crew THE SOOTHIIC WEED How the Hih-Toned Smokers of Gotham Stocked Up on Haranas to Escape the New Tariff. TOBACCO'S EFFECT OH HEALTH. Ksir Self-LIghtlne Cigar and a That Can be Cleaned With a Little Pnff of Breath. Pl$e SMOEIXG THE PIPE OS THE STREET. A Detroit Xu Wlo Eu Been Grinding Dp Stnts Into a Very MirketiHe Bntt The rush for Havana cigars jut before the new tariff law went into effect, writes Charles T. Murray from New Xork to The Dispatch, was something wonderful. While the nnlk of the sales made by the bi wholesale houses was made to retail dealers, a considerable amount was taken by in dividual customers. The firms of Acker, Merrill & Condit and Park & Tillord sold in two days 73.000 and 100,000 imported cigars, respectively. This embraced about everything they had on hand, not only the surplus accumulated in anticipation of the change in the duty, but all of their old stock. Much of the latter was really unmarket able that is, it would have been unmarket able except to an excited crowd of buyers, who thought they were getting a good thing cheap. It was a "pretty good thing for the wholesalers. As for the buyers, they flocked about like a crowd of women at an auction or around a bargain counter. The clerks couldn't serve their customers fast enough. Men bought cigars they didn't need, and went away apparently happy with brands they had never before smoked and of which they knew nothing. One would think that men who can afford to pay and do pay from 525 to 575 a hundred for cigars would care very little for a few dollars more per thousand; that they would at least buy with some discretion and cau tion. But there are a good many men in ifew YorK who smoke lroni 25-cent to 51 cicars who begrudge a waiter a 10-cent tip, and are extraordinarily careful when it comes to paying more than 1 cent 'or a news paper. If some of these swells got Sadly bitten on their recently acquired stock of cigars nobody will ween for them. Self-lightixg Cigar, Another nov-1 elty in cigars has been patented by Thomas "West, of Decatur, Ala., and Ephraim 31. Turner, o! Fort "Worth, Texas, consisting of a device by which each cigar is readily ignited without matches or spills. The idea is a disk of paper imnregnated with saltpeter, which covers the end of the cigar, and through which is inserted a match head arrangement for the purpose of igni tion. The whole is secured to the cigar bv wire legs, which are pushed into the cigaiv "When used the match lights the paper, which smolders and lights the cigar. There are several objections to be raised, says jToJacco: The first is the deleterious effects of the saltpeter fumes on the throat, the tendency of the cigar tip to break in striking the match and so be rendered un smokable, and the heating of the wires, which are liable to burn the clothes if it tails on them, or the finger if the ash is mcKed oo. A Xovel Tipe. There have been many pipes placed on the market fitted with de rices for cleansing the stem when desired, but all have had some drawback or other' not perceived until in actual use. Charles Angu, of Albany, N. Y., says Tobacco, now seems to have a good idea. "The novelty is a small plug, which passes transversely through the bowl. This plug is shown at A. It will be seen that the portion of the plus directly under the bowl of the pipe is cut away on one side, and that the stem draught of the pipe extends from the mouthpiece, straight through to the back of the bowl. When the pipe is to be smoked, the ping is turned so that the solid part of the plug stops the straight stem draught at the back of the bowl, and the cut-away part forms the ex tension of stem to admit the smoke from the bowl to the mouth. When the pipe is to be cleaned a half turn of the plug brings the solid part round to stop up the hole at the base of the bowl, and opens the stem draught right through, as shown in the illustration, so that it may be easily and instantaneously cleaned. Smoke ix the Nose. There is no de nying the fact that tobacco smoking, when carried heyond a certain limit, injures the eyesight, siys a writer m the Boston Herald. It is also capable of destroying the sense of smell. These results "are 'hastened if the induiger blows the smoke throngh his nose, as is the custom with those who are habit uated to the nse of cigarettes. Such people in time suffer from a drvness or the throat and back part of the nasal pas tapes; they also have a stuffiness in the nose and occasionally one nostril seems to be par tially stopped up. With these signs, as a ruiv, li.u Sn. is more or less impaired; so too, :s the snse of smell. ' Unless these defects have existed for a long time, if the habit of smoking is dis continue!, they will disappear, at least in a Tery great decree, if not entirely. Iuhaling tobacco smoke or forcing it out through the nose is therefore most unwar rantable, and it intensifies greatly the in jury of the smoking habit. Besides affect ing the senfc of smell and the evesight, it also threatens the hearing power. " In some instance the latter declines before the other defects are noted. Efi-ect op the Takii-f. The other day. s..js Culumet in Tobacco, I was walk ing with a cigar manufacturer, and he said: "I want to make a call here; a man who used to work for me has started in business for himself." We went into a neat little store and fac tory and had a conversation with the pro prietor. There were two bales of Sumatra tobacco jnst being put iaU the factorv. and mv lrnrt itl- nin.l -' v .. . . v...., u, cc vou so pros perous, Tm; that Sumatra means money " "Not a bit ot it," was the reply, "that cost me nothing." "Why, how's that?" "OhI I paid 51 So for it last week; now the duty on it is 52, so you see I got it for nothing and have 5 cents a pound for takine it." Who says McKinley is not a public bene factor? Illicit Swum- Factoby For some time past the steady Increase in the snuff output hat attracted the notice and comment of the trade, but although everyone has beard of illicit whisky stills, no one, with one exception, has contemplated running an illicit snuff mill. The one exception is an old man called Andrew Aranofski, a Pole, J iiiiiitlF living at 510 East Willis avenue, Detroit, Mich., says Tobacco. He scoured the alleys and dumps in search of stems thrown out by the lactones, and between times picked stubs in the streets, and this trash he would dry in the sun and pound in a mortar made of a beer keg lined with metal. For a pestle be had a rnde rammer made of oak, rounded and fitted to a cross piece by way of han dles. How many days he sat there wearily thumping are best attested by the fact that the bard-worked handles are worn into grooves where his fingers used to press. Having reduced the tobacco to a coarse powder, he then dipped it out into an eartB en dish, and with a piece of an oaten wagon tongue, four feet long, very heavy, round and tapering, he still finer ground it, using the smaller end, and holding the bowl be tween his knees. It was finally silted and preserved in a stone jar. He used no fla vors, but by his crude, painful method, managed to make a fair sample of snuff, which he would sell at a very low price to his Polish neighbors, who use great quanti ties of snuff, smearing it over the backs of their hands, and forcibly inhaling it. They bought enough of the product to enable him to live. Information has been lodged before the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and it is expected that he will act in the premises at once. When oft the sails hang nseless In the air. But Idly shaken by the long ground swell. And white clouds drift across the neavnn fair. Ah! then, my pipe, I love thy fragrance well. But more than this, when, on a summer night, As perfumed zephyrs softly klsS the trees. Upon my back I lie in half moonlight And hear sweet music wafted on the breeze. Or gentle rustling, Mgliing of the wind 1 hrough foliage thick with leaves and flowers of June. Or murmuring through the vines and trees entwined, A far-off, dreamy, melancholy tune Ah! then 1 love to He in the solitude And watch thy curling smoke in Peaceful mood. Outing. Smoking in the Street. The doctrine of the eternal fitness of things in general, says an editorial writer of the Philadelphia Press, finds an illustration in the fact that just as the price of imported cigars is in creased by the new tariff bill, young men of good social position, and of apparent refine ment, have taken to pipe smoking on the street. It is not to be supposed, however, that they are actuated in this by any motives of economy, bnt rather because "thev do it in London, you know." Nevertheless, it is to be remembered that the class ot men seen smoking pipes in public in that great En glish city are not representatives of culture, nor any particular cult, nnless it is the sporting one. The sight of a man with the outward mien of a gentleman striding along Chest nut street, emitting volumes of smoke from a briarwood, is calculated to make people with old-fashioned ideas of propriety open ..... .jw m nuioi,tiijcu, it nut auuiirauon. Indeed, a man who can smoke a pipe on a crowded thoroughfare and look like a gen tleman in the act owes a great debt to nature for his makeup. Good clothes alone will not save him. The question naturally arises, will a well bred man smoke at all on the street? Eea soning from the premise that a gentleman will always avoid making himself obnoxious to his neighbors, public smokers are cer tainly open to criticism. Even to a smoker himself clouds of smouldering tobacco un expectedly wafted into his lace from the month ot a passing stranger are intensely uisugreeaoie. juuen more annoying, there fore, is the same experience to a woman or child. The street smoker's indifference to the sensibilities of other pedestrians implies not only his selfishness to me comforts of others, but is a practical admission of his inability to restrain his desire for tobacco until he can reach the seclusion of his office, clubhouse, or home Distinguished looking youths, who consider public pipe-smoking "good form," must go" through a peculiar mental process to arrive at that conclusion. Light akd Cigars A cigar dealer is quoted in the St. Louis Qlobe-Democrat as follows: Do yon see any cigars exposed in the show cases here, except some gilt-collared onej that no one ever buys" I should aav not. Those in the case we simply put there as a sign, just as I have these lithographs on the walls. A cigar should never be exposed to tbe light. If you do so the cigar is a goner 'orthc American trade. The cigar to sell in this country must be not to say moist bnt certainly not dry. Now, they tell me that over in England it is jnst the reverse. The dryer you can get a cigar the better My Lord Tom Ifoddy likes it. There are strange things in this business. A man whoconld afford to do better insisted upon smoking a showy-looking 10-center with a Sumatra wrapper. I told him that the Sumatra wrapper smelled bad. He guessed not. i peeled a wrapper off and set ic on fare. "Great smokel Burning blankets is nowhere!" he cried, and since then he is particular about getting a clear Havana wrapper. A Question op Snuffers. A "moder ate" minister called upon a Free Church elder and met with a cold reception. At length he drew his suuff box from his pocket auu invnea ine eider to make trial of its contents. A decided thaw set in immedi ately. "Oh. ye tak' snuff, do ve ?" said the Free Kirk man, yielding to a gentle smile. "Oh, yes!" replied the visitor, somewhat afraid lest the admission might lead him into trouble. "I take snuff, but what of that?" ';Weel," said the elder, with a look of satisfaction to which probably the excellent snuff contributed its full share, "that's the first sign o grace I've seen aboot ye." "Sign of grace ?" rejoined the minister with no little surprise, but glad that a prom ising vein of conversation had at length been opened. "How do yon make out that the habitof taking snuff is a sign ofgracc?" ".Nothing easier," said the elder, with a knowing twinkle in his eye. "Don't you remember that in the temple of old the snuffers were of pure gold.which denotes the best of all qualities ?" " Monet in the Weed. A New Yorker fresh from travels in the North Carolina tobacco belt, says the New York Star, brings a story that is "likely to make the mortgage-ridden farmers of New York painlully conscious of their nnhappy state. Meeting an old friend, a banker, during his journey, the New Yorker inquired as to the nature ot banking in that region. "We have nearlv $750,000 in mortgages in three counties here," said the banker. "Farmers pretty hard np, then?" sug gested the New Yorker. "Not at all," was the response; "not more than 52,000 is on farm lands. In fact most of the money is lent by tobacco farm ers to manufacturers just starting in busi ness here." Pkesebves the Teeth While I think, says a dentist in the New York Herald, that the use of tobacco in any form is a filthy habit, it cannot be denied that smoking usually preserves the teeth from decay. This is partly due, perhaps to the heat or the smoke, as heat is our best germicide, and partlv to tbe fact nicotine is a good germicide. Teeth, however, may be preserved without recourse to tobacco. In the majority of cases cleanliness is all that is necessary. . While I have admitted that smoking is a preventive to decay, I must warn the smoker that he is paving the way'to other diseases in the mouth equally disastrous to the teeth. I have seen gums which looked as though parboiled. The teeth in such mouths, deprived of the support and nutri- tion which they receive from the gums and surrounding cone gradually loosen and fall out Then there Is pyorrhea alveolaris, that dreadful disease which causes suppura tion around every tooth, absorption of the gums and bone and lots of the teeth bv wholesale. There ii no doubt whatever that it may be superinduced by nicotine poisoning. Again, the continued sucking produces an excessive flow of saliva and an excessive accumulation of salivary calculus. Thb Smdqoleb'b Axt Tht taoke- THE stacks of steamers from the "West Indies, Bays the New York Tribune, have been known on several occasions to yield up many hundred dollars' worth of cigars. In tact the smokestack is a favorite place for hiding smuggled goods. This sort of smug gling is done by the crew, who work under the double disadvantage, as a rule, of hav ing to evade the watchful eyes of both the officers of the steamer and the customs offi cers. Once a dead horse floated up on the beach at Coney Island. When people went to re move the carcass they found that the in testines had been removed and the interior of the dead animal filled with Havana cigars. The earcassand its cargo had prob ably been thrown overboard from some steamer and the confederates who were to have towed the argosy ashore at some se cluded place had missed connection. Poor Kemmler's Fate A new prac tical application of electricity is an ap paratus to light cigars. The niaehine is connected by a wire with one of the ordi nary light currents, and by touching a but ton a small but bright electrie spark is pro duced, at which one can ignite the ordinary rod saturated with alcohol. One of these apparatus had jnst been placed upon the cigar counter of a big downtown restaurant a few days ago, says the New York Star. Its nse is somewhat unfamiliar to the habitues of the place, and I was told to watch them. As various gentlemen finished their lunch they usually approached the Cigar stand to light their weeds. In several C3ses they hesitated to apply the rod to the electrio spark even after the "process was ex plained to them, although the handle of the rod was evidently composed of hard rubber or some other insulated material. Finally an elderly gentleman approached the machine, and on being told how it worked, insisted on holding the point of the rod about two inches away from the light, giving as an explanation bis disinclination to "monkey with electric currents." A by stander had finally to light it for him. This goes to show that the public is somewhat afraid of live wires. Holmes on the Weed. Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes touches on tbe subject of tobacco and alcoholic stimulants in a recent contribntion to the Atlantic The older he grows, he says, the less use he makes of al coholic drinks. Occasionally he takes a glass or two of champagne, which agrees with him better than any other drink con taining alcohol. An old doctor whom he remembers, who lived to be a hundred, used in moderation a mixture of water, cider and rum. Those who are aged require less food, especially animal food, but the doctor does not blame them lor being dainty, since the pleasures lot the palate are among the last gratifications of the senses allowed them. "What do I say as to smoking?" continued the doctor. "I cannot begrudge an old man his pipe, but I think tobacco often does a good deal of harm to the health to the eves especially, to the nervous system generally, producing headache, palpitation and trem- Ming, i mysell gave it up many years ago." Those who might fancy that the wise and penetrating old doctor offers any encourage ment for the indulgence ot dangerous habits get this parting shot from him: "Philo sophically speaking, I think self-narcotization and self-alcoholization are rather igno ble substitutes for undisturbed self-consciousness and unfettered selr-control." A Monkey That Smokes A down town cigar store, says the Philadelphia In quirer, has n monkey named Jocko. Like most of his kind, Jocko is very imitative. When he first came to the store he watched the actions of the customers closely, and was especially interested in the use to which they put the swinging cigar lighters. Be fore many daya had passed he was seen to steal a paper cigarette from a box on the showcase, climb up to tbe cigar lighter and light the cigarette. After a few puffs the smoke got in his eyes, and he threw tbe coffin nail on the floor in disgust. The next day, however, he tried it again, and is now a confirmed victim of the habit. It was leared that this propensity would lead him into drinking and pool playing circles, but he has never been guilty of turther trans gressions upon the bounds of good breeding. Lobd Wolselet Loves Ix Lord Wolseley is a great smoker. "He told me," says Mr.Stead.of the Pall MalV,Gazette,"that from a boy he bad smoked constantly, and that for many years he always smoked from 6 in the morning till he went to bed at nigh smoking nothing bnt big cigars. When he was worried and troubled there was nothing in the world that soothed him as much as a cigar. He had always kept himself well in hand, and kept the habit under control by every now and then ceas ing to smoke entirely (o: a week or a fort night at a time. He has now given up smoking altogether, and seems to leel no in convenience. For a fortnight before Tel-el-Kebir he had never smoked at all, bnt when the battle was wou, as he stood on the bridge of the canal at the camn. he lit his first cigar, and smoked six, one after an other, as hard as he could a kind of tobacco debauch, as he said." A Pabagrapheb's Idea. The rise in price of tobacco gives propriety to the adoption of the Spanish style of offering presents, says the New York Sun: If a gentleman extends a cigar with the polite invitation that it Is "at the disposition of your worship," politely but firmly refuse it. We must not be too hard on our friends. Utilizing the Stems By accident,' says a writer in the St. Lonis (Jlobe-Demo-crat, I discovered a unique industry that 13 prospering right among us, and one that at tracted my attention wonderfully. The proprietor is making a sheep-wash from tobacco stems that is shipped to Australia in a concentrated form and there diluted with water. He has a contract with some or all of the tobacco factories to take all their stems. Before used for the sheep-wash they are run through a machine he has perfected and all the fragments of the leaf that will ad here to the stem, for all the best stringers' care, are removed. These tiny bits ere re sold to tbe factories and used for smoking tobacco. The accumulation is larger than would seem possible. No one but himself Knows the detail of tne machine not even his most trusted employe. It is in a secure box, with a combination lock, of which he alone has the key. It has not been patented as he does not wish to disclose the idea, as he would have to do. But it does the work perfectly, is the only thing of the kind in existence, at I understand it, and pays him handsomely. P0LICEHEIP8 BESTS. like Tight lacing In Women, They Are Blamed for Much Suffering. Brooklyn Citizen. There is much complaint among police men at being forced to wear tight belts while on duty. A number claim that their livers are affected, and in consequence thereof they are put to much expense in doctoring themselves. A policeman in conversation with a reporter yesterday said that the belts policemen are compelled to wear so tight is the cause of the sickness in the de partment. "A man who is in the least stout," said he, "suffers the most. In every station house yon will find men on sick leave. If you investigate you will come to the con clusion that the belt and fancy club are at the bottom of the trouble. The late Dr. Malone, when he was the department surgeon, did away with it. He saw it was a detriment to the men, physically. During his time he investigated the complaints of illness and traced them first to the tight belt and then tbe club that is attached to it The weight of the club In time will same suffering," PTTTSBUBG DISPATCH, STRIKING PARALLELS Thai Can Be Drawn Between Electric ity and Every-Day Water. HOW THEY ARE MADE TQ DO WORK. Each Has Its Sam and Its Flood, Its Frio tion and Its Leakage. INSTRUCTION POT IN A KOTEL WAT rWBlTTEN Ton Til DISPATCH. Energy is a condition of things having the capacity to perform work, and it, like matter, is indestructible. It can be trans formed from one condition of things to another, and in this way change its char acter. But energy cannot be truly lost or created through any human agency. Our greatest and almost only source of energy is the Sun. Its energy is transmitted to the earth in tbe shape of light and heat, and from this condition it is transformed into countless other forms, ever ready to slave for mankind in various capacities. The heat of the sun will evaporate water and form the clouds. The heat energy of the sun has thus been transformed into energy of position; that is to say, clouds represent energy bv virtue of their position in that the earth and clouds have a strong attraction for each other, and when they come together, in tbe shape of rain, the raiu water will reproduce the exact amount of energy expended in vaporising it. Again, the heat energy of the son can be trans formed in a most wondrous way and enter into tbe chemical construction of wood and coal, and then, in a minute or in an hour, this solar energy, that bad been accumulat ing for years and Perhaps centuries, can again be transformed into heat, as may be dailv seen in any wood or coal nre. xno energy taken out is in every case equal to tne energy a nsorbed. ENERGY THAT IS LOST. When we speak of lost energy we mean that some of the energy has escaped without doing useful work. For examplr, let us follow energy through various transforma tions and see what becomes of it Starting with the solar heat we next find it in coal or wood, and, this being burned, it is again transformed into beat, having a more usefnl lorm than solar heat. This artificial heat can then be made to expand water. The energy here is dne to the strained condition of the water particles, which we call steam. The steam can then drive an engine and thus give us the energy of a moving mass, and with this we can drive the armature ot a dynamo and once more transform the energy, this time into the condition known as electricity. But the electrie energy that we now have is a very, very small proportion of the solar energy that we started with. Withoutgoing into figures it will at once be evident that a large proportion of the heat energy went un me cnimney, wnue steam was Deing gener ated; another large proportion was radiated from the boiler into the air, and certainly no small amount was trans ormed from the energy of a moving mass into heat, due to the friction of the machinery used. In such cases the energy is said to be lost, bnt as a matter ot fact, it is simply switched off, so to speak, and left behind. It is only lost as far as dollars and cents are concerned. Although the txact nature of electricity is but imperfectly understood, it is very cer tain, as we have just seen, that he electrio current represents a form of energy; that is, a condition of things capable of performing work, and that it can be generated from other forms of energy and again transformed at will. AN INSTRUCTIVE COMPARISON. Such expressions as "electric current" and ''electrio fluid" are often heard, and, although these are merely names given to an imperfectly understood condition of things, yet it must be admitted that there is a striking likeness between some of the characteristics of an "electric current" and the flow of water through pipes.. Both can have reservoirs, dams, conductors, quantity, pressure and drop in the pressure along the pipe or wire, as the case may be. Both can leak out through imperfections in their re spective conductors, and electricity, as well as water, can, by the giving way of the dam if I may be allowed the expression be the cause of disaster as great as that of the Johnstown flood. A dynamo, so long as its armature is kept in motion, is a reservoir of electricitv, and in it there is generated both pressure in volts and quantity in amperes, according to the construction of the dynamo. The product of the pressure into the quantity gives the energy in watts, and 74G watts are equivalent to one horse power. With water this energy is represented by the product of its weight in pounds and height in feet The prodnct is called so many foot-pounds, and 33,000 loot-pounds per minute is equiva lent to one horse power. Here it must be understood that 33,000 pounds raised one foot represents the same amount of energv as one pound raised 33,000 feet With elec tricity, as with water, we must have a closed circuit to generate power. Water to gen erate power must fall or flow, and to fall it must rise. In other words, water comet from the clouds, passes over the falls, and in so doing generates power; then it flows into the ocean, and is finally drawn by evaporation back into the clouds, thus closing the circuit And so it is with elec tricitythere must be a closed circuit to generate poVer. WOBK FBOM THE CUEBENT. . A closed electric circuit is obtained when the two wires or poles of a dynamo are brought in contact. If there is resistance in the circuit, such as arc or incandescent lamps, the current will do useful work just as a flow ot water will when it overcomes the interposed resistance of a water wheel. If, however, there is no useful work to be done in the electric circnit, the electrio en ergy is all converted into heat, due to fric tion along the line. With water it is the same. Niagara Falls might be made to do usefnl work, but as it is, its energy is all transformed into heat, and so the tempera ture of the water below tbe falls is greater than it is above. If there is very little re sistance in the electric circuit the resist ance being what I would call the dam and if the reservoir or dynamo is great enough, a tremendous flow of current will be the result So it is again with water. If the dam or resistance, keeping the water back is removed, there will be a rush of water corresponding to the capacity of the reservoir, and resisted only by the friction of the channel. An electric circuit having very little re sistance is called a short circuit The like ness between an electric current and a flow of water can again be found with regard to the "drop'Mn the pressure along the wire or pipe. A pipe having a flow of water in it under pressure will show a decreased press ure all along the pipe according to the 'dis tance of the pipe from ,the reservoir at which the pressure is measured. That is, the flowing water will not exert as much pressure after flowing through a mile of jiijjc as ik i m pumi mucn nearer me reservoir, or starting point This loss or drop in the pressure is dde to the friction of the water along the sidei of the pipe, and is a so-called loss of energy, having been irausiorineu into neat. ENERGY CONVERTED INTO HEAT. It Is exactly so with' an electric current, the pressure in volts being always less the furtherit is measured from the dynamo, or reservoir, and consequently tbe loss of electrio pressure or energy is greater the longer tho circuit, other conditions remain ing the same. Andj in this case, as with water, the loss of' energy representing the drop In the pressure Is converted into neat If the "drop" is great the heat will be great, and can then be felt with thehand. In fact, if the current is sufficiently strong, the wire can rjeadily be brought to a wkite heat and finally melted. If now we carry the likeness still further. with regard tc leaks, the electrio leak wiU STTNDAY, OCTOBER' 19, be readily understood. Water leaking from a pipe will reach the ground and be evap orated, and so, taking a short cut, will reach the clouds and thus close its portion of the circuit. If there is a short cut through the ground, that is, if there are two points on the circuit having electrical communication with tbe ground, a portion of the current will leak from the wire to the ground, and, taking a shortcut to the other leak, instead of flowing through the entire circuit and do ing useful work, will close its portion of the circuit. It will now be seen that a shortcut or complete "short circuit" in a dynamo corresponds to a flood with water. One causes destruction by fire, the other by vio lence and drowning. And thus it requires energy to do and energy to undo. In each case the energy is transformed and changes its character, but the sum total is ever the same, for energy cannot be either created or destroyed. Scire Facias. THE ELECTRIC WORLD. Deaths by tho Current Not Frequent Enough to Count for Much Little teaks From Ocean Cables An Electric Ghost and a Real Estate Deal. Captain Brophy, referring to the opposi tion to electric light and power, says, re cently: "The electrio light, the electric motor and the electric car have come to stay. Like all other great inventions they have their faults, and they are not tree from danger. What form of energy is? Likethe steam railroad, the steamboat, il luminating gas, and many other great im provements, they have met with stnbborn resistance, but in time this will all cease. When railroad trains leaves the rails and crush the human forminto a shapeless mass, the public do not ask for tbe abolition of such roads. When swing ing gas jets start a conflagration, or when some unsophisticated person blows out the light and lies down and passes into eternity, no one demands tbe abblition of eas works. Why, then, should an unreasonable outcry be raised against the electric light and power Industry when this subtle fluid leaves the path chosen for it, and causes accidents to persons and property? From my own ob servation and an intimate knowledge of the difficulties that it was necessary to over come, I am astonished at the small number of accidehts that have occurred Bince the introduction of high potential currents. While the business of electric lighting has grown tremendously, accidents of all kinds resulting from its use have steadily de creased. This, in itself, is sufficient evi dence of the improvements made and the care exercised by those engaged in this business." . The immense lmportanco of excessive care in trie insulation of an ocean cable is shown by Herbert Laws Webb in the October crzoner. He describes how, after the cable has been taken on board the vessel to which is to be entrusted the task of laying it, it Is kept cool and free from strain or any adverse influence in the ship's tank, where it is submerged in water. When the time comes for paying out and the cable is straightened and has to bear a strain of several tons as it leaves the ship's stern, then any slight im perfection will be revealed, and, although it may consist merely of a minute bubble of air which has burst and made a punctnre in the gntta-percha into which a' fine hair could not be introduced, although it may be only a crack so imperceptible that it would not admit of the insertion of the corner of a cigarrette paper, yet the current wonld es cape, and, like' the insignificant stream which trickles over a dam, would gradually widen the breach, until the cable was electrically "broken down" and entirely useless lor communication. Electricity is being brought more and more into connection with photography. It is now used in lighting studios, and for secur ing artistic effects of light and shade in the subject to be photographed. In order to avoid dark, hard shadows, the light is pro jected on to a sheet of alabaster, and from this is refracted on to the subject. The re sult is soft and exquisite in tone. The elec tric light is also used for printing by en largement, and for balloon and kite pho tography. In the latter, the camera is at tached to a kite. When the desired height has been reached, the exposure is made by electric current, and pictures are thus se cured which it would be impossible to ob tain by any other means. The attempt made at Christ Church, Birmingham, England, to transmit the church service by telephone to London, Manchester and other distant points, has been attended with very fair success. Some of the difficulties which have to be overcome belore people can listen in comfort at their own fireside to the voice of their favorite minister, may be gathered from tbe follow ing description of tbe experiment by one who took part in it: "When the morning service commenced. there was what appeared to be an nnseemlv clamor to hear the services. The opening prayer was interrupted by cries of 'Hello there!' 'Are you there?' 'Put me on to Christ Church.' 'No, I dou't want the church,' etc. But presently quiet obtained, and by the time the Psalms were reached we got almost unbroken connection, and could follow the course of the services. We could hear little of the prayers probably from the fact that the officiating minister was not within voice-reach of the trans mitter. The organ bad a faint far-away sound, but the singing and the sermon were a distinct success." - The excellent results attained bv Prof. Barrett, the electrician of the electrical de partment of the eity oi Chicago, in the pre vention of explosions in the subways of that city by the adoption of a system of thorough ventilation have been commended by a New York paper to the attention of the Board of Electrical Control, which, from time to time, has been much exercised with the frequent explosions that have taken place in the subways on Broadway and elsewhere. It is shown that the ventilation of the downtown subways through the City Hall chimney is perfect, and that the elec tric light posts furnish sufficient ventila ation at other points. It is also urged that the city of New York can derive much benefit by taking heed to the example oi Chicago, which has ordered the electric light, telephone and telegraph companies to ventilate all their subways in order to prevent explosions. An instance of the advantages attendant on the nse of the electrio light is reported from London. Systematic robbery of tbe yard of a railway station had been carried on for a long time. The manager of the yard shrewdly fited up the yard with aro lights, and now, not only is three times more work accomplished at night than under the old conditions, but the depreda tions have entirely ceased, and tbe saving thus effected has already paid for the cost of the installation. . A stoby which, whether true or not, is at all events "well found," is told in a New York paper. A contractor, under the stress of financial tightness, sold a house very much under its value. Puzzling his wits to recover his property, he hit on the idea of working on the superstitious fears o' the new owner. Jivery night the purcnascr heard rappings and other strange noises, but the tenants were not disturbed. The noises had, at last, such an effect on the nerves of the frantic owner that be was in the act of dashing himself from the roof to the ground in a fit of insanity, when some ot the neighbors came on tbe scene and pre vented him. An examination of the build ing resnlted in the finding of an electrical mocker, which had been hung over the roof and made available lor operation on any desired point This was the bogey which had driven the new owner out of his wits, and the contractor, on being confronted with the facts, confessed that he had adopted this method of frightening him into giving np the property. 1890. ETERT DAT SCIENCE. v Successes aad Probabilities In the Bapid Transit Problem. BALLOON TBIP TO THE K0RTH POLE No Single Test is Reliable In Proving the Extinction of Life. EECEKT PROGRESS IN PHOTOGRAPH! rrazrABED ronmsnisrA.TCR.j The action of Boston, in essaying-to effect on an elevated railway, the same successlul and profitable developments of electrical traction which it has accomplished on its surface lines, is regarded with much inter est by electricians all over the country. One of the greatest objections to elevated railways has always been tbe use of steam locomotives, with their disagreeable accom paniments of noise, and smoke and cinders. T5fith the heavy locomotives, too, required for steam traction a very enmbrous struct ure was needed, but with tbe nse of elec tric cars, lighter and more ornamental con struction can be adopted. This new depart ure of Boston seems'Iikely to inaugurate in city trayel an era long desired. It is now mentioned as a fact that a mile an hour bet time is made in Boston by the surface elec tric cars than in New York by the steam cars of the elevated roads. Among the prominent systems which in volve the perfecting of modes of traveling by electricity is the portelectric. The ex ploiters of this system have been steadily carrying on operations for some time at their experimental station in Dorchester. Prof. Dolbear, the electrician of the Portelectrio Company, says that although, theoretically, tbe car can travel on tbe traclpat .the rata of two miles a minute, the difficulties of the existing conditions prevent the acquirement of such a speed. At a recent test, to which members of the electrical press were invited, the force of these difficulties were made manifest. A serious hin drance has been the adapting of the car to the compound curve, made of a grade and a curve of short radius, and on the dav of the test, besides the unfavorable conditions of track and bearings, defective insulation, coilsof too low a resistance and excessive hnmidity had to be contended with. In spite of these, however, a speed of 60 miles an hour was obtained, and, in all proba bility, these drawbacks will all disappear in actual work. The portelectric gives ex cellent promise of displacing the pnenmatic system, especially for long distance work, and when the technical difficulties referred to have been overcome, there can-be little doubt of the commercial success oi the sys tem. A Trip to the North Pole. The belief in the possibility of successful aerial navigation still retains its hold on the minds of many intelligent men. A French scientist now proposes to make a scientific expedition to the North Pole. He proposes to construct a balloon of lined silk, 30 meters in diameter, and having a cubic capacity of 14,121 meters. The balloon will be covered with a special varnish, which will insure its absolute imperviousness. It will be filled with pure hydrogen, and its car win ue constructed on a novel pjan especially suitable for a Polar expedition. It is calculated that thfs aerial journey will last four or five days. It is proposed to start from Spitzbergen, and it Is hoped it will end on the North American continent, or in the northern part of Asia. This is by far the most important journey which has yet been attempted in a balloon, and if successful, it willteach many lessons, not only in aerial navigation, bnt also in many departments of physical science. Experiments are being made in another department of air traveling by Lawrence Hargrave, in Sydney. New South Wales. Mr. Hargrave holds to the feasibility of a flying machine in which screw propellers or flapping wings are used, and in his latest attempt he used as prime mover a Broth erhood engine driven by compressed air, which was found to give a trustworthy source of power. These experiments have raised a doubt as to whether the balloon is even a step in the right direction of solving the aerial problem. They, at all events, havo demonstrated, from the facts they have brought out as to the flight ot birds, that we have still a great deal to learn as to the laws of animal lite, and their lurther investiga tion opens np a wide field alike to the physicist and the mechanician. Progress in Photography. Remarkable success has been attained by Prof. Ahn, of Breslau, in applying photog raphy to fix the indications of different dis eases of the eye. Another contribution to one of the newest departments of science are Prof. Fischer's photographs of cnltivations of luminous bacteria, which were photo graphed by their own light the views giv ing evidence of the constant movement in which the tiny organisms are unceasingly engaged. One of the greatest anthropolo gists of the century, in Paris, has been making a collection of the various types ot mankind, and he does it by means of the photograph. He inclines to tbe opinion that the type or origin, the race to which the party originally belonged, is better pre served among women than among men. He has therefore made his collection from among women, and to increase its attractive ness and value, he has announced his inten tion to choose only bcautifnl women lor his types. Apropos of this idea, a prominent photographer proposes to appeal to photog raphers for selection and contribution of a photographic reproduction of the representa tive woman whom they consider ths most beautiful; so that a collection can be made which will be handed down to posterity as representing the standard types of beauty in tbe nineteenth century. Smoking Arrangements for Trains. Quite a change appears to be taking place in the general opinion as to the best ar rangement of smoking room accommoda tions on some classes of passenger trains, and it is quite possible that the common smoking car will, before long, cease to form a part of the better class of trains. Quite a number of railroads have constructed their chair cars with smoking rooms of sufficient capacity to provide accommodations lor the occupants of each car. The practice of thus furnishing a smoking room for each car is rapidly extending to tbe common day coaches, and a number of very prominent roads are pdtting a smoking compartment in nearly every car that they are building, some even fitting up the second-class day coaches in this manner. Protector for Fire Hose. The stoppage of travel iu tbe vicinity of fires caused by tbe lines of fire hose crossing the streets, has long been a source of com plaint, and it bas been wondered that no practical means of running hose across a roadway so as not to interfere with the pas sage of vehicles has not been devised. Such a device has been brought out by an archi tect ot Chicago. It consists of a temporary bridge upon which the hose can be carried over the street at a height permitting the passage of street cars and general travel. It is said to have worted well, both in San Francisco and Denver. Novel Meat Choppers. A new meat chopper for domestic nse is distinguished by the fact that the meat is cut by an action like that of a pair of soit sors and is not torn apart; neither is it ground into a greasy pulp. The forcing screw feeds the meat np to a knife with eight radial blades, revolving between a fixed two-bladed knife and a cutting plate of novel construction. The plate has a num ber of grooves converging toward a central aperture, the ribs between the grooves hav ing sharp cutting edges. Tbe work is well and rapidlv done. A medium-sized machine will produce four pounds of filled sausages per minute. The SmokebaU In War. In the sham fight at Portsmouth in honor of the Emperor William, an advancing column was so affected by the fumes of the Bmokeball which was used to raise a cloud of impenetrable obscurity under which they could advance, that the men had to keep their bands to their noses to avoid suffoca tion. It is now proposed that the smoke ball shall receive a further development It has occurred to ome military men that instead of half suffocating their own troops, it would bo better to follow the example' of the Chinese pirates with their stinkpots, and asphyxiate the enemy. A Vienna scientist has accordingly invented a bomb of such power and virulence that everyone who is within a certain radius of it when it ex plodes is rendered unconscious. Devices such as these would soon modify the art of war, and probably the next development will be an anti-asphyxiating bomb, whose fumes will neutralize those of "the other. It is said that many years ago a scheme based on the throwing of poisonous gases over a tract of country, was put before the war office in England, for the purpose of devastating the country in the face of an invading army, but the agency employed was so terrible in its effects, that it was not made public, and was consigned to the' secret records of tho war office. The Diaphanous Test of Death. It has been recently stated that a prize of fered some years ago for the discovery of some means whereby the inexperienced might at once determine whether in a given case death had or had not occurred, was won by a physician wno had discovered that if a light were placed behind the hand of the supposed dead person a scarlet tint would be apparent where the fingers touched each other if life was not extinct; and that if no red glow was visible death had taken place. Dr. B. W. Richardson has written an essay in which he states that although this test has its value, it is not by any means to be trusted an an unfailing indication of life or death. He given tbe case of a person in a state of syncope to whom the test was most carefully applied. Not the faintest sign or red coloration between the fingers could be 'traced, yet the recovery of the syucope was complete and was effected without any artificial aid. Dr. Richardson regards it as a good test, but is of opinion that more certain proofs are: the pulsation; the respiratory murmur; pressure on veins; the electric test for muscular irritability; the ammonia hypodermic test; coagulation of blood in the veins; rigor mortis, and de composition. Irregular Working in Machinery. A simple method has been devised by means of which, in the midst of a busy workshop full of machiney in motion, any special noise, even though slight, can be distinguished and its origin traced. The apparatus consists of an ordinary india rub ber gas tube about a yard in length; the length may, however, be varied to suit tbe nature of the investigation. The tube is un provided with ear piece or bell. One end is applied to the ear of the observer while the other is moved about in order to explore the seat of the irregularity. Since the free ori fice of the tube is comparatively small and is applied a closely as possible to the vi brating surface, it practically receives only those sonorous vibrations which are emitted by this surface. Those who have to do with machinery will find it especially useful for observing noises dne to irregularities in tbe working ot small parts ot machines, which may be either difficult or dangerons to ap proach in any other way. Grease From Cotton Waste, Until lately cotton waste has been cleaned and reused, but tbe grease extracted from it has been thrown away. It is now fonnd that the oil thus extracted can be made, after very simple treatment, to yield first- class printing ink. A ton of this spent waste will yield about 1,400 pounds of oil, from which ink of a superior quality can be manufactured at a verv reduced price. The cotton waste is placed in steam chambers, and a solution of bisulpbate of carbon is pumped into the vessels. This disengages the oil and grease, which is then passed into a series of heated coppers, from which it emerges as varnish, from which the printing ink is made. Search for a Name. To end the long dispute which has been waged with reference to the right designa tion of tbe metal which is now assuming such importance, it is urged that the largest producers in the world favor the form aluminum, which also has the advantage of greater brevity, and that therefore foreign scientific journals and scientific men should follow the example of American journals and call it once for all allnminum, instead of aluminium. Improvement in Window Glass. One of the recent improvements in the manufacture of window glass is the intro duction of a process of dipping the sheet into a mammoth bathtub, containing a mixture of varions liquids. Its results are instantly seen. It removes all dirt and defection, and the das becomes as clearand pure as it was before it went through tbe flattening oven. 0TJE .HICEOSCOPIC GTTA-Btitatjr The White Blood Corpuscles TVhlch Pursue and Devour tho Microbes. Newcastle, England, Chronicle. Tbe revelations of the microscope as to the existence of myriads of microbes in our bodies as well as in all that we eat and drink, has caused timid people much anxious wonderment as to why these creat ures are not more injurious and destrnctive than they actually are. Writing in the opeaKer oir xieiiry aoscob explains now i; is that even the deadliest of these microbes may be found in the mouths or other parte of the body, and yet their host be perfectly healthy. The question is not one of the mere presence of these organisms iu the system, but entirely one as to whether or not they find their way into the blood. If they do not all is well, if they do the most serious trouble follows. Working with the microscope in M. Pas teur's laboratory in Paris, a Russian physi cian.JM. Metschinikoff, has been able to dis cover the secret of the impotence of the microbe to penetrate into the blood. These most recent investigations show that there are certain cells contained in the blood of all the higher animals, termed phagocytes, and identical with the well-known white blood corpuscles, which are endowed with the power of independent motion, and not only wander inside but even make their way outside the tissue and "pursue, devour and digest any bacilli, whether poisonous or not, with which they come in contact This is in reality the true battle of life which, though hitherto unknown and unobserved, is constantly going on within the body. These phagocytes, which are the watchful guardians of the body, attack and annihi late the bacili before they can penetrate the blood tissues. So long as they remain on guard the body if safe from attack, but should they from any cause relax their vigi lance, then the invading army of parasites would pass into the system and destrjr life either by the numerous mechanical lesions which it produces, or by the poison which it secretes, lnii apparently indepehdent life of tbe cell within the organism is one of tbe moat marvelous revelations of mod ern science, as well as a remarkable illustra tion of the extreme nicety of the balance of nature, Pensions for Teachers. The question ot a pension fund for teach ers in elementary schools ot England is be ing revived by the Executive of the Na tion Union, who have outlined a bill by w"hich it is proposed to give effect to their scheme, ' IB HOW "WESTJJiGHOTJSE TBA'VEIA Some Enthusiastic Statements From a New York Paper Abont Him. George Westinghouse, of the Westing house Air Brake Company, probably travel more than any other millionaire, says the New York World. His business is scattered all over the country and requires a great deal of personal attention, and he has a special car and steam yacht for rapid and convenient transportation. Neither car nor yacht is used for pleasure trips. In fact; Mr. Westinghouse would as soon think of taking a pleasure trip as be would of giving away one of his thirty odd millions. How ever, no expense is spared to make the busi ness trips easy and pleasant The special car the "Glen Eyre" is in constant use. The yacht, besides conveying its owner on his business trips, has another use. It is an experiment boat All tbe Westinghouse inventions and improvements are tried on thi3 yacht. It is a standing joke with his friends that the yacht never has the same engine for three weeks. The engine has been taken out and replaced within a week. If Jlr. Westinghouse jappens to think ot an improvement while on a business trip he bas it tested im mediately MADAME A. RUPPElf Complexion Specialist. Mme. A. Ruppert's world-renowned face bleach H the only face tonic in the world whloh positively removes freckles, moth patches, blackheads, pimples, birthmarks, eczema and all blemishes of tbe skin, and wben applied cannot be observed by anyone. The face bleacn can only be had at mv branch office. Ne. 93 Fiftli avenue. Hamilton building, rooms 203 and 2M, Pitts bnrg. or sent to any address on receipt of price. SSvU at S2 per bottle, or three bottles, usually required id clear the complex ion. So. Send 4 cents postage for fall particulars. ocll-SU MME. A. RtJPPERT. Planta Beatrice. J II WILL Produces a Beautiful Complexions Whitens a Sallow Skin, Removes Moth and Liver Spots, Prevents Sunburn and Taa To Travelers It Is Indispensable. Keeps tbe Skin Perfect in Any Climate,' PLANTA BEATRICE, per jar fl 38 FLESH WORiVI PASTE Skin Refiner and Pimple Remover. Will reflno a Coarse, Rongli, Porous Skin. A positive euro for Pimples. Eruptions; removes tbat disagreeable Redness itu which so many are afflicted. FLESH WORM PASTE, per jar $1 GO Onr complete line of toilet requisites and manicure goods are absolutely pare, and can be obtained at tbe following representative druggists. Eger's Pharmacies, 11 Smithfield street, 172 Ohio street, 299 Ohio street. Rankin's Pharmacy, corner Penn avenue and Sixth street. Mnrkcll Brothers, Central Drug Store, 6219 Penn avenue. Drs. S. Jf. & O. II. Goldburg, 64 Sixth street Or of Sole Manufacturers. LONDON TOILET BAZAAR CO., Wholesale Office: 20 East Seventeenth St. 33 and 40 "West Twenty-third street, New York. Treatise on the complexion at above ad dress free, or sent to any address on receipt of 4 cent). jrl3-73-EOSn 8EE MY SPONGE? r3HIHE your Shoes with WOLFF'S - ACME BLACKING ONCE A WEEK! Other daya wash them clean with SPONGE AND WATER: EVERY Housewife EVERY Counting Room, EVERY Carriage Owrier EVERY Thrifty Mechanic EVERY Body able to hold a brush tittUUL. ,EIK- SHOULD CSII ON 77r7. Wiu. STAtif OLD & New Furniture vn . Will Stain qlass ano Chinawarc Tarnish Will Stain tinwakc at th Will Stain tour old baskets tame Will Stain Bast's Coach I time WOU? tt BANDOLPH, Philadelphia. neS-TTSSS Who Value a Refined Complexion MUST USE MEDICATED It Imparts abrlUlant transparency to the Won. Removes all pimples, freckles, and cus colorations, andmakes tbe sldn dellcat ly soft and beautiful. It contains no Haae, white lead or arsenic In three (lYlllltsn putfc or flesh, white and brunette. FOB SALE Br HI Bniggists aad Fanej Goods Deafen Ewjirim. EWARE OF IMITATIONS, . V T "iSry do ( DID COPTKQflf axcvxzD. M gg5-8J5gg ajp flljglfKil ILfiilli i 'i K . "i .-... rjviMssr,!- .K f.1L Bar"'
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers