"P" , f -Wp I
' ' '
0'
THE OMAHA DAILY BEE SUNDAY , AUGUST 2j ( , 1891.
SOME ROCRY OBSERVATIONS
An Omaha , Pilgrim Views the "Waving
Fields" of Binders in Vermont ,
STONY YARNS AND ANIMATED REFLECTIONS
CclcMini night * of Tnncr Mingled with
btu KcrliiK C'ou > i > iirlnan ol Cult uud
Uruvcjurtls Than lliollutiil
Mr. Henry D. Kslabrook of Omaha , who
is recreating among the looks and rills of
( Vermont , or rather that portion of it surrounding -
rounding Montpoller , was pounced upon by
the Irrepressible Interviewer and yielded to
the 'pressure. His observations of men and
things In that section , published in the
jilontpcller Watchman , are Interesting ,
( ilquant and Instructive.
"I do not claim , " lie said , "to be a son of
[ Vermont by consanguinity , nor yet by pur-
thasoj buL by affinity. That Is to say , I
ttmrrlcd a Vermont girl ; and the fact that I
am In Vermont today Is because , first , I
. Wished to verify my wife's statement that
there was such a place , and then , secondly ,
1 Imd a natural curiosity to sco the state
vlilch could produce so wonderful a woman ,
That portion of Vermont around and about
tlonlp.ller I have visited under the guidance
Of Mr , Joel Poster , a man with the woodcraft
Ot an Indian nnd the knowledge of a scientist.
Every woodchuck hole bo has located and
explored ; every bird song ho knows and
, what It portends ol storm or sunshine ; the
altitude of every hill , the history of every
building , every tree and fchrub , and weed-
Oil are > as familiar to him as the faces of
tld ) friends. I have sailed on Lake Cliam-
( plaln , have corkscrewed my way among the
granlto quarries of Harre , have spent one
day In Vergennes , one In Waltsfleld , and
several In Montpellcr , and my verdict Is
.that Vermont IB very , very beautiful.
"Of course this Is no news to you , but ,
like a pretty girl , you may enjoy the fre-
4uent confirmation of your own opinion on
the subject. Vermont has a beauty pcullar
lp herself ; but Is It not one of the chief
glories of the Almighty that Ills expression
6f beauty Is as Infinite as Himself ? If In
.the- human facs ( which only measures about
eight by twelve Inches , ho can put such end
less variety of appearance , so that of the"
ftllllons on this earth no two faces are Just
hllke , what maj Ko not do with all nature
lo work upon !
"There Is the mcnrnful beauty of the
plains , so monotonous and vast , Where
ilso floes the sun reveal Itself In such profll-
jato splendor ? I have seen him go down
n a perfect explosion of color the clouds
'airly dripping their crimson light , the very
ilr incarnadined. There Is the stupendous
> eauty of the nocky mountains. Geologists
trace the life of animal nnd plant In the fos-
611s of the rocks , but the Kocky mountains !
those domes and pinnacles and bastions of
Jnasonry what arcthey but fossilized
bower , the witness to old Chaos , the foot
prints of aod himself ! In the presence of
pucn awful beauty the soul of man had not
Oven struggled to .utter Itself until Coleridge ,
In behalf of humanity , breathed his hymn
to" Mount Diane :
' ° > dread ana silent mount ! I gazed upon
Till Uiou. stll ! present to the bodily sense.
Didst vanish from my thought. En-
trnnccU In prayer.
X worshiped the Invisible alone. '
' "There la the 1,600 miles of Alaskan
beauty , from Victoria to Chllcat. Those
, vronclerful Islands strung on a silver thread
Of water , like nature's rosary have a con
tinuous , Incessant , persistent beauty which Is
almost cloying like 'linked sweetness lone
Brawn out. '
} "Then there Is but I was about to speak
tl Vermont. Vermont Is the perfection of
andscape gardening. It does not awak n
qcstacy , but It promises content It wel
comes you. Its valleys , llko loving arms ,
open and invite you to nestle In them.
1/Vnd / then , was there ever anything so green
bs Its mountains ? As I flew past them on
the cars they seemed reeling , staggering
Drunk with green. I have picked out
J.000,000 'spots where "I should like to build
'
B home. Hoi'ne ! that word expresses It to
Jt T. Just ns there U no place like home ,
Bo there Is no place like Vermont. There
arc considerations , however , which will
Boubtless prevent my permanent residence
lierc. For ono thing , I fear I am too lazy
, to make my living In Vermont. I thought
' life of a Nebraska farmer was hard
f tough , but , bless me , compared with his
ermont brother ho has only to touch the
itton and nature does the rest. Your na-
iMve , spontaneous crop seems to be stones.
Everywhere you look the back of a boulder
surges up through a sea of grass llko some
"Did whale who has come up to spout. A
rb wire fence Is not so picturesque , but
neither Is it so discouraging as a hand made
Btono hedge , or that cheval de frlse , other-
Jvlso locally known as a. 'stump fenc ; . '
"Then , lee , your farms , stretched along
Iho valleys and on the hillsides , marked off
like lozenges or city lots , seem so very
.bmall compared with the western cornfields.
It all means , however , that If life Id not so
/broad,1 not to say reckless , as In the west ,
It has Its compensations In an enforced cul-
. llvatlou of such virtues as frugality , pa
tience , Industry nnd the like. Certainly I
fjave fulled to observe the Inequalities of con-
nttlon which characterize the " -west. Poor
people In the west are so very , very poor.
On the other hand , I have seen no evl-
pences ot that parsimony nnd penurlousness
. Which I waa half prepared to expect. I
fcod read awful stories about the closeness
Of the Yankee. One told about a Ver
mont farmer who swallowed a $5 gold piece ,
fend all they could get out of him with n
fetomach pump waa $4.GO. Another was to
the effect that Deacon Skinflint sat In the ex-
trenu rear of hie church In order to save
the Interest on his nickel while the contribu
tion box was coming down the aisle. I
Jvlsh to give the lie to any story which re
flects upon the generous hospitality of the
( Vermonttr. I have experienced only the
Inost whole-souled and thoughtful kindness
- In every farm house I have visited , whether
I came as a stranger on my own recommend
ation or as a quasi acquaintance on the In-
Jjoductlon of some mutual friend ,
"And yet I fancy there Is a degree of
fcxcluslreness In the Vermont character quite
unknown to the west , and having Its origin
in English ancestry. I make this Inference ,
not from any treatment I have received from
the living , but from what I have observed
cf the dead , viz , , graveyards. I never saw
po many graveyards per capita. Each llttlo
Village has Its half-dozen or so one for the
Catholics , one for the Methodists , one for
the Congregatlonullsts
( "One for tlie- master , and one for the dame ,
! Aml onefor the little boy that lives In the
§
| "This thingof sorting denominations Into
parcels for the ultimate convenience of Ga
briel Is It you will pardon me utter non-
ecnse. I am glad It does not obtain In Mont
peller.
"I have had no thrilling adventure or hair
breadth escape during this vacation , unless
Wy experience with a feather bed might come
Jvltliln that category. I tackled one of these
things for the first time the other night In
fWaltsfleld. The hotel where they kept It
IWM scrupulously clean and well conducted.
hnd my room was a marvel of splck-spanness.
No such country hotel In Nebraska , I tell
foul The landlord doubtless thought ho waa
[ loins mo a special favor by giving mo a
feather bed , "When I sat down on the side
Df It to tak oft my shoes I got up suddenly ,
( thinking I had sat down on something a
feather poultice , for Instance. When 1
( finally lay mo dawn In It for the night al
Uio feathers retreated In huge billows to
the opposite side I was about to say shore.
I mounted the crest of this wave only to
End that it had ebbed away , leaving mo
btranded on the edge ot a board. I never
Biw anything act AO llko quI.Usllver , :
Dreamed that night that I was jetsam am
flotsam on a tea cf feathers with men In lifeboats -
' boats throwing me a rope. I suppose there
U a knack about sleeping In a feather bet
I .vhtch I have not yet acquired , I know that
h broncho U a very mild tort of horn when
bo Is finally conquered to saddle , and I have
I no doubt that n flcry untamed feather bed
| U a real nice xort of bed when U Is once
Comcitlcated.
I "Culture and refinement nro more genera
* tla Vermont thin In Nebraska ; and thti , ol
coiirso , l to bo expected , considering our
youth and remoteness from the Hub. Last
Sunday I heard a minister who , were ho
once known In Chicago , would fill H largest
auditorium to overflowing ; . In matter and
form and Impresilvencss of delivery his ser
mon was o masterpiece. The choir , too , was
exceedingly well-behaved and sang with taste
and finish. Dut , musically speaking , Mont-
peller's brass band Is an eye-opener. Do you
suppose you1 can Imagine what a. brass band
Is In a western village ? No , you cannot.
It Is something to swear at when you are
awake and groan about In your sleep. It is
the anarchy of noise. It drives you to drink.
It reconciles you with death. When I was
asked ono evening to attend a band concert
on the plaza , or square , or whatever you call
It , I promptly declined : but tutor , Bitting on
the front steps of the Fullcrton , there was
watted me through the night the rich , full ,
swelling harmonics of brass-throated Instru
ments. I was off like a shot nnd stayed till
the lights on the. band stand went out nnd the
echo of the last bugle note died among the
hills. There Is nothing like It ! An orchestra
can make you fcol ticklish , or spooney , or
even maudlin ; but there Is something In n
trumpet blare which challenges the soul of n
man. I could die to martial music It It be
only music ] "
1-O7J ,1 MILITAKV CGZLEttE.
SOUTH OMAHA , Aug. 20. To the Editor
of The Dee : I notice with Interest and pleas
ure your public spirited editorial as to the
future disposition of Fort Omaha. The sug
gestion that It bo converted Into a military
school Is not new. I think The Bee lias
formerly given space In Its columns to this
subject. In any event , the suggestion Is
timely , the moment opportune , and the neces
sity of action strikingly apparent. Alt who
have noted the many occasions for the use
of the National Guard during the past year ,
say nothing pi the late necessity In Chicago
and even In South Omaha , may well Join
with The Ueo In Insisting that Fort Omaha
shall , for years to come , represent , as It has
In the past , the military spirit. Few such
opportunities come as here presents Itself tor
Omaha and Nebraska to secure valuable
grounds , buildings and privileges , and an
Institution that may add materially to the
repute of the state and city , and be as well
the harbinger of days when the state will be
better prepared than now to meet all the
conditions that In time Invariably confront
organized government.
It goes without saying that congress would
grant the reservation of Fort Omaha to the
state of Nebraska for the purpose of a mili
tary college. What should such a college be ?
Not simply a military academy , but a mili
tary college In fact and name , the Inaugura
tion of the day when each stat ? shall have
Its own military college , wherein she shall
educate her young men and prepare them to
creditably nil the ranks of the National
Guard. While the curriculum of such n school
can be easily nnd wisely arranged by compe
tent educators , yet I venture to suggest some
of the factors essential to Us military suc
cess.
It should , first of all , bo under the com
mand ot an officer of the United States army ,
detalicd by the War department on account
of his particular fitness , taken from the ac
tive service , and such officer ought
not to be of a rank lower
than captain , Its entire military
equipment , Including rifles , ammunition , ar-
tlltcy , tents , uniforms , etc. , should bo fur
nished by the War department , and In every
such respect It ought to equal West Point ,
cud as all the equipment would be new and
modern U would probably excel West .Point.
If the military commandant needed one or
more tactical officers they could easily be
drawn from Fort Crook , or , nt a later date ,
from the school's alumni. The purpost < if the
college should bo to conduct an elemenufv
school of a standard equal to that of a first-
class city grammar school , but under mili
tary discipline. From those who graduated ,
after a necessary term ot years , should come
the men wh6 would constitute the privates
and noncommissioned officers of the state
National Guard , A higher course , taking an
additional term of one or more years , should
furnish the officers ot the National Guard.
From this higher grade all appointments to
West Point and Annapolis should be made.
Thus , in time , both of these schools would
receive the select young men of the country ,
already prepared to talio up and carry the
science of the art of war further than Is now
possible , where crude material Is taken from
which to make our future military and naval
leaders , In a course covering from four to
six years.
Let us fancy for a moment what such a
sphool would do for Omaha and Nebraska.
On this school , from the date of Its openIng -
Ing , the eyes of the entire .nation would be
placed , and until other states followed , as
they surely would , the campus of Fort Omaha
would be filled with yonug men from all sec
tions , anxious to receive nn education possi
ble In no other Institution , Regulations , of
course , must be made as to tuition , whether
gratuitous or at a stated price , covering also
what military duty Its graduates owed the
state , and legislation should In time provide
that only Us graduates should be offi
cers of the National Guard. ( It Is
already a fact that lu ono state
every National Guard officer is a
graduate from a military academy. ) A spe
cial or post graduate coursu being provided
for the education of the prtsent National
Guard officers , thus It should not be possible
for a National Guard officer , after say five
years from the Inauguration of the school ,
to hold his office unless he had taken a
military course at the state military college.
A late European writer has written of the
United States Military ecademy that , after
most thorough Inspection , he was con
vinced that it was the leading military
school of the world , H Is yet more ; It Is the
literary school. Where else In a period of
"
four years are such thorough students , "such
all around equipped young met , such models
of physical training , Ideal soldiers and gen
tlemen ol honor created out of raw ma
terial ; where else the mental and physical
strain so easily balanced ; where else does
food , wisely chosen , supply the waste , not
withstanding the severity of discipline , study
and other duties ; where Is to be found a
cadet who breaks down physically or men
tally ? The United States Naval academy
at Annapolis divides the honors easily , her
chosen sons taking the honors almost In
variably at the high European technical
schools , competing against the select of the
world.
A state m'lltary college may never hope
t rival matchless West Point. Let us , how
ever , hope for an eventual earnest attempt
to at least Imitate It In each of our forty-
eight states. In this respect shall Nebraska
lead ? What we need IB not a school to rival
Farlbault or Sweet Springs , etc. , but a
school that will build up the young men of
the state , make them better equipped to
meet all conditions of life , better citizens
because learning discipline of mind and
body , and such soldiers that a regiment from
Nebraska Statu Military college would bo
worth a brigade taken at random from farm
and work shop. It can be Oone , and where
clso but In N ibraska's ' only great city ? A
few promlunt men can give the
school a successful start ; Senator
Manderson and Hon. Mr. Mercer
are sufficient to send a bill booming through
congress , and even pass the presidential
chair. Let The Dee take up the matter
again In Its Inimitable manner ; let us all
take It up ; consider it from every possible
standpoint ; boom It If you will. The times
are pregnant , the need of such a school never
so evident. Shall we have It ? We can If
we may.
A school such as I have outlined. If with
a competent faculty , an earnest military
commandant , and good business manage
ment , can have at least GOO students within
three years. In not a word that I have
written do I wish to reflect on the rank and
file ot the National Guard. All honor to
the men who at the call of duty leave pleas
ant homes , business and professions to respond
spend with cheerfulness ami promptitude to
the call , but as the days of volunteers and
the methods ot 1S61 are of the past , eo are
the days of the present National Guard num >
b red. War Is a science ; to not comprehend
Its mysteries li to be unprepared and to
Invite defeat. The era ot the trained soldiery
confronts us. It Is not practicable to supply
the country's requirements wholly through
the regular army , therefore the necessity of
the state taking some action. Are we ready
to meet these new conditions ?
As It Is the custom of the War department
to detail , when practicable , any officer that
is requested by a school faculty , should occa
sion occur , I should bo glad to suggest as
the military commandant of the Nebraska
State Military college aa ofllcer of the
United States army whose eminent military
and literary attainments , his experience as
B. eoldlir nnd a writer on military topics ,
his enthusiasm and knowledge In this line
oC work , would make him a most fitting
selection , A. E. DICKINSON ,
POTENTATE OF PROGRESS
Electricity's Irresistible March Aionnd tlio
World. '
LATE EXPERIMENTS AND DLYELOPMENTS
livery Field of Actlrlty Invaded anil llcnc.
llclnl llcaulti Aclilovcil l'esf ill onVoll
n > Novrl Applications of Ilio
Ktiljtlo Fluid.
In tlio train at modern scientific and In
dustrial achievement has come a number of
new physical ailments the price that civil
ization appears to bo called upon to pay for
Its advancement. Electricity la credited
with two or three of these recently diagnosed
disorders , and physicians nro now paying
more- attention than ever before to the effect
of the electric current and electric phe
nomena on the human bod/ . Just now , in
France , says the Western Electrician , some
of the doctors are endeavoring to find a
ren edy for what has borne the clumsy and
misleading name of "electric sunstroke. "
This modern affection frequently befalls
workmen employed In factories where metals
nro fused or welded by the arc process.
The light produced during the psrlod of con
nection Is of course Intense , and even at a
distance- thirty feet the rays produce a
painful , hot , pricking sensation , like that of
a burn on such uncovered portions of the
body as the throat , face and more especially
the forehead. The skin of the parts affected
Is said to became cither copper-colored or
assumes a brone hue ; the eyes , In spite of
black glasses , are so Intensely dazzled as to
be useless for some minutes , after which
anthopsla or yellow vision sets In , every
thing appearing saffron-colored ; the con
junctiva are Inflamed and there Is a gritty
feeling as of sand under the eyelids ; there
Is frequently considerable pain , also sleep
lessness and In some cases fever. The
physicians have discussed the effects of tlio
blinding Hash with much learning , but have
as yet proposed no better remedy than that
which would naturally suggest Itself to any
layman perfect rest In n subdued llgh.t So
long as the voltaic arc la employed In metal
working It Is not likely that any means will
bo discovered to prevent occasional tem
porary Injury to the eyes of the work
men.
ELECTIUC BULLET PROBE.
The electric bullet finder or probe , an In
vention of Dr. John H. Qlrdner of New
York , consists of an ordinary telephone re
ceiver , an ordinary metal probe and on extra
bulb of the same metal that the probe Is
made of. Inasmuch as there Is no battery
connected with the apparatus It may puzzle-
avcn an electrician to discover wherein the
electrical element lies. Just here la whcro
the Instrument assumes its truly scientific
aspect , for Us Invention proves that there
Is a definite quantity of electricity In the
battery which supplies the current. Dr.
Qlrdner had tried for years to devise some
surer means of locating bullets than waa
possible with the ordinary probe. Some
years ago somebody had Invented an electric
bullet probe which depended on a battery
cell to supply the current. But the trouble
was that as soon as the end of the probt
was Inserted In the flesh an electric circuit
would be established through the flesh Itself
and the electric bell would ring. So It was
not known whether n bullet had been touched
or not. One night it occurred to Dr.
Glrdner that the body Itself might contain
enough of a current to operate a bell or a
telephone receiver. Experiment proved the
fact. The principle of the Instrument is as
follows : The metal bulb Is placed in the
wounded person's ' mouth , the telephone re
ceiver is held to the surgeon's car and the
probe in the hole made by the bullet. The
bulb In the tnouth and the probe are made
of the same metal , copper being preferred ,
and because they are the same no manifesta
tion Is heard In the telephony. But as soon
as the Uodcn bullet is touched it brings an
other metal Into the circuit. The human
body then immediately becomes one Im
mense cell , which generates a current strong
enough to oprate the telephone , so that
as soon as the bullet In touched a click Is
heard In the telephone and the location of
the bullet Is established beyond a doubt.
MEASURING ELECTRICITY.
Ono of the greatest trials of the central
station superintendent is the erratic na
ture of the record of his "diagram , " or. In
other words , the Irregularity of the demand
for current on the part of his customers. A
"demand Indicator" has been Introduced , the
object of which Is to furnish a correct means
of ascertatnltiE the actual call pach con
sumer makes upon' the generating plant of
the central station.
The Influence of this Instrument on the
habits of the consumer Is said to be most
salutary for himself as well as for the sta
tion. Instead of burning a great many
lamps at n time for short periods , he Is In
duced to burn a normal number of lamps
for long periods , thereby unconsciously
"flattening" the station load diagram , and
equalizing the work of the plant over an
extended period. At the same time a gen
erous provision Is made -whenever the con
sumer wishes to have a special blaze of
light. Once a month he gets an electric
light "bonus. " He gives twenty-four hours'
notice In writing to the station , and the In
dicator is short circuited for the space of
time he desires. He can then burn any
number of lamps In excess of his usual
maximum , and the demand Is not registered.
Another meter for the recording of current
used IB the Invention of an Englishman. It
Is said to measure the supply of electricity
to consumers with as muc-h simplicity and
accuracy as can now bo obtained In the USD
of gas. Its action is obviously simple. It la
well known that when an electric current Is
applied to water it generates ; the gas thus
generated la collected In a receiver , and , by
Ingenious mechanism , the discharge of this
gas each time It fills the receiver moves a
recording dial similar to that on a gas meter.
AH the attention the meter requires Is said
to be the addltloni of a little water in , the
course of three or four months.
THE OLD AND THE NEW.
Nothing could more forcfMr Illustrate the
scientific and Inventive progress of the last
quarter of a century , says the Philadelphia
Enquirer , than the story of the laying of
the new Atlantic cable. Two attempts to lav
a cable were made by Cyrus W. Field , In 1857
and 1S58 , but both were unsuccessful. In
1865 another cable broke after 1,200 miles had
been laid , and although grapllng went on for
it lor several days , It could not be found.
In I860 , however , a cable was laid , the end
of the one lost the previous year was re
covered and Joined to that on board and the
work was completed. Far different , however ,
was the experience with the cable Just laid.
A piece of heavy cable waa laid from Ireland ,
143 miles to the westward , and the end was
buoyed. Then 602 mllea were laid In the
same way eastward from Caneo , and the deep
water cable was sent out on the steamer
Faraday. The buoy at the end of the eastern
shore cable was found , brought up , spliced
and lowered , and l.DOO miles were run out
without accident. Then the end of the west
ern shore cable was found , the main cablD
was spliced to It and the work was done.
During the voyage the Faraday was in con
stant Ulcgraphic communication with Eng
land , and while In mid-Atlantic received the
news of Europe as promptly as did English
men or Americans at home. The completion
of the enterprise Is another triumph of
latter-day skill and genius.
WASTE ELECTRICITY.
The latest sufferer from electric railway
currents which have gone astray from their
proper theoretical circuits is the Brooklyn
( N. Y. ) elevated railway. In building an
extension of that road the company had
difficulty In securing certain property Tights ,
BO a short section was left out until the rest
of the line was finished. While hoisting the
last four longitudinal girders Into position
to as to complete the line the end of one of
the girders happened to touch both sections
at once. An electric arc was at once formed
and heat enough generated to melt part of
the metal , which fell to the street below.
The trouble was due to the fact that the
feeder wires of the electric rMlway In the
city had iost their Insulation In places , allow
ing o strong r.osttl.o current to escape frogh
the * girders as soon as a connection was made
to the ground. While this Is the moat
marked trouble which has resulted to the
elevated road from wandering elec'-rlclty. . It
has been found that the foundation bo ) * . , of
the columni. tbe water pipes to the stations
and other parts of the metal work are being
corroded juit as arc the underground water
and gas pipes here In Omaha. Unfor
tunately the trolley roads now bave un
doubted legal right to attach their wires to
the elevated structure and the only satisfac
tion the elevatea < pi Dle have Is the fact that
the electricity iDicipcs in such quantities
that all the telegnfyli lines can be operated
by It , thu > doing wvny with the expense of
maintaining bitttcrles. In this connection
It Is of IntcresUto note that Brooklyn people
have begun to ( follow the example ot those
In Boston and < > lnt nd to utilize the stray
current passing" Into their houses on the
water and gas pipes to drive electric fans.
STHAHQE ACCIDENT.
The strange electrical accident at the Nor
folk navy yard appears to have been ex
plained , and with the explanation comes the
necessity of making provision to "ground"
steel or Iron vessels that are In dry dock ,
especially during the season of electtlcal
storms. Two men standing In water under
the vessel , which was Insulated by its sup
ports of ury wood , were apparently struck by
lightning , although men on the deck of the
vessel felt no shock. Ono of the men was
killed Instantly , and the other died In n few
hours. The explanation now given , Bays the
Philadelphia Ledger , Is that the vessel was
not struck by lightning In the ordinary sense ,
but that It acted as an enormous condenser ,
such as Is used for collecting static elec
tricity. As It was Insulated from the ground
It became heavily charged , and was dis
charged through" the men when they , stand
ing In the water , and , thus making a good
ground , touched the metal sides. The
remedy will bo to "ground" such vessels
while they are In dry dock that Is , to provide
a means of electrical discharge from them
Into the ground.
VENTILATING BY ELECTRICITY.
A new system of ventilation has appeared
which should prove serviceable In hospitals ,
conservatories and public buildings where the
temperature has to be kept within certain
limits. The apparatus consists of on electro
magnet , placed In circuit with a battery ,
and a revolving drum , and Its operation Is
dependent on the electrical control ot one or
more air valves by means ot a thermostat or
thermometer adjustable to certain predeter
mined degrees of heat or cold. It can be
adapted to any existing air shafts or any
form of ventilator , and It can also be applied
to the working of ventilating fans for start
ing and stopping at certain temperatures.
Supposing that It Is desired to keep a room
between 65 anil 75 degrees F. The apparatus
Is adjusted to these two points on the ther
mometer or thermostat , and as the tempera
ture rises to 75 degrees contact Is made , the
drum turns a quarter of a revolution , opens
a ventilator arid cools the room. The
circuit Is then broken , When the tem
perature falls to 65 degrees contact Is again
made , and the drum rotates and closes the
ventilator. The action Is roeated every time
either limit is reached. The apparatus can
bo so nicely regulated ns 4o work with a
variation of 2 degrees of -ivrature. . and It
requires very little current -onslderably less
than that required to rlnp an ordinary elec
tric bell.
A NEW TELEPHONE.
William Marshall of New Yorlc had pre
pared a curiosity for the electricians. He
began by taking up an ordinary book , and
placing In the leaves several slips of tin
fall one and one-half Inches -wide and four
Inches long. Then he attached a couple of
fine wires , closed the book and carried the
other end of the wires to another room , where
they were attached to the transmitter of a
telephone : Then a conversation began , with
Mr. Marshall In one room and one of the per
sons In the room where the book lay. Each
word that came from the book could be dis
tinctly heard In every corner of the room. It
la said the new principle Is the direct oppo
site of the Bell principle. The latter is the
magnetic receiver ) the new one electro-static.
As described by Mr. Marshall , the invention
consists esentlally of a telephonic system
comprising speaking condensers and an In
duction cell at each station , each Induction
cell having t\\o secondary wires and a pri
mary wire , the , , opposite ends o ! each sec
ondary wire bring connected with the oppo
site poles ot the speaking condensers.
UTILIZING THE SEA WAVES.
The expense incidental to running the
electric plant at Coney Island has suggested
the possibility of utilizing the energy of the
waves of the seas It has long been known
that by floating a. series of large corks at
tached to each other by chains and anchored
to as to rise , and fall with the waves they
could , uy means iif rods.icommunlcatlng with
ratchet wheels placed in the power houses
on shore , bo made to revolve dynamos , thus
generating electricity and doing away with
engines , engineers , coal and all the Incidental
expense connected with on electrical instal
lation. On the beach , near the concourse ,
workmen are no-.v busy erecting three port
able houses. Inquiry as to what use they are
to be put almply elicited the response from
the sphinx-like superintendent : "For Edison.
Watch and wait. "
ELECTRIC NOTES.
The civil engineers of Germany have de
cided to erect a monument to the memory of
Dr. Werner von Siemens , the famous electri
cian and Inventor , In the German capital. A
well known sculptor will carry out the work.
What will prove to bo the most useful In
dustrial development Is the application ot
electricity to the cleansing and preservation of
boilers. The method employed Is the send
ing of electric currents periodically through
the shells of the boiler. By this means the
scale formed on the shell and tubes Is disin
tegrated and easily removed.
An electric plant is to be put in at the
canon of the. Santa Anna rjver , near Ilodands
Cal. , which will furnish light and power to
cities and towns within a radius at fltty m'Us. '
It will also supply the power for several
trolley lines connecting neighboring towns.
It may be mentioned that there Is a steady
demand from East India for all the latest
electrical novelties. An electrical engineer
now In New York made a small fortune when
the electric light first came out by going
around India with a portable plant , with
which he attended and Illuminated all kinds of
native ceremonies and festivities.
It has been shown by recent experiments
that there is practically no difference In cost
between cooking by electricity and by coal ,
while the advantages of the former method
In point of comfort , cleanliness and safety
are considerable. Of over 100 tons of coal
burned In an ordinary cooking stove ninety-
six tons are , It Is said , practically wasted ,
whereas with electricity the expense is not
so much on the fuel as on labor and interest
on machinery.
The long distance telephone line now being
constructed from Plttsburg to St. Louis Is
rapidly nearlng completion. Within a fort
night It Is expected that there will be through
service from New York to St. Louis.
A very simple Improvement In flro hose
has been made by which the hoseman at the
nozzle and the engineer are put in instant
communication. Through the fabric of the
hose two Insulated wires are run. They are
connected with the metal couplings so that
as soon as the hose Is put together In the or
dinary way , signaling apparatus .on the en
gine and nozzle , with a dry battery to fur
nish the current , completes the apparatus.
In a recent discussion on electric railroading
L. B. Stlllwell , In a lew simple figures , em
bodied a most instructive comparison of the
relative efficiency of electricity and the cable
for power transmission , A steel cable one
and a half Inches In diameter , traveling
tweleve miles an hour , can transmit .nearly
2,000 horse power. A copper wire- with a
section of one square Inch will carry an clec-
trlc current of 10,000 volU at 1,000 amparcs
to the square Inch , and such a current Is now
being transmitted In this country. This is
equal to 13,000 horse power , which Is enough
to Instantly rupture six cables such as are
ordinarily used In cable traffic.
A novel plan ot telephone exchange opera
tion has lately been put on trial In San Fran
cisco , and is pronounced ny the exchange
girls to be "Just too lovely ( or anything. " A
phonograph -placed in a shunt circuit In
such a manner that when a subscriber insists
on asking several times in one minute for a
number reported "busy , " the machine takes
the place of the operator , and goes on Inform
ing him with cheerful alacrity and persistency
that the line In question remains busy.
A Philadelphia electrician electrocuted 100
ruts by attaching a current to a sewer grat
ing through which the rodents were- obliged
to retreat.
Philadelphia and St. Loula are banishing
overhead wires.
An electric hair bleacher Is a late Inven
tion.
tion.Tho Department of State has received from
Consul General Jones at Ilome > a profusely Il
lustrated pamphlet , with translation , giving
full details of the plant and appliances used
In generating and transmitting 2,000 horse
power a distance of eighteen miles across the
Campagna from Trlvoll to Rome. The consul
general tays that Homo la the first city to
be lighted by electricity at t long distance.
Italy U essentially agricultural , producing no
coal , but luvlng magnificent water power ,
and her future Industrial development may
spring from the tran ml:3ton ot energy gen
erated by water power.
MILLIONS IN COLD PLATE
Hioh New Yorkers Put Fortunes in Gorgeous
Tablovmio ,
MAGNIFICENT SHOW ON STATE OCCASIONS
Appctlrlng Bprrad ) on 1'lutcn nnd Dlnhru < ] (
tlio Yellow .Itotut Thrco Mllllim Dollar
lar * Worth ol 1'lnto Oirneil by
u 1'ow I'lunlllcii.
It Is , perhaps , not generally known that
there arc hundreds and hundreds of thou
sands of dollars tied up In ecltd gold dinner
sots , owned and used by New York million-
Urea ! Pounds and pounds of the precious
yellow metal laid out In the form of platca ,
soup tureens and vegetable dishes ! For
tunes Invested In such a way that only the
select guests of the millionaire owners can
gaze on them as they eat the meal that Is
spread In state bcforo them , livery ono has
hoard of the magnificent gold dinner service
which Mrs. William Astor owns , but It is
not generally known that there are al least
twelve other sets In the possession of
wealthy New Yorkers which , according to
the Morning Journal , compare very favorably
in design and quality with the famous ono
that has been written and talked about BO
frequently.
Mrs. Astor'a set cost a cool ? GO,000. It
was purchased several years ago , and has
been used possibly not more than twenty
times since It came Into her poss'jston. In
all there are some thirty pieces , so that the
average cost of each piece would ba $2,000.
This valuable plato Is guarded even mare
Jealously than Mrs. Astor's ' Jewels. At er
having been used on .these slate occasions It
la carefully . .leaned iind dried , wrapped up
In chamois and nlnk cotton and then taken
In the mornlne'to the safe deposit vaults
of the Asters , where It rests quietly until It
Is needed to do service on another state oc
casion.
casion.GUAUDIAN
GUAUDIAN OF THE GOLD PLATE.
Each set of this golden plate belonging to
the wealthiest of New York's millionaires
has a special guardian. This guardian Is
generally a man servant , who occupies a po
sition between that of butler nnd private
secretary. His responsibilities are almost as
gr at as those of a secretary and Infinitely
greater than these of the menial who si
lently anawera your every b'eck and call.
He Is , In short , i shrewd diplomat , who saves
his cmplojcr a great deal ot trouble and
worry. Mrs. Astor's house diplomat Is a
suavf , well-dressed and apparently well-edu
cated man ot middle age and his name Is
"Thomas. " Every one In the " 400" knows
Thomas , and Thomas knows every ono whom
Mrs. Astor knows.
Evidence of the man's sagacity was given
some years ago. After dinner one evening
when the $60,000 gold set was on the table
Mrs. Astor noticed that the vessels were
badly scratched. The metal of which thsy
are made Is almost pure , and If by chance a
fork or knife touches any of them lightly a
scar Is left. After the guists departed
Mrs. Astor consulted Thomas as to
the best means of erasing the disfigurements
and having the vessels cleaned and bur
nished. He suggested that they bo taken la
Tiffany's , with Instructions to that great firm
to return them as good as new. In about a
fortnight the handsome set \\as delivered at
the Astor mansion by one of Tiffany's trusted
messengers. They were , as a matter ot
course , handed over to Thomas for his In
spection. Tiffany certainly had done an ex
cellent piece ot work. Thomas knew almost
to the pennyweight how much each piece of
the set weighed before It left his hands. His
first move after accepting the cleaned rlite
and expressing In a note to Mr. Tiffany ,
signed for Mrs. Aster , that lady'a sa Istoc-
tlon over the way In which the worlc had
been performed , was to take the sat to the
troy scales and weigh it in bulk. What was
the result ? Ob , one of comparatively little
significance to an Ator , but one of a great
deal of Importance to Thomas.
PROFITABLE JOD FOR TIFFANY.
He discovered that in the peculiar process
of cleaning which the great Jeweler em
ployed tin precious metal In the vessels had
been so r < orn down that a net loss of $2,000
had been entailed , to say nothing ot the
$1BOO "fee" that had been paid for the opera
tion. Thomas communicated his discovery
to Mrs. Astor. He went up 100 per cent Im
mediately In the estimation of that estima
ble grand dame , but she merely said :
"Thomas , I don't think I ever want the
gold set cleaned again unless you superin
tend the operation. "
Not a vessel In the lot baa ever seen the
inside of a Jewelry store since. Thomas Is
now the sole guardian.
Mrs. Astor never thinks of using this
? CO,000 set of plate without telling Thomas
of her Intentions at least forty-eight hours
In advance. As soon as notice Is served on
him he drives to the safe deposit vault , takes
cut the valuable ware , and I lien prepares It
for use.
Next to Mrs. Astor Mrs. nradley-Martln
possesses probably the moat valuable gold
dinner set In Now York. There are not as
many pieces In it as there are In Mr * .
Astor's , but they are heavier and of finer
workmanship. The last time they were seen
on ths table was at the dinner given by the
Bradley-Martins several months ago to their
the earl Craven.
prospective son-in-law , of
Well-bred Englishman as he was , he could
not refrain from commenting on the hand
some set to hla future mother-in-law before
the dinner was over. He said In a whisper :
"Mrs. Martin , that Is the handsomest plate
I have ever teen. "
The hostess' face broke Into a smile. Her
son-in-law was not only a connlsseur , but an
appreciative diplomat.
Millionaire J. Plerpant Morgan Is also the
happy possessor of n solid gold dinner serv
ice , for which the Wall BtreU magnate ga\e
an English Jeweler a check for { 50,000 a
few years ape ,
Mr. Morgan , ItIs cald , bought the set nt
the earnest solicitation of his wife. He docs
not care much for elaborate display , whether
It be on dinner table or on the street , and
the yellow metal vessels are seldom In evi
dence. They have n't been used more than
half a dozen times E'nce ' they left the hands
of the English gold worker.
Dut little more than ordmary care Is paid
to the expensive set. Each vessel rests In
a chamois bag In one of the sideboards. The
set is not a very ( argu one , but the vessels
are heavy and the designs of the simplest.
They are as plain as la the life of the suc
cessful financier. v
ONE AMONG THE VANDEUBILTS ,
Tbo only member of 'tho Vanderbllt family
who has seen fit to indulge In the luxury of
a golden dinner Bet U Mrs. Fred Vander
bllt. There are about thirty pieces In It ot
the most delicate design. The dishes are
capacious , but tbc gold is beaten almost to
the weight of thin cardboard. Mrs. Van
derbllt does not spare her service. When
ever she gives a swell dinner aa she does a
great many times during the season the
plate is brought out and put upon the table.
It IB not generally known that there ls one
man whose office is in the dirty thorough
fare known aa Mulberry street who Is the
first to bo advised of the date ot all these
fetes when the golden plates and dishes are
to be layed before guests. Ho knows the day
of display long before the favored guests
receive their cards or letters ot Invitation.
He Is none other than that distinguished per
sonage. Superintendent Byrnes. As soon
as a .date for a dinner Is fixed , Bay by Mrs.
Astor , a polite note is sent to the superin
tendent by Mrs. Astor's private secretary.
Its receipt la acknowledged "and contents
noted. " It Is unnecessary for Mr. Dyrnes to
say more. Mrs. Astor knows that what < ha
wants will be attended to.
As aoon as the plate Is taken from the
safe deposit vault by the faithful Thomas
In the case of Mrs , Astor nnd placed In tbe
house , there appear on the scene two or
three of those gentlemen known as ' police
headquarters men. " They patrol the pave
ment before and at the side of the house.
Nor Is their vigilance relaxed even after
the festivities are over. They guard the
bouse until the plato la again taken back to
11s resting place in the vaults ot the sale de
posit company. -r
It U safe to iay that the amount of money
tied up In gold plate In the houses and cafei
of wealthy New Yorkers la not less than
{ 3,000,000. ,
Cheffoniers at Half Price.
See m
Samples
in our
Show
V indows
WE PLACE ON SALE Hits week 100 lurgo , elegant Chef-
l"rs , made of solid oak. polish llnlbli , with LARGE , TRENCH
B - ATE MIRRORS , at half former prices , to sell them quick.
uy reason of having1 the Invest nniount of drawer
j room , a cholTonior Is a
most convenient , useful , niul almost Indispensable- piece of furniture
i and nn homo is oomnlolo without one. '
> $7.75 for n ChclTbnicr worth $ li. (
I $ U.'Jl ) for n CIiclTonior worth $20.
) $11.50 for a ChuiTbnkr worth $23.
8 $12.50 for a ChefToHier worth $25.
-i - tn . for ChufTonlur
u worth $27.
$17.50 for H Choflonier worth $35.
J $19.50 for a ChclTonicr worlli $10.
j $21.50 for a ChcfFonicr worth $50
SZJ
35c
. . . . 7Sc
> ' ! / > \OI til $1.25
: : : : : : : : - : : : : : : $2.00 $1.40
- " - - " $1.00
30c
Terms : Cash or Easy Payments ,
m
Formerly People's MamniDlh Imlallitml
ud 10 cents for postngcon Uig ' 01 Catalogue.
Write for Baby Carriage Catalogue Mailed Free.
Goods sold on payments in Council IMufls & South Omaha
Closa evening nt G:30 : except SatiirJays.
DOING THE LANDLORD.
Story of u Mnu AVIojo F liciuo Worked Too
Well.
A doctor on the West Side was called to
the residence of a man In great haste , says
the Chicago Tribune. Arriving there lie
found the man's head battered and torn to
such a degree that sewliifi It up reminded
him of nn old-fashioned quilting bee. When
the lutlent was able to give an account of
the accident that disabled him ho related
tills gad tale :
"I am behind three month ! ) with my rent.
That's one-half ot the secret of my misery ;
the other half Is that EOIHO boys In my
neighborhood have lately been ringing my
doorbell at all hours of the night , greatly to
my annoyance. Time after time I was
called to the door , only to find nobody there.
Finally I ran a wfre from n battery to the
doorbell , so that the next boy who iilaycd
the trlcU on me would be held there until
I could reach him and rend him limb from
limb.
"About an hour ngo I heard n ring at the
door and .vent there exulting. I opened
the door , and there was my landlord , stand
ing on his head and hanging on to the handle
of the doorbell ; nbout a thousand volts of
electricity were chasing each other through
his system , and the way he kicked at the
door casing and clawed nroupndIth his
free hand was a sight to bo seen. I was
scared worse than he was , though , and I
turned off the current and went to carry him
Into the house. "
"Did you carry him ? "
"I don't think I did. Kverythlng that
happened after I returned to the door Is
vague and Indistinct. I have a confused
recollection thnt he grabbed a passing street
car and knocked me on the head with It
and that he tore off the door bell and made
me swallow It , wires and nil , but I cannot
say positively what occurred. I expect him
to return at any hour , and I think the next
time you come you had bettor bring along
a sewing machine. The old plan of stitching
by hand la too slow and tedious. "
A PATHETIC SCENE.
The Llttlo Girl Meota Her Papa In n
lloapltal.
There Is so much pathos In life that ono
almost sees U at every turn of the tye. The
other day a writer on the Philadelphia Times
dropped into a. hospital , and at once noticed
a little group , a sort of a family gathering.
In the far corner of one of the ytrds. The
father , a bright , brainy man of mercantile
life , had met with an accident a year ago.
Ills skull had ben fractured severely and It
was thought at first that ho would not re
cover. The physician , how-pver , labored very
hard on the case and the man had become
so far Improved that he was about to betaken
taken from the hospital. His pretty wife
and flaxen-haired and blue-eyed child had
called to < * eo him as they had done dally for
the weeks that his life had been hanging by
a thread.
On this day they found the husband and
father propped up In his bed. Ills eye looked
bright for the first tlmo and tliu wlfo thought
the time of recognition ot her on his part had
arrived. He had failed to do so before.
"James , are you feeling bettcrJ" the pretty
wlfo Inquired , as she placed ono of her hands
on his bandaged forehead , The patient
looked at the woman he hail once loved so
well with a vacant stare and then mumbled
out soma Inarticulate words.
"Dan't you Itnow me , dear , your wlfo ? "
cried the unfortunate woman , choking back
her sobs. Again the stare and Inarticulate
words.
"Papal Papal" cried the little child , "kiss
me , " stretching out the little arms. Dut the
llttlo one was received as the mother.
"Papa doesn't love me any more , " sobbed
the little one , es she placed her curly head In
her mother's lap. Tears rolled down the
mother's cheeks as che kissed her child. Sha
made no reply. She couldn't.
It \ > as what the doctors had told her. Her
husband's life before the accident was &
blank to him. He was nothing more than
the babe In the cradle. He would even have
to be taught how to apeak , but the saddest
ot all was the thought that the love he cmcb
possessed for her and the child was dead.
V.'Jt I.lro IVnylfl In Htiow Mlndowi.
t That the Introduction of the human form
In advertlilng Is a good idea Is a well known
fact witness the ticket scalper's cavalry
brigade , the Rlrla who make up packages of
cindy In thop windows and the ( all youth
who parades tbe meets ot this city clad In
the glittering robes ot royalty. The latest
wrinkle In tlX'to line * , cays the Boston Ad >
vertUer , wai sprung by a Washington street
I Koreketper recently by putting a man
.oPreP ° rC(1 , from the original formula nre-
served in tlio Archives of the Holy Land , ho
luff an authentic history datluff buclt COOyeara ,
A POSITIVE CURE
for all Stomach , Kidney and Bowel
troubles , especially
CHRONIC CONSTIPATION ,
Prlco BO cents. Sold by all druBclstB.
The Franciscan Remedy Co. ,
131 VAN BUREN ST. , CHICAGO , HI.
Send for Circular qn.l Illustrate J Calendar.
Urc.
la the only
SPECIALIST
WHO TDKATB AL. .
PRIVATE DISEASES
and DEBILITIES of '
MEN ONLY ,
Womtn EtclJdcd.
18 years experience
Ulrculam Tree.
( 4th and Frroom Ut <
.Ken
In his window to advcrtlso a now excrclslns
machine. The man wore a uteovcloBS blue
Jersey , a pair of striped trousers and a look
of stern determination , and so far aa catchIng -
Ing the public cyo went ho wan certainly a.
auccesi , for ho had n crowd In front oC him
from the moment ha nppoarMl until ho left
the window it 12 o'clock. His work w s to
show how the machine was used , and this he
did In an , > asy and graceful manner which
caught and held the attention of the multi
tude. The crowd was the same crowd which
stands on the sidewalk a little farther down
the street nnd watches the mnn In the win
dow fry buckwheat calces , but there was
more of It. It blocked the sMowalk pretty
effectually , nnd overflowed Into the street
and Into the store Itself , en that an employe
had to stand In the doorway and keep a
clear passage. A row of boys occupied front
seats next to the wlmlow and held to them
like grim death. In tplte of the crowd , It
was not noticed that any abnormal sales
were made , and when the man left the
window for his dinner the crowd melted
away to the place to which all street
crowds go.
NEW BE FINING PKCOESS.
Small Oinuitltlcj nt Gulcl from
Hough Mil IT.
At smelting works In Plttsburg and St.
Louis there has lately bean Introduced a
process of refining by which It U possible
to- separate from rough silver the small
quantities of gold sometimes found with U ,
even when the gold occurs In such minute
portion as 2-10 per cent. The rough allvor
Is cast Into plates about ten Inches long ,
eight Inches wide and two and on'-half
Inches thick , two of which are placed In a
linen bag to form ono polo of an electric
plating battery , with a rolled plate of fine
sliver for a corresponding second or posi
tive pole. The batteries are wooden vats
divided Into tevcn cells and rendered 1m-
pcimeablo by a coating of bitumen , each
vat containing seventy pairs of electrodci
arranged In verles. The electromotive force
required for each bath Is ono and one-hall
volts. Thu current Is furnished In St. Louis , i\ \
by a dynamo of 100 volts and 200 amperea , ,
driven by a thirty-horse power Wcstlnghouia
engine. The rough silver plates arc entirely
dissolved In from thirty to forty hours ; ths
reduced sliver separates In a crystalline
form , shooting across from ona pole to ths
other fco that special apparatus has to b
provided to keep the plates clear. Tb
stiver falls Into boxes with double bottom *
placed below the baths. The gold U r -
talned in the linen baga In a state of a fins
powder and It U allowed to accumulate for
a wetk before the bags are cleared out.
The powder U boiled with nltrlo ncltf >
washed , dried and melted with little n < {
or borax Into a bullion averaging 99 } Hue ,
