continuance and after Its cessation , causes a sensation of thirst. Fre quent drinking , however , soon becomes a habit , but neither a satl < factory nor ad vantageous one. The constantly recurring sensation of desiring to drink makes one uncomfortable , while too frequent gratifica tion of the desire Is bad for the system. One can and should cultivate moderation In this respect. Water , of Course , Is most available and generally answers , but If one Is much parched tome slinple thing like ginger ale , lime juice and Coda , acid phos phate and soda , or milk , will better quench the thirst. For exhaustion an egg beaten up In milk Is more nourishing. Nothing alcoholic should ever be taken duilng a ride , and only In great moderation after It Is over , WOMEN AND THE WHEEL. One notable thing about these experienced : I riders Is that they each and all ndvlsc against long runs for every woman rider. When asked what especial women they would ad vise not to ride a wheel , each ono replied that the exercise , judiciously taken , was good for all women. Timid , nervous women would find bicycle riding a tonic for nerves and a panacea for sleepless nights and torturing headaches. Every practical wheelwoman can , If she wish , take excellent care of htr wheel with little trouble. There Is a great difference In the use of a bicycle on city pavements or over country roads. The pavements are so continually wet that a bicycle Is "muddled" In a run of a few blocks. This mud , how ever , Is light , dries quickly and Is easily re moved , After a trip on boulevard and park roads the machine should stand until the I mud Is thoroughly dry , and thin can be wiped down with a dry soft cloth. If the I wheel Is only dusty the same dry treatment should be given It. In oiling the machine the quality of the oil Is of greatest Importance. It should be free from gums or adhesive particles. For an ordinary rider oiling after each 100 miles Is suftlclcnt. If for any reason the bicycle demands more oil than It gets the rider should realize Is quickly from the difficulty In propulsion. Either very cold ! or very hot weather affects the metals , mak- I Ing the use of oil at those times a matter of judgment. At least once a year a wheel which Is In constant use should bo sent to a shop , taken apart and carefully looked after by an ex pert. This can be done for CO cents , and less If there Is an expert In the family. THE THIEVES' HAUL. Moro than 10,000 bicycles were stolen last year In a dozen of the large cities of the United States. About 1,000 of them were stolen In Chicago. This season has started out to make a good record , nearly COO al ready having been reported as lost In Chicago cage alone. These figures ore obtained from the wheels reported as stolen to the police. Doubtless many more have been lost to their owners which are not Included In this record. With the growth of the bicycle fever , says the Times-Herald , the operations of the bicycle thieves have enlarged till there Is now talk among some of the clubs of or ganizing anti-bicycle thief associations along the lines of the antl-horsethlef associations of earlier days , and the proposition Is to apply the same corrective the halter. But whether this drastic measure Is adopted or not , the operations of the thieves who make wheels a specialty have assumed such pro portions that Insurance against loss of bicy cles by theft has become a big business , Companies have been organized both In Chicago and the east , which , for a fixed annual premium , guarantee-bicycle owners against loss of their wheels by theft , and supply them with equally good wheels In case their own are stolen and not recovered. Bicycle stealing has been reduced to a sci ence. Last year the police of Chicago broke up a gang who made a practice of stealing wheels here and shipping them to Milwaukee to confederates who disposed of them there. The wheels stolen by the Milwaukee con tingent of the gang were shipped to Chicago and disposed of here. In this way the chances of detection and the recovery of the wheels were reduced to a minimum. But other gangs are working the same game. Several wheels stolen In Chicago this sea son have been recovered In Cincinnati , De troit and Indianapolis. It Is a comparatively easy matter to steal a wheel , but some of the thieves display no little. Ingenuity and daring. One of them , dressed In a bicycle suit , came into one ot the leading blcvcle club houses only a feu days ago , riding a solid tire machine not worth $10. He stacked his machine up with a lot of others , asked the janitor for the pump , as thoueh he wanted to Inflate a tire and In a minute or twa rode off with .1 good wheel. It was all done so naturally and unostentatiously that It was some time be fore the full Import of the occurrence was realized. SLANG TERMS USED BY RIDERS. A bicycle slang has sprung up which will bo constantly enriched , says the New York World. A youth was talking boastfully ol some deeds of his In a western town In th presence of a group of young men and women who wererestlnc on ttelr wheels at Claremont. He had evidently not i- hearsed his btory sufficiently and was plainly befogged both as to his geography and chronology. He stopped short , never to resume that story again , when one of the young women quietly remarked , "Fredd e your lamp Is out. ' ( Being cvcllsts nil. the point was appre ciated and Freddie was squelched. "Scorch- Ing" Is the term that Indicates the making of very fast time. The suggestion Is that the roadway Is being fairly burned by the rapidly fly ng wheel. Hence a young man who Is traveling through life at a very rapid gait Is called a "scorcher. " and an especially Jovial or hilarious gathering Is referred to as a "scorching good time. " "He has lost his tire" Is a cous n to the generally understood " ' expression "He's of his trolley , " and means that some persoi Is acting In an extravagant , unreasonable or foolish manner. A cyclist who Is weary or exhausted and desires to stop by the roadside for refreshment remarks to his companion , "Let us stop here and pump up,1 " " "pumping up" being the process of renewing the air In the pneumatic tire. One of the delights of cj cling Is coasting down long hills. No effort is required other than to preserve an equilibrium. Hence a person with whom the affairs of this world are running very smoothly Is referred teas as "coasting. " "Life Is ono contlnuoui coast with him , " remarked a tired cyclls. as ho stood with his wheel on the side of a Central park drive and watched a youm man who Is trying to spend $50,000 a year spin by on a silver-mounted wheel. Whet young men are together the term "bloomer' Is used as applying to any member of tin fair sex. "Hero comes my bloomer , " "He1 ; out every morning for a spn with hli bloomer , " "His bloomer gave him the shake' or "Here's to the bloomers , bless 'em , " arc sample expressions heard at any of the hun dred roadside resorts where the cyclist stop to allow his wheel to cool off. A policeman Is known among'the fly youtl wheelmen as "a header. " a term Indicating the danger that lurks In the bluecoat for th cyclist. It Is a reminiscence of the davs o the high wheel , when a common and oft times serious accident was the "header" o dive over the wheel. The cyclometer , a llttl device for registering the distance travelet Is called a "ticker. " A bicycle la called a "bike" and a wheel man Is alto called a "bike. " The Mlchau club , when out on parade. Is balled Wit the remark , "Hero como the Micks. " BEST WHEELS THE CHEAPEST. The amateur with no ax' to grind Is con stantly besieged with questions as to th relative advantages of different makes o bicycles. Amateurs are moro op n to preju dice than professionals , probably , as the. are far more Ignorant , and Ignorance , as w all know , Is pig-headed. But persons o both classes , amateur and professional , of th best capacity , unite In declaring all high grade bicycles to differ slightly , and Indee Imperceptibly. One kind of tire may bav a pretty general preference , and one kind o spoke ; some makes of wheels are weak In particular spot , and eomo riders may bo s easy on that special epot , or so lucky , as no even to find out the weakness. Given cer tain undeniably first class parts , and It make little difference what expert puts them to gether. Last year there was more decide Indorsement of 'favorite machines ; this yea there Is less feeling , and everybody Is wlllln to admit virtues in everybody else's wheel Of the lower grades of wheels It Is Imposs ble to epeak too disparagingly. As we might ono try to economize on false teeth o a wooden leg as on a bicycle. The best I the cheapest In this case , If In no other , an when you find yournlf on a lonely road , ti from a car route or alleviation from the ho sun , the rain , the wind , or a fierce thlra with a broken pedal or a fractured handle ba or an unblowable tire , or any other chea disqualification , you may give the $23 yo laved on the wheel "to boot" for anothe make , or to the dcc'cr for a cracked crown There Is no economy In a cheap wheel. It I like a cheap steamer or buggy , or Inexpen slvely put up bridge bound to break dow some how , and at the most Inopportune mo ment. As there Is no opportune momen however , to break one's neck , this last re mark may be stigmatized as a superfluity. There Is absolutely no reason for stoopln over the handles In cither ot the two ways s commonly teen , and there Is no excuse fcr s doing In ordinary road racing. It may b necessary for the "ncorcher , " when engaged In "scorching , " to ns.sumc the one or the other ot these attitudes to sprawl with the body straight , but almost horizontal , and the head close to the handle-bar , or to bend the upper part of the back as If trying to break li In Its middle , and throw the shoulders for ward as If desiring to mike them meet across his breast. Even no , one who Is not "scorch- Ing" does not need to make himself a hide ous object to look at , and also to reduce tire benefits of wheeling to a minimum , so far as Its effect on the chest capacity Is concerned. SENSIBLE CYCLING GOWN. John Noble. Manchester , England , has pat ented a cvcling gown which Is likely to find igreat favor with the million who have taken to ! cycling as a congenial amusement. It Is . a convertible costume , sullablo alike for the promenade or for cvcllng , and even moun taineering. } Off the machine It represents a full-length skill , adapted for home wear. Knickerbockers arc worn beneath It. nnd gaiters if deslre.l. The skirl Is made In a good serviceable t'vecd , of all colors , or In cheviot serge , the bodice , skirt and knick erbockers , being sold together at merely nominal price. The skirt Is made to button on either side. When the lady mounts her blcjcle she simply unfastens n few of these buttons , which are set In groups of three , niscs the skirt , passes her arms through ic apertures formed by unbuttoning and ie gown fulls loosely about the figure In a eally graceful fashion , not unlike u Roman epliiin. It Is not too warm , because it Is o loose that It does not trammel the figure , hile It descends to the kr.ccs as a sort of pron ; nor does It cover the back of the odlce , falling like a bournoiis. Tho.'e who old that the wearing of a skirt doubles ie labor of driving a cycle will appreciate 10 cleverness of this Invention , which , with 11 the freedom of knickerbockers decently ells the figure on the machine , and in a econd , when dismounting , Its wearer Is eady to walk In the town , play golf , or hatever else Is before her. The skirt Is ross cut at the back In the most fashion- hie style. If gaiters are needed they can e made of brown box cloth , or can bo peclally ordered of the same material as the ress , and when the cold weather comes a ardlgan can be Introduced under the be- omlng bodice. The dress has been patcnled ot only In England but elsewhere , and has ound favor in France as well a In England nd America. INCREDIBLE STRENGTH. It seems absolutely Impassible , Bays the nglnecrlng News , that a wheel thirty Inches n diameter , with a wood rim nnd wire pokes , so light that the whole structure \elghs only twenty ounces , should sustain without permanent distortion the weight of our men standing on Its side , with supports at four points only under the rim , and no tub support whatever. It also seems Incredible that a cycle capa- ) lo ot carrying a man of ICO or 175 pounds n weight can be made so light that the vholo structure weighs loss than nlno rounds. Yet this has been done ; even at the roalstcr velglit of twenty-two or twenty-four pounds ho cycle carries a greater load with safety ban has ever been put on any other vehicle. ' The Infltieiico of the cycle on social llfo s already great , and will probably con stantly extend , as It provides an outdoor sport and amusement for women which did lot previously exist In any form In America. American women ore not walkers , but the cycle Is perhaps even better suited to woman's use than man's , and seems destined to add an outdoor clement to the life of woman of the world over which was not possible without the "winged wheel. " The miracle of the blcjclo lies In Its birth , Until and resurrection ; In Its Incredible load-bearing power In proportion to weight ; In its displacement of the horse as a means of pleasure , and In the selection of Its me chanical details of compressed air support , tubular framing and chain driving. All of these are details often before Intro duced In machines , but never before per manently retained. That these cast-offs nra undeniably power savers Is convincingly proved by their continued use under human muscle driving power. Finally , the ono great achievement of the bicycle Is to Increase the human powers of locomotion so that the slow-footed man IB made one of the swiftest of all running crea tures. THE WHEEL IN THE ARMY. The sum of 100,000 marks Is Included In the 3erman army estimates the present year for the supply of bicycles to the army. Two wheels nro assigned to each battalion. Bi cycles are to relieve the cavalry of a great [ > art of Its Intelligence duties and to take Die place In quarters ot mounted orderlies An Australian officer has Invented a military Ijlcycle , whch has been received with heurty approval. An exceptionally high rate of speed Is attained with It. The saddle Is placed very low. The Russian , Belg'an and Portuguese armies have all made careful cxpcilmcnts with the new service , the result being that It la per manently adopted In each. Regular in- btructlon , practice and drill are provided for. The general conclusion , as expressed by the editor of the United Service , Is that there are few parts of any clvlll/ed country where a wheelman cannot In a day cover at least twice the distance possible to a horse man , and In several consecutive days' riding the difference. Is greater still. This Is not a theoretical conclusion , but ono based on personal experience , bearing out the results obtained In the several ar mies above named. Good roads nro desira ble for bicycles ; so they ore for ammunition or baggage trains. But the wheelman can take across country over almost any 1'ne practicable to a mounted man , and often where the latter could not go. The wheel can bo lifted over stone wajls or high vvlro fences. Unless fields have been too re cently tilled or grass Is too high , most open country is found to be practicable to the army wheelman. Operations have been commenced at the new tin plate plant of the Crescent Tin Plate company , at Cleveland , 0 , Over 100 engines were built in that de partment of the Buffalo Forgo company's works , Buffalo , N. Y. , in the flrst quarter of 1895. 1895.Tho The Reading Iron company , Reading , Pa , , on Juno 1 restored the wages ot its 500 em ployes to what they were In 1S93 , which means an Increase of 10 per cent. Aluminium Is being used In making the bodies of cabs. The French have devised a method of pre serving fruits by means of alcoholic vapor. The fruit Is placed In a room containing open vessels containing alcohol. In the production of steel the United States stands first , largely exceeding the output ol Great Britain , and being nearly double that ot Germany. The Plttsburg Locomotive Manufacturing company has been asked to bid on the wort of constructing a number of locomotives for the Chilian government. The plant of the American Steel Casting company , at Thurlnw Station , Pa. , has beer started up , employing 200 men. The planl 1mn been Idle more than a year. William Grlfiln of Plttsburg , who was one of the first to enter the tin plate business In this country , will erect and operate a new plant at North Washington , Pa. , In which he will glvo employment to 400 men. The Michigan Peninsula Car company has one of Its car building department ! ! and the attached foundcrles working nearly to ful capacity. The work now on hand will lasl to the end of July. From thirty to thirty- five cars a day are built. According to tbe figures of Joseph Gruen hut , the city's statistician , there are cm ployed in the manufacture of clothing In Chicago at present about 15,000 persons , two thirds of whom are women and girls. There are In the city about 800 sweat shops. There are 50,000 women and children In New York City working ffom ton to sixteen hours a day. In the far east and west ildi stores woman and children are often em ployed until 9 or 10 o'clock at night , untl after midnight on Saturday and occasionally half a day on Sunday. There are 20,000 chll dren under 1C employed frequently sixteen hours a day. The average wages of cash girls ls $1.60 a week , and they are fined for absence , tardiness and mistakes. A RANCH WITH A HISTORY Reminiscences of a Noted Piouecr Hotel in Sounders Oouuty , TRAGEDIES LINKED WITH ITS NAME Prom Uny to Ornvo In n ItlUxuril The In * nucent l.jrnchril with Ilio Utility llltioily Hittln for I'oiicftlou of nu Iilnmlt ASHLAND. Neb. , Juno 14. Sonic thirty years ngo there was situated on the present site of Muitlock , nbout twelve miles south east of Ashlaiul , what was Known as "Mul len's ranch. " This was a sort of a ranch- hotel at the Junction of the two overland trails from Nebraska City and I'lattsmouth to the mountains. I Mullen , the owner , was n jovial Irishman who had the reputation of furnishing the best beds and the best whisky and of being the most companionable fellow upon the California load , Every other Saturday night ho gave a dance at the place , which was attended by all the settlers for twenty miles around. On ono of these occasions two couple ot young people drove down from Saline Ford , where the trail crossed the Salt. It was a clear , still winter afternoon when they started , but during the evening the wind swung round to the north and by the time the young people \\cro ready to depart had blown up a regular blizzard. Nevertheless , they started out on their twelve mile drive In an open sleigh. The road was through the hills along the IMatte river and Is yet ono ot the worst In the state. The party lost Its way , wandered round and round , up and down the hills and finally upsetting In a stream were completely drenched. The young fellows turrcd over the sleigh and bundling up the girls beneath It as best they could started out to find help. DEATH IN THIS BLIZZARD. They wandered round In the dark and the storm all night Irving to find a house , but not until daylight appeared was ono dis covered. Help came , only to find that the girls had been freezing within 100 feet of a haystack , which was hidden by the dark ness. They were carried to the house In an unconscious condition , from which but ono recovered. Trie other died before she could be removed to her home. A short time afterward a friend of Mul len's , a young fellow who had been working up the I'latte , came down to spend Sunday at the ranch Later In the evening three } thcr men applied for accommodation for the night and were taken In. Along about morn- ng the vigilance committee of the county mi In an appearance. The committee were In search of some icrses stolen down near Nebraska City. They had found the horses at the head of a itrcam near the ranch and had traced the hlevcs to the hotel. The three strangers and the young friend it Mullen wcro loaded Into a wagon and Irlvcn to a place near I'lattsmouth known as night Mile gio\e. There the committee proceeded to hang all four In regular vlgl- ince style. No questions were asked. There vas no trial. Hopes were placed about the irlsoners' necks , tied to the- limb of a tree and the wagon driven from under them. A NERVY THIEF. Ono of the thieves was nervy enough to ell the committee that they wcro not digging ils grave deep enough anJ actually got down ind dug It to suit himself. The young man rom up the Platte declared his Imioccnco ind simply asUcd for time to prove It. Out t was useleey and he was hangel with the rest. Later It was uliown that ho was In 10 way connected with the crime. It was the last act of the vigilance com- nlttcc. They ne\cr got over the murder of the Innocent man. Even one man , who still lives near Nebraska City , went wildly naano and Is always talking of the affair. The four graves of the men arc still seen at : ight Mlle Grove. Mullen's ranch also figured In the Cass- Sarpy county feud which waged In the early lajs. These two counties are separate ! by .ho I'latte rl\cr. In the river was a largo eland which supplied wcod fcr the d Iz ns of joth tides Each county claimed the L'land. THE DISPUTED ISLAND. For a good many years there was consider able feeling over who was cnt fed to the use of the island. In tlmo this grew Into a regular fcoulhern feud. Whenever a Cass county man met a resident of Sarpy county upon the place there was pretty certain to ) o a light. Ono day a largo party from Sarpy county , discovered a man named Gllbait cut lig wood , diovc him off and followed him home. The nan was dragged out of his lioiuc and prei > - aratlons were commenced as If to hang him. Ills wlfo opened ( Ire from the house with a , revolver , killing one of the fellow from Sarpy. In the meantime the hired man fled to the ranch near by and aroused the men who were always hanging about. They arrived at Gilbert's just as his wlfo was being dragged from the house. A desperate fight occurred. Gilbert received a wound from which ho die , ) In about a year , and several others wcra badly hurt. rinclly the Sarpy county men were driven over the hill and across the river. In a short tlmo the ownership of the Island cama up In the courts , where It wa decided that the property belonged to the government. HARRY G. SHEDD. IlltLUUOVS. An Ohio believer In the Sabbath objects to church services on the first day of the week , because they prevent ministers , sexton , or gan-blowers and choir singers froig enjoying their day of rest. Joseph Ilenton of Metropolis , III. , better known as the "blind boy preacher , " had been totally blind from Infancy , a period ot twenty years , until Monday night , when his sight was suddenly restored , and ho now sees perfectly. The ministers of Mount Vernon , 0 , , have- . In view of the Increasing laxncss regarding divorce , passed a resolution giving public no tice that they "decline to marry divorced , persons , except the Innocent pcartles where the divorce Is granted upon scriptural grounds. " A new religious sect has been started In Missouri. The members elect an "angel , " whoso business It Is to fly to heaven every ; little while and find out what God wants the members to do. A census recently taken In New York showa that In the district bounded by Fifth , Canal , Essex and Mercer streets , having nearly 95,000 residents , there are seven churches and 5G3 liquor saloons , or one church to eighty saloons. Efforts are being made , It Is said , by the strict Presbyterians In Scotland to have I'rof. Henry Drummond called to account on the charge of heresy , expressed In his mem orable lectures on evolution delivered In the Lowell Institute course In Boston two years ago. One of the curious sequels of the Emanuel church murders In San Francisco Is th schcmo of the patter , Hev. George Gibson , to deliver a series of lectures throughout the state In aid of a fund to repair the church and settle Its debt. One of his lectures will bo on "Tho Crimes of a Century. " He hopes to make enough money to reopen the church next month. In all probability the most distinguished female clergymen In the country Is Itev. Phoebe A. Hannjford , at preient a resident : of Gotham. She U not occupying a pulpit , however , and It Is hardly po lblev she eve * will again. Itev. Hannaford for almost thirty ] years has been an ordained minister In uc- cemful charge of a number of congregations. Dr. Hannaford Is a member of Soroili , and a well known writer and lecturer , as well ia mlnhtcr. She has the honor to be the pioneer neer of women In the t acred desk In thl country , as she was the first ordained woman minister In America , and the fourth lu tb world.