The Ralston Independent (Ralston, Okla.), Vol. 8, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, August 23, 1912 Page: 2 of 8
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ITY for Uicht
iv In* nd pow
er is rapidly
advancing In
>'■' tba faTor of
j the American
Jmmgmm
' Whether he
M W be one cf
I /"N fR those sdven-
turous I n d I •
vlduals who
■take their
all on the
prospect of
developing a
paying farm
In the arid
districts of
the west and
Houthweet, or
awainp lands
south, or whether he be
of the class that la turn-
ing Its attention to the
great rewarda of truck
and dairy farming In the eaat, the modern farmer
hail caught the scientific spirit of the time and
la getting practical results from hla realization
of the fart that methoda muat accommodate
themselves to changing conditions.
At the annual convention of the American
Inatltute of Electrical Engineers held recently
In Boston, tho electrical farm was considered In
a paper by Putnam A. Hates. He discussed In
aome detail the work now being done by farm-
ers who are developing the arid districts of the
weat, showing that Irrigation and electricity are
tho two factors that promise most for the future
where natural condltlona are for the moat part
against the farmer Irrlgntlon camo first and
then fh« advantagea of electric power pumping
were realized The so-called electrical farm has
been In existence for a dozen years or more, but
It la only recently that there has been an organ-
ised effort to disseminate knowledge on the prac-
tical uae of electricity In agriculture.
Referring to the southwest and to th« elec-
tric (arm aa he found It there, Mr Mates says:
"In aome sections of that wonderfully fertile
country, well protected by the high mountain
ranges, practically every farm Is an electric
farm. Thta Is to say, the buildings are lighted
by electricity and ninny of the laborious opera-
tions are accomplished by the use of electric
power. These really were our first electric farms,
the period of their establishment corresponding
with the development of the water powers of the
on tap
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MECHANICS
HANDLE BRICKS WITH PALLET
Qaneral Appearance of Implement Is
That of Baggage Truck—Invented
by Kansas Man.
A pallet designed for a different way
to handle bricks than has been in
vogue In the past has been patented by
a Kansas man. The general appear-
ance of the affair U that of a bag-
gage truck, but the metal edge that
runs across the lower end la so con-
structed that a row of bricks can be
arranged on It In a tilled line, resting on
their edges and end to end. The stack
of bricks then can be piled up on top
ol these, but at right angles to them,
the bottom row supporting the whole
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JXPW&? /KXWJr
CW r/lPAT
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romantic
more progressive farmers. The up-t«v
date farmer is very much aware of
the fact that the regular grooming of
cows Increases the supply of milk
and counts strongly for cleanline «.
He now has an electrical device for
doing this.
One of the most Interesting elec-
trical devices on the modern farm I#
the telephone. In the old days the
men and women were called from the
fields for dinner by the blowing of a
horn or by sending the small boy
trudging across the field with the
good news. The modern farmer's men
take to the fields with them a tele-
phone which can be rigged up near
where they are working and receive
messages from the house by that
means.
With the installation of these elec-
trical devices much of the romantic
side of life on the farm passes away.
Even a modern poet would have a
hard time getting anything lyrical out
of an electrical milker, and the beauty
of a load of hay somehow fades when
a motor truck goes chugging across
the fields with It. Hut the American
farmer ceased to be romantic when
the graphophone took the place of the
wheezy oid organ and when his wife
opened up that front parlor that always used to
be such a sombre place. He Is out to make
money now and electrical machinery opens up a
way for him to do It. When he feels like It now-
adays he gets Into his automobile and goes else-
where to find what will appeal to his Idea of the
Pallet for Bricks.
stack. By moving the whole stack
bodily the bottom layer of bricks is
turned over so that they rest on their
flat Bides and support the rest In that
way, at the same time projecting far
enough outside to hold another row.
Filed up In this fashion, the bricks
can be trundled to any part of a build-
ing operation and dumped there.
~ " V 9 > ' > ■ ■** v -
nearby mountains.
"On the majority of these farms Irrigation Is
practiced and quite naturally electricity was ilrst
made use of for pumping purposes. Then under
the Influence of progressive local central station
operators. It was almost universally adopted for
light
"I can recall seeing electric lights and the
•lectrlc flatlron In use In the farm home on the
Pacific coast eleven years ago The people were
content to enjoy the advantages which these
Improvements made possible to them, but did
not seem to regard their conditions ps unusual.
Their farms were in fact electric farms and their
Industries, dependent upon the produce of the
land, were as they are now, practically all oper-
ate^ by electricity.
t "A brief summary of the work accom-
plished shows that construction Is under way or
has been completed on twenty-nine projects, in-
volving an expenditure of $rtf>,470,000. in the
eight years of actual work there have been dug
7,000 miles of cnnals and more than nineteen
miles of tunnels, mostly excavated through
mountains The total excavation of rock and
earth amounts to 77,200,000 cubic yards. There
have been built 670 miles of roads, 1,700 hlles
of telephones, and there are now In operation
875 miles of transmission lines, over which sur-
plus power and light are furnished to several
rltles and towns.
"The small farms and villages grouped about
these developments give the cffcct of suburban
rather than rural conditions. The cheap power
developed from the great dams or from numer-
ous drops In the main canals la now utilised for
the operation of trolley lines, which reach out
Into the rural districts, bringing the farmer In
closer touch with the city. It runs numerous
Industrial plants for storing, handling and manu-
facturing the raw products of the farm. The
same power li used for lighting and heating In
the towns, and for cooking In the homes. On
several of the projects the farm«rs arc applying
for electrical power, and In many farm houses
electric power is utilized for many domestic pur
poses
"More than a million dollars has been Invest-
ed In the development of power on the Salt
River project, of which the farmers have volun-
tarily raised $800,000. The sale of the power up
to the beginning of the present year amounted
to 9144,000. with the plant only partially con-
structed This revenue will contribute material-
ly toward lessening the cost of operating the Irri-
gation system
"Ou n large milk farm at Plalnsboro, N.
electricity Is used for lighting, clipping cows,
operating a bottling machine, spinning on tin
foil caps or seals on bottles, cutting ensilage,
' running a sawmill, pumping from a deep well,
grinding feed and elevating It tn storage bins
"Thn fnct that this I* n commercial plant
turning nut dally from 3,(00 to 4.000 quarts of
milk, where an exceptionally high standard of
I £*** ■ -3
quality is rigidly maintained, Is evidence that
there must be advantages In using electricity In
such an installation.
"The total acreage of the farm Is nearly
1,200, and at present about 70 per cent. Is under
cultivation. Electricity Is generated by steam
power and distributed at 220 volts. The gener-
ating equipment at present consists of one 25-
kilowatt direct connected unit, steam boiler, etc.
"This Is not a large generating plant, to bo
sure, but It Insures cleanliness of lighting equip-
ment and safety from fire risk In the barns,
bunk houses and outbuildings. It also makes
possible a convenient source of power In any
part of the farms or outbuildings, which of nec-
essity are widely distributed, and cost of gen-
erating the current, Including Interest and de-
preciation charges, Is probably not over four
cents a kilowatt hour.
"Scientific milk production is more and
more coming Into prominence and the necessity
for perfect cleanliness. Immediate cooling and
keeping the milk at a low temperature compels
such dairy farmers to adopt devices that will
be most helpful In obtaining these results. There
Is a milk dairy In Morrlstown, N. J., where the
walls, ceilings and floors of all rooms In which
the milk Is handled are washed down dally, both
morning and evening—the electric lighting fix-
tures being entirely water tight
"Dairying and stock raising are usually fol-
lowed where land needs upbuilding In fertility,
and In either the silo Is a necessity, cutting up
succulent forage crops and storing them In the
silo for later use being the accepted method of
preparing the feed. To do this the farmer must
have power, but a ten horsepower electric mo-
tor with Its capacity fOr momentary overload
will do the work that would stall a gasoline en-
gine rated at twelve to fifteen horsepower.
"The farmer can easily recognize the advan-
tage of the electric motor for this operation and
when once adopted he soon wants to use the
current for grinding feed, baling hay and other
purposes.
"On the dairy farm, however, electricity of-
fers other opportunities, as It Is the most con-
venient form of energy for operating an artifi-
cial refrigeration plant, the cream separator,
chum and butter worker.
"Cream separators, while often turned by
hand op small dairy farms, sre more frequently
driven mechanically where considerable cream
Is handled. Except In the very large sizes, they
requre not more than a one-fifth horsepower mo-
tor and they are In operation only for a com-
paratively short time. The operating cost, there-
fore. Is practically negligible."
There are In use many designs of electric
milkers, especially on dairy farms where there
Is a great deal of milking to be done and hand
milkers are not available In sufficient numbers.
Likewise electricity ts now being used exten-
sively for cooling and aerating and the Ice-
making electrical device Is not unknown to our
To Burn New Home
Former Fire Chief of New York Plans Unique
Demonstration.
Former Fire Chief Edward F. Croker of Nev
York city is planning a unique yet highly impres-
sive object lesson on the prevention of fires in
dwellings. He recently purchased ground for a
new house in the suburbs, and now he announces
that when his $30,000 home is completed he will
demonstrate Its fire-proof qualities by attempting
to burn it. His grim experience while fire chief
of the metropolis In seeing so many lives sacri-
ficed each year to the demon of flames fed on
flimsy materials, both In buildings and their fur-
nishings, is back of his commendable plan to ef-
fectually prove that there Is a safer and saner f
way.
"The house will he completely furnished at the j
time," explains Mr. Croker, "with rugs, draperies
and furniture of artistic patterns. Hut everything |
In the place will be proof against Are. We shall
fill each room with wood shavings and cotton
waste on which kerosene has been poured. We
have such confidence In the material employed in
the house Itself and in the fire-proofing qualities
of the furniture that we are sure they will come
out of the ordeal unscathed.
"The building itself will be constructed oi fire-
proof block, which can be worked up Into most
artistic effects. During Its manufacture It was
subjected to excessive heat The exterior will
be In the Italian villa style—the first story In
white, the second In red, with s red tile roof.
"Not a particle of wood will be used anywhere.
Inside or out Doors, window frames, sashes and
trim will be of fireproof material. The floors will
be of a substance that looks like wood, but which
ts chemically impregnated with resistant mate
rials. The furniture will be of fireproof sub-
stances, on which fire has absolutely no effect.
In parts the Edison concrete furniture will be
used.
"The sanitation will be perfect. The corners
of every room will be rounded, there will be a
vacuum cleaning system, and so the dwelling will
be insect and rat proof. Closets will be fitted
like innovation trunks, with all the fixtures In
stamped metal, and lined with tile. The different
appliances In them will work on ball bearing
rollers. Kitchen sinks and drain boards will be
of aluminum.
"There is now no fireproof house In existence,
and more lives are lost through the burning of
private houses than through fires in factories or
other buildings."
PROGRESS IN FUEL BRIQUETS
This Country Still Lags Far Behind
Some of European Countries,
Especially Germany.
Considerable progress has been
made In the development'of fuel bri-
quettlng In the United States during
the last two years, according to Ed-
ward W. Parker, in a statement Just
made public by the United States
geological survey. This country, how-
evr, still lags far behind some of the
European countries, particularly Ger-
many, In this line of Industrial activ-
ity. In 1909 the production of fuel
briquets In the United States was
139,661 short tons, valued at $652,697,
an Increase of nearly 55 per cent. In
quantity over 1908. In 1911 the pro-
duction amounted to 212,443 short
tons, valued at $769,721, the Increase
In two years amounting to 72.782 short
tons or 52 per cent. In quantity, and
to $317,024, or 70 per cent. In value.
In Mr. Parker's opinion, more atten-
tion should be given to this Industry,
as on it depends to a considerable de-
gree the utilization of some grades of
fuel which are now wasted o#sold at
less than the actual cost of produc-
tion. The reprehensible practice of
shooting bituminous coal "off the
solid"—a practice notably prevalent
in the fields of non-coking coal In the
Mississippi valley—produces an Inor-
dinate proportion of slack, which
might be made Into briquets.
HOME VACUUM ICE MACHINE
German Invention of Particular Inter-
est Because of Elimination of
Dangerous Acids.
A German vacuum ice machine,
made in sizes adapted (or use in tho
home, is of interest because it does
not Involve the use of sulphuric or1
other dangerous acids. It may be op-
erated by hand or by a small electrio
motor, the smallest type of machine
producing from 4 to 6 pounds of ico
at each operation.
The apparatus consists essentially
of two communicating drums attached
to a common Bhaft, the smaller drum
being provided with an outer casing
having insulatiug walls The ice Is
formed as a circular shell between
the hmaller drum and the outer casing
with which this drum is provided. The
larger drum, which is hermetically
sealed, contains an absorbent liquid,
chloride of zluc, containing a small
proportion of water. This liquid half
fills the drum, the remaining space be-
ing a vacuum, and serves during the
life of the machine.
In the operation of making the ice,
gas Jets under the large drum are
lighted and the drum slowly rotated,
the heat driving off a part of the wa-
ter in the absorbent liquid, the wa-
ter passing, In the form of vapor, in-
to the smaller drum, where It Is con-
densed by means of cold water, which
is made to flow over this drum. When
the distillation of the liquid has pro*
ceeded sufficiently, the flame is extin«
gulshed, the smaller drum Is then cov-
ered with its annular casing, and wa-
ter is poured in until the space be-
tween the drum and cover is filled. A
water Jacket is then clamped over the
larger drum, and water is passed
through it to cool the absorbent liq-
uid. The apparatus is then agala
slowly rotated, and as the absorbent
liquid cools, It causes evaporation and
absorption of the distilled water ia
the smaller drum. Thus the tempera-
ture of the smaller drum is greatly
lowered and the water between this
drum and its casing is frozen.
LATHER RUBBER MADE HANDY
Obviates Necessity of Rubbing Soap
Into Skin With Fingers While
One la Shaving.
To obviate the necessity of rubbing
lather Into the skin with the fingers,
when shaving, a small attachment for
Lather Rubber.
the shaving brush has been provided.
It consists of a rubber cap which Is
fitted over the handle of the brush.
The end face of the cap Is formed with
a series of concentric annular flanges
which catch the lather and assist ia
rubbing it into the skin.
WORKED LIKE FOUNTAIN PEN
No Time Lost With New Paint Brush
by Dipping It Into Can— Does
Its Work Evenly.
Most Ingenious Is the fountain paint
brush patented by a New York man.
This device will not only save time
because It does not have to be contin-
ually dipped into a can of paint, but
it will do Its work much more evenly,
as It will always have the Bume
amount of paint on its bristles. It Is
very simple, like most really Inge-
nious things. The head and handle of
the brush. Instead of being a solid
pleoe of wood, is hollow metal, form-
Agents Wanted.
Mr. Gowlt—I am going to Join the Society for
the Prevention of Crime.
Reggy Riverside—Great Caesar! What for!
Mr Gowlt—So that I can paint the town antf
have my oxpenses paid.—Puck.
Had s Tender Heart.
Mr. Calley—I thought both your girls played
the piano?
Pa Hyley—Mamie does, but Carrie never could
stand to make others unhappy
On the Farm.
"Do you have any trouble in keeping your boys
on the farm?"
"No." replied Farmer Cnrntossel. "They'll
wlllln' to'stay. The only difficulty Is that they
all want to act like summer boarders."
Fountain Paint Brush.
Ing a paint reservoir A number of
perforations lead to the bristles and
through these the paint continually
leaks, keeping the brush always filial
with paint, and the same amount of
paint. Or the brush can be made
with a wooden handle and with a re-
movable reservoir setting Into the
middle of IL
INDUSTRIAL
MECHANICAL
^ NOTES ^
Glycerin Is a by-product of the soap
factory.
It takes 7,000 tons of coal to bring
one of the modern liners across the
Atlantic.
Two districts in the Philippines are
yielding gold profitably and prospect-
ing Is In progress In several other lo-
calities.
A calcimine brush invented by an
Ohio man consists of a number of thin
brushes fastened side by side to a sin-
gle handle. '
An Alabama man haB invented ap-
paratus to be fastened to the back of
a horse to hold Its hoofs In position
for shoeing.
A locomotive that originally was
built In 1847 has been reconstructed
and given light work to do by an Eng-
lish railroad.
With a production of more than five
and a half billion pounds the Chilean
nitrate fields established a new rec-
ord last year.
The value of canned pineapplea
shipped from Hawaii during the fia-
cal year of 1911 amounted to two
million dollars.
The success of the stepless car on
the street railways of New York has
led to the placing of an order for 150
cars of this type.
The back support of a stepladder
patented by a Texas man can be turn-
ed up to form an extension ladder of
the ordinary type.
A heating plate of the usual type,
stand to hold food and a hood to cov-
er them form a new oven for use over
a single gas stove burner.
To an actress Is attributed the re-
cent Invention of a capacious trunk
which can be converted Into a com-
plete bureau and dressing table.
A machine which thoroughly
cleanses 8oo barrels an hour by wash-
ing them inside and out and rinsing
them several times has beea Invented.
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Bryant, T. E. The Ralston Independent (Ralston, Okla.), Vol. 8, No. 18, Ed. 1 Friday, August 23, 1912, newspaper, August 23, 1912; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc162869/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.