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TO URGE COAST_ DEFENSES.
SAVANNAH'S DELEGATES TO THE
TAMPA CONVENTION.
Questions of Interest to tlie Entire
Country to Ho Cmuideml—Mn>or
Myers Intercsteil in the Movement.
Florida to Have Tno Hundred Del
egate* In the Convention.
Mayor Myers has appointed Col. .1. H.
Estill, Hon. F. G. dußignon and Alderman
H. H. Bacon to represent Savannah at
the convention 10 he held in Tampa Jan.
20. to be known as the Soutli Atlantic an.l
Gulf states harbor defense and improve
ment convention.
The governors of ad the southern states
and mayors of all southern cities have
been Invited by the governor of Florida
to appoint delegates to the convention.
Many appointments have already been
made.
A circular letter containing the call for
the convention and announcing its objects
Was received at the mayor's office several
weeks ago. This was accompanied by an
official communication from Gov. Mitch
ell, requesting the appointment of dele
gates by the mayor. Mayor Myers was
Informed on his return to Savannah of
the receipt of the circular, but the gov
ernor's letter was overlook'd. Conse
quently no action was taken. When May
er Myers' attention was railed to the mat
ter yesterday he had *he communication
looked up and discovered the letter of
Gor. Mitchell. The result was that he at
once decided to appoint delegates and the
appointments were made.
"The matters to come before the con
vention are of great importance to us."
said Mayor Myers, "and Savannnh should
be well represented. 1 trust the gentle
men who have been appointed will ac
cept. 1 would have given my attention
<o the matter before, but I only knew ol
the circular announcing the convention,
and did not consider this sufficient au
thority on which to baie an appoint
ment.”
Col. B. W. Wrenn, passenger traffic
manager of the Plant system, who is now
at Tampa, has Interested himself In the
convention, and is endeavoring to make it
a success, which it doubtless will be. In
a letter to the Morning News Col. Wrenn
states that the convention promises to be
one of the most important of the kind ever
held In the United States. The scope of
the convention has been broadened and
public men all over the United States are
showing an interest in it. Col. Wrenn
believes that the convention will be large
ly attended from the north, as well as
from southern states. On account of the
importance of the subject to be discussed,
he is of the opinion that the press of
the country will be largely represented
at the convention.
IX THE RAILROAD WOHI.I).
Matters of Interest In Savnnnnh and
Elsewhere.
Mr. A. Pope, traffic manager of the Geor
gia and Alabama, left last night by way
of the Central for Atlanta.
’Mr. H. C. Wright, formerly advertising
agent for the Plant system, hut now with
the transportation department at Way
cross, is in the city.
Mr. J. W. Carr, who has been for the
last two or three month’s on the lookout
for his road's interests In passenger traffic
in Florida, has returned to Savannah, and
will again make the city his headquarters
as district passenger agent of the Plant
system.
Beginning to-day, a number of changes
will go into effect In the Central's sched
ule. None of the Savaunah hours of ar
rival and departure of trains are affected
by the new schedule, the changes being
confined to the Southwestern division,
that portion of the main stem between
Macon and Atlanta and the Middle Geor
gia and Atlantic, the road's moßt recent
acquisition. By the old schedule the train
left Macon at 7:30 a. m., arriving at Co
lumbus at 11 a. m., but the change will
bring the train out of Macon at 7:50 a. m.
and into Columbus at 11:15. A change Is
also made in the schedule between Macon
and Albany. The train between Macon
and Atlanta that has heretofore left Ma
con at 7:25 a. m., will now leave at 8
o'clock. The changes on the Middle Geor
gia and Atlantic are but slight.
The Wadley and Mt. Vernon Railway-
Company has arranged for a big dove
shoot at Hodo on its line. A 700-acre pea
field has been baited for some time, and is
said to be full of birds. Great sport Is
anticipated for the day of the shoot,
which Is Tuesday. A special train will
be run from W&dley to Hodo, leaving the
former place at 4 o’clock In the morning
and arriving at Hodo at 6:15 o'clock. The
fare for the round trip will be 50 cents. It
is possible that a number of Savannah
sportsmen may go up as the company
guarantees plenty of birds.
Work on the new freight and office
building of the Georgia Southern and Flor
ida at Macon is being rapidly pushed and
the contractor says he will have it com
pleted by the stipulated time, March 15.
Capt. D. E. Maxwell, general manager
of the Florida Central and Peninsular,
was in the city yesterday.
Assistant General Manager T. A. Phil
lips of the Florida Central and Peninsular,
was here yesterday.
Col. H. R. Duval, president of the Flor
ida Central and Peninsular, was in the
city yesterday.
Mr. James Menzies. assistant general
freight agent of the Plant system, return
ed yesterday from a trip to the north.
Here is what the Richmond Dispatch In
its annual review has to say of the Geor
gia and Alabama: "This company enjoys
the destlnction of showing a heavier ratio
of increase iri business and In earnings
than any other railroad in the United
States. Xhe securities of this road are
largely owned In Richmond.”
Mr. J. A. Eaves has been appointed so
liciting agent of the Louisville and Nash
ville at New Orleans.
Tho fourth division of the Southern sys
tem has had its headquarters moved from
Oakdale to Harrlman, Tenn.
Mr. Arthur G. Lewis has been made
southern passenger agent of the Baltimore
and Ohio. He was formerly passenger
and ticket agent of that road at Norfolk.
The Nashville and Knoxville road, It Is
reported, has been secured by a syndicate
of Bt. Louis capitalists, who will connect
It with the uncompleted Tennessee Cen
tral. The Nashville and Knoxville Is sev
enty-nine miles long, extending from Leb
anon to Monterey, and is in a pretty di
rect line between Nashville and Knox
ville.
The business men of Winston-Salem, N.
*C., are said to be in favor of ths building
of a connection with Monroe on the Sea
board Air Line. A committee has been
appointed to secure a charter for the en
terprise from the next legislature. This
road, if built, will give the Norfolk and
Western a southern outlet and the Sea
board Air Line another northern outlet.
SUICIDE AT VALDOSTA.
A Traveling Salesman Kills Himself
In a Hotel.
Valdosta, Go., Jan. 9.—A young travel
ing salesman arose from the breakfast
table at the Prescott house this morning,
and walking out into the hotel office placed
the muzzle of a thirty-eight caliber re
volver to his bosqpi and ended his .ife.
The young man's name was G. H.
Clarke, .said to be representing the New
Spencer Medicine Company of Chattanoo
ga, Tenn. He had been in and around tills
city for several days and during the past
two days had appeared In a very gloomy
condition He received a telegram from
a brother on Wednesday announcing the
death of his mother at Washington, U. C.,
and It is said that he wanted to attend the
funeral, but did not have the money to go
on.
On Thursday, It is said, that he tele
graphed his house to honor his draft by
wire for S3O, but nothing was heard from
ihe house. He turned to the wine cup to
drown his sorrows and finally brought all
to an end by killing himself. yesterday
he was in a state of intoxication and last
niglu he was under the Influence ol
whisky. H< was at the breakfast tab.t
at the hote. this morning by 7 o'clock, but
appeared in a very nervous condition. The
negro waiter received his order for break
fast and went to the kitchen to get it, but
Clarke left the room before the meal was
Nxved. He was noticed to leave the din
ing room hurriedly, and his restless condi
tion was also noticed by other boarders
at the house.
He went into the office and walking up
to the desk, drew his pistol and placed it
against the r.gbt side of his client. Thort
was a loud report and the young man sank
to the floor. Medical attention was sum
moned and he was pronounced dead, but
rallied a litt.e and remained alive until
nearly 12 o'clock.
Telegrams were sent to his brother at
Washington, D. C., but nothing had been
heard from him up to a late hour. The
body will be given burial by the people
here if Instructions are net received from
the young man's relatives.
Clarke Was very well acquainted here,
having worked in this cliy with Burt &
Wallace several years ago, and having
also clerked at the Prescott hotel at one
time.
The Valdosta Institute will open its
spring term next Monday with the largest
attendance the school has ever had. The
number of scholars has outgrown the ca
pacity of the building almost, although
It wus nearly doubled last year. It is very
probable that the trustees will increase
the capacity of the building during the
summer. They have recently bought a
complete outfit of chemical apparatus for
illustrating natural science and in other
ways the equip nent of the school has been
very much Improved.
The new board of county commissioners
will meet next Tuesday and establish a
policy for next year. It Is understood lhat
the commissioners expect to make many
changes in county affairs, but what the
changes are will not be known until after
Tuesday’s meeting. At the meeting Tues
day the commissioners made an appropri
ation of $250 for the Valdosta Videttes, the
money to be expended in equipping the
company.
Hast night a fire alarm created a good
deal of excitement here, as the flames
were located In a very thickly settled part
of the town. The fire proved to be in an
out-house in the rear of Have Thomas'
cottages, and it was extinguished before
other damage was done.
CHAMBERS Util ND OVER.
Tlie Charge Involuntary Manslaugh
ter and Hail Fixed at $1,200,
Valdosta, Ga., Jan. 9.—A telephone mes
sage to thg Times late this evening states
that the commitment trial of James Cham
bers at Nashville, in Berrien county,
charged with the killing of J. Z. Elliott, a
merchant at Sparks, on Christmas day,
the slayer was bound over to the superior
court on the charge of invoiuntary man
slaughter, and bond was fixed at $1,200. In
Chambers’ statement he sail that the gun
was discharged accidentally and that he
did not intend to shoot any one. The gun
was a hammerless weapon and he says ho
did not know how to handle it,
REBEL'S WRECK A TRAIN.
The Passengers Token Prisoners and
the Mnll and Freight Seised.
Seattle, Wash., Jan. 9. —Philippine Is
lands advices received by steamship Aga
fianthua, tell of the wrecking by rebels
of a train at San Marces, near Manilla.
Bails were loosened for a distance of
twenty metres, throwing the engine and
four coaches down an embankment.
About a thousand rebels appeared, made
prisoners of the trainmen and passen
gers and took possession of the mails and
freight. While the train was being plun
dered another gang of rebels set fire to
the ncurby town of Calumpit.
COAST DEFENSE CONVENTION.
The Tniupw Meeting to He Important
and Influential.
Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 9.—The coast
defense convention, which will meet at
Tampa, Jan. 20, now promises to be im
portant and Influential. An unexpected
interest has developed in all parts of the
country, and most of the states will be
strongly represented. The promoters of
the movement now believe that the con
vention will be able to do much to con
centrate public attention on the necessity
of hurrying forward coast defense work.
CITY BREVITIES.
The Seventh Precinct Citizens League
has been called to meat at No. 212 Harris,
street this afternoon at 4 o'clock.
The new tug boat John Harlan of the op
position towboat company arrived at Ty
bee from Charleston last night and Is ly
ing outside on the lookout.
Good Government Club, colored, of which
Rev. E. K. Love Is president, will meet
to-morrow night at Duffy Street hall.
Among the speakers will be Rev. E. K.
Love and Rev. T. N. M. Smith.
It was reported last night that a white
man had been held up and robbed by two
negroes and another white man on the
White Bluff road. The man who is re
ported to have been robbed Is said to be
a stranger, who is stopping at a boarding
house on Liberty street. The sergeant on
duty at the barracks knew nothing of the
robbery. It Ib understood, however, that
the detectives are at work on the case.
War on Itnllnn Socialists.
Rome, Jan. 9.—The government has or
dered the dissolution of the socialist
worklngment's chambers throughout the
kingdom, the order to take effect imme
diately. The decree has caused a groat
deal of excitement In socialist circles.
Cotton Factory Fays n Dividend.
Augusta, Ga., Jan. 9 —The Augusta cot
ton factory to-day declared a semi-an
nual dividend of 3% per cent, on the ;apl
tal stock of the company of SOOO,OOO. This
is one of the oldest mills in the south.
-Miss Prion (quotlng)-Wise men make
proverbs, and fools repeat them. Miss
Smart (musingly)—Yes; I wonder what
wise man made the one you Just repeated.
-Tit-Bits. t
THE MORNING NEWS: SUNDAY, JANUARY 10, 1307.
STORY or ROBERT COLLEGE.
Admiral Far rag ill's Question That
Alarmed tlic Forte nnd Started the
College.
From the New York Sun.
Lyons, N. Y., Dec. 26.—The Rev. Dr.
Luther A. Ostrander of the Presbyterian
church of this city was one of the first
tutors of Robert College, Constantinople,
and his eldest son, Le Roy K. Ostrander,
is at present a tutor In the institution.
"Robert College,” he said a day or two
ago, “is situated on the European side
of the Bosphorus, at Hissur, six miles
from Constantinople. No college In the
world has a finer site. It overlooks the
great towers built by Mohammed 11, and
commands a view of the Bosphorus, both
north arid south, for many miles. The
American traveler beholds with pride the
stars and stripes Hying from that promi
nent and stately building. The fine site,
F. Hopklnson Smith says, was given by
the saltan, and he adds that the sultan
contributed out of his private purSe to the
support of the college. The facts, how
ever. are these:
“Dr. Cyrus liamlin bought the site of
Ahmed Vefyk lOffendi, who was in finan
cial distress, for $15,0(1). Mr. Christopher
E. Hubert of New York furnished the
money. He was to pay the money when
the government gave him permission to
build. He had bought one site before for
which he had paid S7.XJ, but because it
was overlooked by the kiosk or summer
house of the grand vizier he was not able
to build. Permission to build was at
length secured, as Ahmed Vefyk Effendl
wanted badly ids $15,000. When Dr. Ham
lin broke ground the superintendent of
public works came and said he could not
proceed until certain formalities had been
attended to.
"What formalities, and how long will
they lake?” asked Dr. Harnlin in aston
ishment.
“ ‘Oh, slight’formalitles, and may make
two weeks,’ wus the reply.
"Those slight formalities Dr. Hamlin
could rot get the Turkish government to
attend t?). He used every influence within
his power, but to no avail. The two weeks
became seven years. They never intended
to allow the coliege to be built. Ahmed,
however, kept the money.
"At length Admiral Farragut, on his trip
around the world, anchored in the Golden
Horn. His powerful man-of-war and the
great guns that shook the houses of Stam
boul when a salute was fired, as they had
never been shaken before, was looked upon
with amazement. The admiral was in
vited daily to dine with the great pashas,
in conversation with Dr. Hamlin Admiral
Farragut expressed a desire to do anything
to aid his work. He wus told that he
might do much.
“ 'How?' he asked. 'I am not here In
any diplomatic capacity.’
“ ‘V\ henever you are at dinner ith these
great pashas just ask, ‘Why cannot Robert
College be built?" Do not say anothei
word,' was the reply of Dr. Hamlin.
“ I can uo that certainly,’ sail Admin:
Farragut.
“ That ifUj, dining with the grand viz
ier. he asked: ‘Why cannot Robert College
be built?’ A plausible and diplomatic an-
swer was given. But the next day din
ing with another high official, the great
admiral asked the same question. Again
a smooth and apparently satisfactory an
swer was given. But the nejit day, at an
other banquet, the same question was ask
ed of the host. At length these officials be
gan to-lnquire among themselves: ‘What
does all this mean? He is asking every
one why Robert College cannot be built.'
They reached lbs conclusion that the
United States had sent Admiral Farragut
to look after the interests of Robert Col
lege. At last Dr. Hamlin was surprised
and delighted to receive from the sublime
ports an imperial tirade granting hint more
than he had dared to expect, not only per
mission to build, but also the right to fly
the American flag. A Turkish official aft
erward visiting the college incognito,
frankly said to Dr. Hamlin:
" ‘Oh, sir, we would never have given
you leave to build your college here had
it not been for that bloody insurrection
in Crete. When your Admiral Farragut
was here that Insurrection was our great
embarrassment.' Ho asked the grand
vizier point blank why that American col
lege could not be built. The grand vizier
replied In friendly terms, and the great
admiral said not a word. But he contin
ued to ask the same question right and
left. We saw clearly that the United
States government was holding that col
lege question over against us. ‘Beter
build,’ we said, ’ a hundred colleges with
our own money than to have one of Far
ragut’s monitor's coming to the Mediter
ranean, so we gave you leave to build on
this matchless spot. We gave you the
imperiale tirade which we never give, and
we placed this college under the protec
tion of the United States as the greatest
compliment to your government, and so we
smoothed It all ofT.’
“The corner stone of the college was laid
July 4, 1869, by the Hon. E. Jay Morris,
our minister at that time at Constantino
ple, who also made the fl •st uddress.
Other addresses were mads in French,
Turkish, Greek, Armenian, and Bulga
rian. The Greek orator, referring to he
neighboring fortress built by Mohammed
11, eloquently said: ‘lt stands on higher
ground than those towers. Its forces are
spiritual and eternal. It shall see them
pass away.’
"It is thus seen that the site of the col
lege was not given by the sultan, as Is
asserted by F. Hopkinson "Smith, neither
has he contributed out of his private purse
toward its support. This statement is on
a par with other statements made by F.
Hopkinson Smith in regard to the present
condition of things In Turkey. Robert Col
lege was built before Abdul Hamid came
to the throne. Undoubtedly he does not
look upon it with favor. It is for the In
terest of a desootic government to keep
the people in ignorance. Many of the men
in the new Bulgarian government are
graduates of Robert College. In the first
national assembly there were twelve of
these graduates. The natural result of a
Christian education Is political liberty and
individual freedom. It is, therefore, -no
wonder that a despotic government that
will not allow the words liberty and free
dom to be used In public print should look
with no favor upon our American colleges.
The sultan, since the massacre in Septem
ber, has kept a guard of soldiers at Robert
College. The reason It Is still kept there is
not definitely known by the college au
thorities. The work of the college is quiet
ly going on, though, on account of the
troubles, the number of students is natu
rally less than heretofore. There are 180
students now In attendance made up of
many nationalities. This college Is not
strictly a missionary college; that Is, it Is
not under the care of the missionary
board, but Is controlled by a board of trus
tees In this country. Its course of study
is similar to that In American colleges. Its
aim is to give a liberal and Christian edu
cation to the various nationalities of tne
east.”
—When Lord Wolseley was instructed to
go to Khartoum he made out a for
mal requisition for a camel saddle of pe
culiar construction, says the New York
Tribune. After waiting for forty-eight
hours he inquired if the saddle was ready,
and received the iiseouraging Information
that his request had not yet been passed
upon by the inspector general of stores.
As time was precious. Wolseley sent for a
private,unofficial saddler, set him at work,
and by next morning the desired article
was delivered. Meanwhile the requisition
made Us slow way through mazes of red
tape from one official to another till It
reached the government shops. Then it
and the saddle meandered no more rap
idly back along the same route, and finally,
Just six years from the time when Wolse
ley had been In such a hurry, the saddle
and a big bundle of correspondence reach
ed hint ,
AN ELECTRIC WONDER.
EDISON'S CARBONIZED FILAMENT
AXD ITS WORK.
I lie Almost Infinitesimal Fineness
of the Tiny Threads That Make fn
enndeseent Lighting a Commercial
Fossihllity Some Filaments Are
NN ortli SHs,|MIO a Found—Story of
the Invention.
From the New York Sun.
How many persons realize, as they sit
under the brilliant glow of the Incandes
cent electric light what a wonderful thing
Is the bit of carbon filament that gives
life to this most modern substitute for the
tallow dip of the forefathers? Only two
generations ago mankind was content ani
even thankful when night came on to put
fire to the wick of a tallow candle, and
then armed with a pair of scissors-like
snuffers, to trim the crustiy wick from
time to time, and, leaning far over toward
the public light, carry on study or read
ing for pleasure with a full belief that
nothing belter could be devised to dispel
the shadow. Later came the solar lamp,
which, fed with sperm oil, proved vastly
better, and a generation ago, with the dis
covery of cheap gas making and of ker
osene oil, it seemed as if both city and
country people were provided with illum
inants which had made night as nearly
iike day as was possible for the finite pow
ers of man.
Then in the late seventies came that
most wonderful practical demonstration
by the wizard of Menlo park that there
was anew use for electricity, ushering in
a light which pu. all others into the shade
and proved to the whoie world that the
possibilit.es of enthralled lightning were
beyond all the previous dreams of man
kind. To-day, in homes or office, in ho
tels, theaters, railroad stations, street cars
and ferryboats one finds this subtle genius
do.rig its work, and whether one be In
America or Europe It Is only necessary to
turn u button to flood the rooms with
light. For this, which is perhaps the
greutest blessing given by Inventions of
modern days, one man is to be thanked,
and he is Thomas A. Edison. He is the
inventor of the carbon filament which lias
made the incandescent electric lamp a
commercial success, nnd the industries to
which hts genius gave life have perfected
and cheapened it until there are few towns
so small that they Cannot have the benefit
of th.s best of lights. By the later de
velopments of storage batteries even is
olated country houses are provided with
plants which enable them to vie with the
houses of the city in brilliant illumina
tion. Tesla and few others of the great
men of electrical science hold out prom
ises that some day people may be able
to do away with the present form of elec
tric lighting and substitute for it tubes
which will glow brilliantly, but this is al.
In the future. There is nothing ai pres
ent to compete with the invention of Edi
son.
\v hat this electric lamp is all can see.
There is first a bulb Of clear glass set in
a socket which contains also a button
which turns the vivifying current. With
n this bulb quivers the soul of the lamp.
With the lamp lighted this appears to be
merely a curved streak of fire. It may be
possible for the eye to distinguish that it
has in some cases the form of an elonga
ted horseshoe, and in others that this is
complicated by the addition of a longer oi
shorter oval section between the outer
.lines of the Ui but pq eye is sharp enough
to pierce the brillancy of its light and see
the actual thing from which this radiance
proceeds.
Look at the lamp again by daylight
with the electric current turned off, and
there, within the bulb of glass, you will
see a tiny thread of something black, so
delicate that it rivals the aspen leaf in its
restlessness. This is the Edison carbon
filament, which is not only the great light
giver of the new era, but is at the same
time one of the most expensive of the
products of human ingenuity. A few of
the products of nature's laboratory, cost
ly because of their rarity, such as gems
of diamond, ruby, sapphire, and pearl,
surpass this common charcoal in value,
but gold is as dross compared with it, and
the man who would purchase carbon fila
ments with silver would have to repeat
the later experiences of the folks of the
southern confederacy who took their
money to market in a basket and brought
home their purchases In a purse. Some
body writing in a trade newspaper recent
ly directed attention to the enormous
value which these filaments have when
estimated by the pound avoirdupois, and
a Sun reporter went to the lamp works of
the General Electric Company at Harri
son, N. J., to look into this interesting
subject. Supt. Eyre became Interested in
this view of the subject at once, although
it was not anew one to him, and, sum
moning some of his department assistants,
he made, with help, some very interest
ing calculations.
The standard lamp for general use is of
slxteen-candie power. Out of the 20,000,000
electric lamps used every year in the
world this size is believed to number 90
per cent. A carbon filament for that
sized lamp measures 4-1,000 of an Inch in
diameter and ten inches In length, and 200
of these put upon a scale weighed ten
grains. Mr. Eyre's calculations soon
demonstrated that, with 7,000 grains to
the pound avoirdupois, it would take 140,-
000 of these filaments to make a pound,
and that at the current market rate for
these, $lO a thousand, their market value
would be $1,400. A man can carry 150
pounds in a sack on his back, and If the
sack were filled with such bits of carbon
nis load would be worth $210,000.
Take but a single pound of these fila
ments and stretch them out in a contin
uous straight line, and they would cover
a space 113,333 feet, or about 21.3 miles.
The world's product for a year would
reach 3.157 miles, and in a little more
than seven years, at the present rate,
would reach completely around the globe.
But the value of the filament of this
size is small compared with that of some
for the smallest of the lamps made.
Whether a filament be for large or small
lamps it costs about the same sum to
market it, but its candle power makes a
great difference in Us size and weight. The
smallest of the Incandescent lamps used
for regular purposes Is of three-candle
power. For this the filament is of a plain
U shape, and is 6-1,000 inch in diameter
and three-elghths-lnch long. Mr. Eyre’s
calculations showed that there would be
1.000,000 of these to a pound, and these
would be worth SIO,OOO. But, again, the
lamp makers manufacture many tiny
lamps for surgical and dental uses. The
smallest of these Is called the pea lamp.
Its tiny bulb is about one-fourth of an
Inch in diameter, and physicians use it
at the end of probes nnd similar instru
ments to illuminate the Interior of the
human body. Its carbon filament Is but
2-1,000 of an Inch in diameter, and but
one-eighth of an Inch long. This is but
the 320th part of the volume of the six
teen-candle power filament, and, as a con
sequence, It was easily figured that It
would take 44,800,000 af those to make a
pound, and their value would be $448,000.
"Whew!” said Mr. Eyre when he had
verified his figures. "I did not know that
we had anything so valuable about the
factory. I think some time I will have
to walk off with a pound of these.”
The head of the filament department
laughed. "Where would you get them?”
he asked. "In the whole history of this
factory we never made anything like a
pound of them, and if we had where would
you sell them?”.
"Well, an ounce would do,” said Mr
Eyre.
Of course the larger the filaments are
the less they are worth by weight, but
whether they are of a value of $1,400 a
pound or $418,000, It is interesting to con
sider that practically ail of this value is
the product of human labor and skill. The
material out of which they are produce!
(sosts but a few cents. Their history and
the way in which they are produced are
known to but few except those who are
intimately associated with their produc
tion.
In the early days of experimenting with
the electric light the current was passed
through a thin wire of platinum. The
reader may remember at that time Mr.
Edison had agents looking all over the
world for new sources of supply of that
tare metal. Then, as now, nearly all the
platinurrj of the world came from two dis
tricts in' the Ural mountains in Siberia.
Had the people remained dependent upon
platinum for their lamps they would have
needed for each one a piece of wire 6-1000
inch in diamater and 15 inches long, and
this at the present price of platinum—4l3
an ounce—would cost 10 cents. The world's
whole product of this metal in 1887 was
but about 9,500 pounds, and would have
been inadequate for the present lamp sup
ply. Even to-day, with a product of per
haps 12,000 or 13,000 pounds, there would
be but a small margin left after making
lamps, and merely the cost of the
filaments would be $2,000,000. It was at
this Juncture that Edison conceived the
idea of using a eftrbon filament.
Ho confided Ills ideas to his chief as
sistant Mr. Batchellor, and they began
work one evening. It is one of Edison’s
peculiarities, tiiat, once started upon a
piece of work, he does not stop for sleep
or sometimes even food. The material
from which he proposed to make his fila
ment was a spool of Clark's cotton thread.
All that night Edison and Batchellor
worked, and all the next day, and then
again all night. At the end of thirty-six
hours they had produced a perfect fila
ment. Mr. Batchellor took it up and they
marched with it toward the beach where
a glass biower was at work. Just as they
reached the beach the carbon broke. "Ed
ison," cried Batchellor, "we won’t sleep
until we make one.” Back they went to
work, and late in the afternoon they com
pleted a second carbon loop. Again they
marched with it to the glass blower's
bench, and placed it thereon safety, but
Just then a Jeweler's screwdriver rolled
over it and broke it. Batchellor was an
even-tempered man, but that was too
much.
“I'm damned,” he cried, "Job got too
much reputation for patience on a small
capital."
There was no givirfg up, however. Back
to work the two men went. Experience
had been a good teacher, and before night
they had completed a third filament, got
it safely mounted in a bulb, exhausted the
air, and set it glowing with the electric
current.
For the great illumination at Menlo park,
which folowed, the filaments, were made
of pieces stamped out of visiting cards,
and many after that were stamped from
paper. Others were made from s. Ivors of
hamboo. Weston was the first, perhaps, to
use vegetable parchment for the purpose,
but that is what the General Electric
company used to do. This is virtually the
material out of which artificial silk is
made. Just the materials and process
used no filament maker will tell, for this
is one of the last of the trade secrets, and
the only one about lamp making. A mix
ture of vegetable matter, rich in carbon,
like paper stock or cotton, is taken and
is digested with sulphuric acid or chlor
ides until it is a gummy mass about as
thick as dough. This is forced through
dies, just as vermicelli is made, and it
comes out in endless strings. For sixteen
candle power filaments the die has an ap
erture 22-1000 of an inch in diamater. The
string of paste falls into a
jar partly filled with a secret
liquid, where it lies in coils. Then
it is run out, washed and partly dried and
coiled on cylinders to become entirely dry.
Then It is cut into proper lengths, with
allowance for shrinkage, and taken in
bunches and wound on shapers to give it
the form desired and set into form by be
ing heated slightly. Now it is ready for
carbonizing. This is done by packing the
bunches in crucibles with sifted charcoal
or other carboniferous substances, and,
after sealing, by baking it in a hot fire for
one and a half days. When it is, taken
out every threat Is black and shirty and
seems to have a perfect surface, but it is
not ready for use. Now each filament is
taken separately ifnd clamped with each
end in a live electric current, and while
it Is immersed in a vapor of gasoline the
current is passed through it. The effect
is to deposit upon the white-hot filament
a coating of lamp black, or carbonized
gasoline, which gives it qualities not oth
erwise obtainable. In the early days of
their manufacture only eight 16-candle
power lamias could be lit by one-horse
power, but now fifteen are used. The fila
ment is now ready to be mounted in the
lamp.
There are thirty lamp factories in the
United States. Only about half of these
make their own filaments. The others buy
them from special manufacturers. One of
the largest of these filament makers is in
Newark, N. J. All the lamp factories in
the United States pioduce altogether
about 11,000,000 lamps a year. Of this pro
duct, 6,000,000 are turned out at the fac
tory of the General Electric Company at
Harrison.
Unlike those fragile filaments which Ed
isop produced, the new ones are handled
easily, and although they break easily
when bent sharply, they are so springy
that they can be drawn straight out with
out danger and then allowed to fly back to
shape.
With the development of the carbon fila
ment has come a gradual change in all
the processes of lamp making until the
price of 16-candle power lights has fallen
gradually from $1.25 each to 20 cents, or
even a trifle less whep taken by contract
in large lots.
Few of the olever products of human
skill can hold equal place for value with
these simple bits of charcoal filament.
Some which will compare with them are
to be found, however, in the watchmaking
industry. Two of these are the jewels
which protect the pivot holes from the
wear and the delicate steel hair-springs.
Jewels for fine watches are made of sapp
hire, and the material has a value of per
haps $1 an ounce. Outside of that all is
labor. Others, for common watches, are
made of garnet, and this material has
hardly any value. Just how much a
pound of the most costly of these might be
worth no one has figured, for they vary
greatly according to size and finish. Jew
elers keep them in little vials, each about
one Inch long and a quarter of an inch
in diameter, and these will hold perhaps
2GO large Jewels or 2,500 small ones. An
obliging Jeweler emptied out a vial which
had contained 1,000 garnet Jewels of med
ium sizes—there were four sizes in the vial
—and weighed them. They scaled 13 ca
rats, or 41 1-6 grains.
At this rate there would be 170,000 to the
pound, and as their value was 8H cents
each, the pound would coat $14,166.66. Hair
springs made of steel, worth but a few
cents a pound, are valued at great sums
by weight. A dozen of them of assorted
sizes weigh about four grains, and there
would be 21,000 of them to the pound, or
1,750 dozen. The cheapest, which are un
tempered, cost 25 cents a dozen, and a
pound of these would be worth $137.60.
Tempered springs of a good quality eos f
about $2.25 a dozen, and a pound of these
would be worth $3,937.50. There are, how
ever, a great many hair springs made the
value of which is much greater. There are
regular springs for tiny watches which
cost from $1.25 to $2.60 each. A pound of
these would be worth about $70,0v0, for
they would weigh not more than three
grains to the dozen.
Anther of the very expensive articles of
manufacture, and one connected, like tb->
carbon filament*, with lighting, is the
Welsbach gas mantle. The mantles are
worth about 50 cents each, and when they
are on the burners and ready for use they
are almost as light as air. They are orig
inally woven in the form of which they
are seen in use, of cotton thread. They
are then dipped into a solution of the rare
metal zirconium, and dried. In that form
they go to the consumer and are neither
light nor fragile. The moment the gas is
lighted under them the cotton flames up
and is burned, leaving the zirconium in
the form of an oxide, keeping the mantle
form, but with so little substance that a
puff would destroy and dissipate them.
It Is because of their small substance that
a very little gas flame heats them to in
candescence. There are also other pro
cesses of making them, but none varies
much from this. Zirconium is an extreme
ly refractory metal, and has been used
successfully for tips on chalk pencils for
the calcium light.
AM AUI AHU M.
Fish Are More Troublesome Than
Huniun liable*.
From the New York Press.
"No one who has never worked in an
aquarium or has had anything to do with
the handling of fish,” declared Mr. Spen
ser, the veteran fish expert of the Castle
Garden Aquarium, "has any Idea of the
worry, the ceaseless anxiety and the nev
er-ending work which such a position as
mine means.
"People who Just drop In casually have
an idea tiiat the Job is a snap, that the
fish al. take care of themselves like grown
up folk and that ah we have to do is to
feed them and draw our salary. I tell you
they are mistaken. Why, a tank full of
fish is worse than a nursery full of young
babies.
"They can be just as foolish and ‘cussed’
and cause just as much worry and tribu
lation as a swarm of babies with rattles
and other things to swa.low. You have to
watch them and nurse them Just as care
fully, too. Take those beautiful brook
trout, for instance. I give them a bath ev
ery day. Sounds foolish, doesn’t It; but
It’s true. Every afternoon they get a salt
water bath and the water has to be tem
pered just right, and they have to remain
in ( it just so long, to the minute.
"If I were not careful about these nice
little details there is no telling what would
happen to them. You see, I have to give
them the salt water bath to remove the
fungus growth which is caused by a bruise
or a wound received in transportation.
Most of the fish we have received here
were in excellent physical condition, but it
is almost impossible to bring them any
distance without bruising them some, and
the salt water is the liniment we use to
cure them. It not only heals the sore, but
removes the fungus.
"Do they like It? They Just revel in it.
You should see them poke their old noses
around In it when I turn on the salt water.
Why, you would think they were a lot of
young girls at the seashore. It generally
takes a week or two to get them In per
fect shape again, and then It requires con
stant care to keep them in good health.
"Then there is the task of getting the
fish accustomed to their new climate.
Those trout in the far end of the tank you
see are quiet and peaceful. They have
grown accustomed to their confinement,
and have become reconciled to their fate,
but just watch the ones In this end—jump
ing, plunging and rearing all the time.
They were put Into the tank only last
night and they are uneasy and restless.
It's no easy affair to keep them from
Jumping out. There Is a wire screen over
the top, but that does not stop them.
That big fellow there actually had the
Impudence to push it away and get out.
I found him gasping for water on a plank
three feet away.
“I presume he just hurried himself at
the screen and lifted it oft bodily. I was
so worried about that that I went home
and dreamed all night about ten-pound
trout Jumping through iron gratings and
steel bars.
“They are homesick generally for a
week or ten days. Away from their nat
ural haunts they naturally don’t take
kindly to their surroundings at once. The
old bullheads and catfish burrow around
in the pebbles looking for mud. Of course
they don’t find it, and it makes them lone
some and discouraged. If we did give
them mud they would bury themselves
In it and no one would ever see them
again. In time they become used to their
new cleanliness, but's it hard breaking
them in.
“Then there is the feeding. That Is the
toughest job of all. We have to break the
fresh water fish to salt water diet. The
bullheads are learning to eat clams now.
They never saw or heard of one until they
came here. They are gluttons, though,
and they seem to relish them and grow fat
on them.
“The trout are living now on salt water
killies. They are tough and Indigestible
and do not make as wholesome food as
the fresh water ones. They will have to
eat them, though, or go hungry. Some of
the weaker fish have a tough time of It.
They never would get anything to eat if
we did not favor them and almost fe@d
them out of our hand.
“That baby seal is just like a youngster
that has had a taste of pie and refuses to
eat bread and butter. They gave him a
few whole fish to humor him and now he
scorns anything else, have seen him stick
up his nose at a nice clean piece of fish
that any, other seal that had not been
spoiled would have been glad enough to
get.”
IT MAKES ALL BALD.
Cnrioun Effect of a Tropical Plant
Upon All Tlmt Eat It.
From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
According to a lecture recently deliv
ered before the British Association by
Dr. Morris, one of the most eminent of
English botanists, the fruit, the leaves,
the young shoots and even the seeds of
the wild tamarind, or Jumbal plant, pro
duce depilatory results of an extraordi
nary character. The plant In question is
to be found in all the tropical portions of
Asia, Africa and America; but it is es
pecially In the West Indies tnat Dr. Mor
ris has had the opportunity of studying
its effects, not only on human beings,
but also on animals and birds.
The latter, after a prolonged diet of
Jumbal seeds are described as rapidly
losing all their feathers—the numerous
parrots and cockatoos in particulars, no
longer able to fly, hopping about like
toads In the undergrowth In a state
of most helpless and ridiculous nudity.
Horses, mules, donkeys, pigs and sheep
are affected in a similar manner. Brush
makers wdbld be unable to find even a
solitary bristle upon a porker who has
been gorging himself upon the pods of
the wild tamarind.
Jackasses, which have been feeding up
on its leaves present a singular mangy
aspect, while the first effect of the plant
upon the horse is to deprive it of any
caudal gracea that it may possess, con
verting that particular form of equine
adornment into what is known as a “ci
gar tali."
Still more striking are the results of the
wild tamarind upon the human being. It
immediately diminishes the growth of
hair, and If the diet is continued, not
only does it produce complete baldness on
the crown of the head, but even brings
about the disappearance of eyebrows and
eyelashes. Dr. Morris attributes this sin
gular effect to the presence of some vola
tile alkaloid in the Jumbal plant; but tnis
was contested by some of the other mem
bers of the association in the debate which
followed his address, and It is pointed out
that meat which does certainly not con
tain any alkaloid properties produces six
ilar results when taken in excess
Dogs that are fed exclusively on me
almost Invariably lose theirs coats whi
the famous Japanese wrestlers, who fe<
almost exclusively on raw beef, presei
both in their abundance of fat and 1
their extraordinary lack of hair, much th
same appearance as a pig that has bee
feeding upon the pods of the wild tama
rind.
On the other hand, baldness is practl
cally unknown among the poorer ctasse
of Europe, who are compelled bv tiieii
poverty to subsist almost exclusively udoi
a vegetable diet. Indeed, some of tin
most eminent doctors of the old world
who make capillary conditions a special
study declare that they frequently auc
ceed In checking the fall of hair by n r ..
scribing of milk, rice eggs and fruit*
meat being strictly barred. '
A WYOMINU EXECUTION.
Marksmen Concealed In a Tent Shoot
the Prisoner With u Target Over
His Heart. I
Evanston (Wyo.) correspondence of tho
Salt Lake Tribune.
In a sage-covered flat, whose stillness
before had been broken only by the doleful
howl of the coyote, Patrick Coughlin ex.
plated the crimes of Palmer's cabin.
Twenty minutes after the execution the
plain was again surrendered to the coyote
and the jack-rabbit.
Coughlin died as he promised-game.
With scarcely a tremor he viewed the
preparations of death, and without one
sigh of regret he submitted to the black
cap and the mortal destruction that fol
lowed it fast. No man could have dis
played more unflinching courage. The
only indication of the feeling that rent
his breast came when Dr. Eeo was pin
ning over his heart the white paper tar
get for the concealed marksmen. Cough
lin appeared for a moment to catch his
breath; then again calmness possessed
him.
The scene of the execution was about
twenty-five miles directly north of the lit
tle cabin near Wasatch, where Dawes and
Stagg were killed. It was the first execu
tion in R.ch county’s history, and though
it created no little excitement, not more
than 200 people assembled to see Cough
lin's taking off. Though comparatively
small in numbers, the crowd was much in
earnest. Many were armed with Winches -
ters, in apprehension of some overt art
that might follow the numberless rumors
afloat. But none occurred, happily.
The execution passed off without a hitch.
It was exceedingly well planned and man
aged. No miscalculation was made.
Coughlin is not believed t* have even
heard the report of the rifles. Death was
not Instantaneous, though insensibility
seized him at the moment Deputy Sheriff
Calveriy gave the word to fire. Four min
utes later he was pronounced dead. It
was part of Sheriff Dickson’s arrange
ments that, he should arrive on the place
of execution at 10:20 o'clock, which, with
an allowance of ten minutes for final
preparations, would fix the event itself for
10:30 o'clock. At the tisie agreed upon,
almost to a minute, the canvas-covered
wagon of the sheriff, surrounded by
mounted guards, rounded a corner of the
hill a short distance off.
The wagon was driven rapidly up in
front of the chair, and its occupants din
mounted. Avery few minutes after the
fateful word was given, the rifles rang
out in a volleying chorus, and the last
act of the Dawes-Stagg tragedy had been
completed by the expiation of the crime.
Sage Hollow, the scene of the execution,
is a little depression in the flats, about
three miles north of Woodruff. All about
is a cheerless waste, with here and there
a low hill that scarcely breakes the mo
notony of the view. To the north a cou
ple of miles Is a spur of the Wasatch
mountains, at the base of which ripples
the Bear river. In the middle of the hol
low the chair of execution was placed,
facing the east. The chair was a common
oak affair with rounding arms. Its legs
were fastened to stakes driven deep
ly into the ground, while its back was
supported by two heavy planks. Thirty
feet from the chair was the riflemen’s
tent, at the west side of which were five
apertures, just below the Junction point
of the roof and the side wall. The most
southerly of the apertures was directly
opposite the chair, the remainder being
at slightly varying angles to the north
ward. Two hours before the time fixed
for the execution by Sheriff Dickson the
early arrivals at Sage Hollow began.
Those first upon the ground were Deputy
Sheriff Calveriy of Evanston, Wyo,, and
the five men selected by him to do the
actual work of inflicting the death pen
alty. At 8:30 o’clock they arrived. Be
fore the coming of the next quota, cal*
verly’s mßn had practiced several times
the duty they were to perform. From
that time they remained within the little
tent that had been erected on Monday.
Who they were none knew, and none
sought to learn. After the crowd had
dispersed the quintet of sharpshooters
emerged from their canvas tent, un
known and unseen.
—The celebration of Queen Victoria’s
sixtieth accession day, in June, 1897, will
be on a scale of imperial magnificence
such as England and perhaps the world
has never witnessed before. The princi
pal festivity is set for the 21st of June, the
day of the queen’s accession, June 20, be
ing a Sunday. The observation of the an
niversary will extend all over the British
empire and its hundreds of millions of pop
ulation. Thanksgiving services will be
held In all churches, and the archbishops
will formulate a special prayer for the use
of the clergy. If the crowned heads of Eu
rope respond, as they doubtless will, court
officials will have a trying task. Assum
ing that the three emperors personally at
tend, and that the Kings of Italy and
Portugal and Sweden, and pOßSibly the lit
tle King of Spain, and almost certainly her
little majesty of Holland, make their ap
pearance, it will be a puzzle to accommo
date them all. The queen has decided that
St. Paul’s cathedral, and not Westmin
ster abbey, shall be the great central
scene of the functions associated with the
fetes. Westminster abbey was selected
for her recent Jubilee on account of Us
associations with her coronation. The pro
gress of the queen and all the European
royalties from Buckingham palace to St.
Pauls will possibly be one of the grandest
spectacles of the kind the world ha*
witnessed.
Woman’s Diseases
are peculiar, and cannot be '■jSSag
discussed as we do those to
which all are subject. Men- jrjitXp k
struation sustains such raj,' 1 ]
important relations to /k£jgKWgf\V
her health that when ;>L,
Suppressed, Irregular or ) RjWfcJC' .
Painful,she becomes lan-l/ r Njl|fcy\\'
guid, the bloom leavest\i,
her cheek and grave'UV/if u I
complications arise un-flMffl lljfl
less regularity is restored "“tJ ,
to these organs. * 11
BRADFIELD’S Mi'll ft
FEMALE WLy
REGULATOR is a receipt of a
noted physician of the South, where
Menstruate troubles prevail more ex
tensively than in any other section. It
never fails tq restore health and
strength to the suflering woman.
The Bradfizlo Regulator Cos., Atlanta, CM.
Sold by all Druggists at SI.OO per Bottle.