H
latcrnst ional Trtillfj 1.1 am.
I D. HYATT of Lincoln, uuiing a
f I recent trip through the middle
1 states, paid particular attention
rWsSil 10 t,,e tr"1,3r sysleais of intcr-
fc""" urhan communication in OIMT-
ation In Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. Of bid
experience and observations tie writes to
the Lincoln Journal as follows:
"Having occasion to visit a town suitu
ated In central Ohio, 1 determined to en
Joy the novelty of traveling as much aa
possible of the distance by means of the
Interurban trolley lines, which I had heard
were continuous over a portion of the dis
tance.. Accordingly on arriving ut Indian
apolis I obtained more definite information
regarding the route, and soon afterward
boarded a car of the interurban system
and entered upon my new experience in
long distance travel.
"I found that the cars which would seat
lorty to fifty passengers were propelled
by the overhead trollnv system. Outside
the cities and towns t!a ine usually, but
out always, follow the public roads and
consequently the diiections would not vary
much from the points of the compass.
Only one rov of poles carry the wires, it
lcing on the side of the track farthest
from the wxgtm road, the poles bring
planted near -he road.ild;' fences, und the
wires were suspended from brackets or
firms extending over the track. There
worn occasional sidings upon which we
would stop to allow a car to j.as3 from
the opposite direction, but the delays were
ehort,
"Sonietiir.es the cendue tor would i tcp fro :t
the car to a telephone booth on the track
aide to communicate with a station. I ob
aerved that the ruotorman seldom sounded
a gong, but he would more frequently pull
a etrlnff, when a rather wheezy and not
very penetrating whittle would le emitted.
This surprised me, as I had been accus
tomed to whistles only where steatn was
tis?d. Upon inquiry I found that com
pressed air was used to operate the brakes
and that til's whistle was a compres.-ied
air whistle. Th only kind of freight I
saw taken aJxw.rd was milk cans. These
bad been tagged and left on platforms nt the
trackside, about the level of the ear floor,
and the cans were quickly passed to the
front platform of the ear by the conductor
and motorman, the conductor detaching a
coupon from the tag or label of each can.
At destination they were lifted to the con
signee's hand truck run alongside. As to
grades, they do not vary much from those
of the wagon roads.
"Summing up my lmjTos.lans gathered
from this singls trip I can ty that I was
pleased with the change. Here was a
means of not only Interurban but Interstate
transit. Comfortable coaches In charge of
two employes and with ample accommo
dations for hand baggnge. I very soon no
ticed the absence of flying cinders and ruf
focating fumes given off by locomotives.
The only dust encountered would be from
an occasional team on the adjoining wagon
road which was quickly left behind. It was
evident also that the lines traversed the
most fertile and populous sections of the
country, rendering the scenery and Inci
dents of (ravel both leasing and Instruc
tive. The passengers changed cars qulto
often, nnd tolls were collected between the
large towns.
"I made a very enjoyable daylight trip In
thu manner described above over the entire
distance letw en Indianapolis and Newark,
O. When I footed up tho fares paid from
time to time I found I had paid t'i which
was only a few cents more than I was told
It would be the difference was so trifling
that I did not try to find out how the mis
understanding arose.
"The traveler or the party of travelers
ncumlcred by much luggage and whose
only Interest In travel Is to be tra imported,
rfiiTHrrifiii OrrirrTnirsw1!1?
.Li IIi.L .iil.lIi lI.i lLl tat j. Ii LI 1 1
swiftly from jince to place, will prefer
the sttnni roup's, bul those who enjoy rural
.'emery, miic'i of ii beautiful nnd park
like, with v 'sy odors, nnd an occasional
svnt of new mown hay. Instead of the
grimy tmokc from a locomotive, will t-o
pli nsed with the interurban service. Al
though apparently not thoroughly organized
it seems evident that the system has a
promising future. Whatever moy be the
perils of Inh rurban travel, one docs not
experlem-e that sense of impending danger
which is sometimes felt on the stcum
trains."
Municipal Flertrle Light.
Chicago's i lectric lisht planl, according
to the annual icport of lid ward U. Kllicotl,
now iti preparation, furnishes nearly t,y)
are lights to the city for SO per cant of
what the lights would cost If furnished by
private corpi rations at market rates.
The total curt to the city for the 1817
average numm r of lights in UUi was Ji8,
4:V, according to Mr. Kllieott, or $54.50 per
light. Adding charges not shown in the
account for the year brings the total cost
up to f2V2.SK!. and a comparison of this
amount with the Si."),9,!n that the lights
would cost if furnished by corporations
shows a saving to the city annually of
$l!7.ti!S.
Wages paid were 15 to ,11 jut cent hl;;hor
than were jiald by private coiporations and
were higher than those paid In any other
city from which records could Ik' obtained.
In s!teer years of munieljial ownership
and ojx'ration the city has sjent for con
struction and operation of electric lighting
system $S,7-0,c!!.
To liava rented the number of lights In
use each year with the rent at that year's
rate would have amounted In the figgie
gate to $3,fK.;i;X In r.ther words, Mr. Kl
licott Fays that by inunhipal ownership the
city has Fpcnt a smaller amount for the
same quantity of light and has the whole
lighting syf-toin to show as on ussi t.
Kach year has shown a steady growth In
th.' number of limps in operation, which
increased from 100 in 1SS7 lo G,007 on Pe
cctnljer SI, l.r i.1.
The total cost for all kinds of city light
ing is much lens now than in 1 !.', though
the candle power furnished has been
largely Increased.
The Increase is accounted for by more
efficient lights now used in gas and gaso
line lamps Mini the great Increase in the
municipal ihetrlc lighting system. There
were 33,970 gas lamps, with plain burners,
1.:9 gas lamps with nmntles. nnd G .loo
gasoline lamps with mantles In use In 15HS.
besides the electric lights, of which 670
were rented.
In 11T. city lighting cost $1 .09. 5ti0 nr.d
light equal to 3.961.000 cardie power was
furnished. Py 190a the cost had fallen to
Ssl? !H and the candle power risen to
SS1S.4O0. In lWHi the cost was only 91C212,
and the lamps of all kinds were giving
out 12.SK9.0Ott candle power light.
This cost Includes in the cost for gas
lamps $M3.:m for gas furnished to city
lamps, an Item $4R,5&6 less than for 1902.
Record-Herald.
The Kleotrlcnl Fnrm,
The automobile plow, the gigantic hnrvs
ters which cut, bind, thresh nnd measure
the wheat In one continuous operation, the
various self-propelling traction machines
which do the work of many horses, the
hay-loaders, the mechanical milkers and
the endless variety of Ingenious and costly
devices which now beckon to the farmer
and assault his poekethook, may. have led
lilm to think that perhaps the limit has
been reached; for he has no hope that the
prontest genius win be able to produce an
electrical farm band, which Is his greatest
need. Not so; the farmer of the future, If
enthusiasts say true, miy be Independent
g E jj
even cf the sun; be may stand at Ids
sw itchl-ourd in the farm offices und throw
out the electricity to the potatoes, send
along a generous voltage to the beans, elec
trify the rnhl'.iKCS at-d wuke thctn up to
their duty, und Bind a vivifying thrill
through the homely but hygieaic beet.
A Ue gian scientist. Prof. (Juaiint, says
that electricity is the life of plants. Tl.iJ
electricity is supplied in the atmosphere,
but bouietiin- n the fupply Is not gent rous
enough. It is a mistake to think, he ays,
that light alone wiU'iiourish plants. Scien
tists have shown these forty years thit
artificial light is a great stimulus to plstnt
life, and that if electric light lie. applied at
night in the tight strength and for the
ri;;ht length of time the results In larger
and more vigorous crojis and jiiants will be
very startling. lrof. Ouarinl shows in a
simple exieriment that it is not the 1'ght
uk-ne which dies the work; it Is th elec
tric radiation combined with the light,
whether the electric radiation come fraiu
ihe sun and its rays or from the arc lamp.
Ho surrounds a plant, for Instance, with a
metal cage thiougli which the sunlight
streams freely, but the cage acts as a con
ductor for tho utmoipheric electricity, t.nd
behold! the jlunt withers and becomes
anaemic
tin the oth.er hand, a plant may be put In
the dark and then given intelligent electri
cal treatment. The j.rofessur recommends
the uuc of the high teii.don continuous cur
rent, which, our fai.u;J!i would perhaps
like to know, nipy be obtained the moot
uconumlct.lly and cITici'. nlly from three
dynamos, each capubli) of glvine current
of 'Jl.M volts, the three to be coujiled to
gether, eo that tho maximum cunent of
Ut.'fO volts may be sent out to the vege
tables Hy this method the carbonic acid
in the chlorophyl i.s decomposed, produc
ing carbon and oxygen; the chemicals in
the soil are also decomposed, and the
nourishing elements rush to the aid of
tho plant. Hy this method many fine
crops could be raised in a reason, end tho
ezjendiiure on a largo operation would in
time be justitUd. In a greenhouse, where
the conditions are jusl right for the con
trol and oxjienditure of the electrical en
ergy without wastage In the open air,
there is, according to the professor, no
doubt of success.
We cite these scientific experiments in
order to keeji abreast of scientific endeavor,
but we do it timorously, because when lbs
farmers hear of l'rof. Ouarlni and his
volts they will have something harsh to
say about this Hcjle.ntilic farming. New
York Times.
Kility of the Hewitt Lijcht.
A series of remarkable moving jilctureji
has recently been secured at the ilant of a
prominent Pittsburg machine company by
tho American Mutoacope and liiograph
company with the aid of the Coojer Hewitt
light. These jiicturcs were taken for ex
hibition in St. lyouis in the private audito
rium of the company on tho fair grounds.
When "moving pictures" of the Jeffries
Sharkey heavyweight contest at Coney
Island were taken the scene was an arena
interior. The ling was cut down to twenty
feet and itHi arc lamps were strung nbovo
It, the heat from which caused the com
batants much discomfort. In several of
the pictures in question the entire length
of a quarter-mile, aisle is fchown, and at
no .line were more than sixty-four of the
mercury vajKir tubes used. The camera
was placed on a j.lalfoirn ilftten feet from
the ground, susjiended from an electric
traveling crane. The rrane was moved
slowly down the long uisle about fifty feet
in tho rear of the Cooper Hewitt lumps,
the lattir being also suspended from a
traveling crane, moving at equal sjieed.
So far as possible in the taking of there
pictures, any sunlight through the ejlass
t-kyiights of shojs was taken advantage of,
but it is not safe to depend very much
ujon the help of the sui In a moving pic
ture which is four or live minutes in tak
ing. The sixty-four lump tubes were hung
in ret of ei-;ht. In eight frames. They
required only thirty or forty kilowatts, or
about one-tifth of the energy consumed by
the 400 arc lamps referred to above. Tho
camera made llfteen cxjiosures a secMid,
or to tho minute. Among the mora In
teresting pictures nro the welding of a
ten-font ring for nn electric generator, the
railway motor aisle, the forging of n teu
ton steel crank shaft by a thirty-ton strum
hammer, one of the eight main qu.irter
mlle uisb-s devoted to tho construction of
big power tyjies and n six-minute view of a
employes leaving one of the shops in Bust
Pittsburg.
'Wireless Telegraphy In Korcstry.
The bureau of forestry of the IVpartment
of Agricuituto at Washington is moving on
the forestry problem from three angles. In
Illinois planted timber will be made the
subject of careful examination to deter
mine, what kinds of trcsW make tho roost
rapid growth, what kinds are most valuable
commercially, and what kinds aro best
suited lo shelter bolts.
In tho Daketas the growth of jdanted
trees will be studied to ascertain what
species of trees can lit: most profit tibly
jilajitid in that soil and climate. Tim
methods of jilantlng will be Investigated
with a view lo the improvement tit methods
and lessening the cost. Whllo the experts
arc at work In Illinois and the Dakotas,
Professor Moore will go to the Hluck Hills
reservation to rejxrt on the (Hisslbility of
establishing a wireless telegrajih system
of lire alarms in the various forest re
serves under the control of tho govern
ment. I'ndoubtodly there has been much useless
treo planting in Illinois nnd other prairie
states. For a good many years treo jdant
ing was regarded ns a fad or something
that called for licit lor thought nor experi
ence. The question whs not studied at all,
and tho results of early tret! planting for
shelter lelts were discouraging. Tho sanio
haphazard methods were used later In
planting larger groves, and unsatisfactory
results were jut forward ns nn argument
against forest culture in any or the prairlo
states. If the farmers know from cxjhtI
ment or exj.erienee what kind of trees to
plant for special jnirjmscs or for jirofit, sub
stantial progress will be made in fo Testa
tion. In the Dakota the conditions are differ
ent from those in Illinois, nnd the Invi.!
gation will determine whether mistakes
have been mad. In the se( lection of 1ho
trees that have been planted. In the arid
districts exiMTlments will bo made to de
termine the kinds of trees best suited to
lands that call for Irrigation.
All this Is In the line of forest jiroduc'Win.
Quite as Important, however, is the plan
to prevent forest tires by an automatic
service of wireless telegraphy, which will
give the alarm when contact is made with
flame or excessive heat. Fire has been the
worst enemy of foresl preservation In great
stretches of wooded land In the wist. Tho
dlsatchca from 1'o.tlaiid, Healtle and Kal
Ispell show that it is still an agent of de
struction in forest districts.
The difficulty has been to discover the
fire In remote districts In time to prevent
spreading. If a system of wireless tel
egraphy can be adapted to the giving of
alarms In case of lire, a most perjlexlr.g
jiroblem in forest jinservation will be
solved. It is as Impottant to save the for
ests we have as to plant new ones, and
while wc study the question of forestutlnn
we must study also the question of forrjtt
preservation. Chicago Inter Ocean.