11'
Marvels of Everyday Science
Competent Scientists Apply Their Skill to Problems of Agriculture, Houskeeping, Schools, Business and Governmental Activities.
HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
Health and Sanitation
THE HAMLET OF CLAYTON, popu
lation 220, is perhaps the small
est community in Wisconsin, Lav
ing an independent central Btation plant
generating its own electricity. The elec
tric company has an operating force of
one man, and its generating equipment
consists of a 12-hp. -gas engine belted to
a 5-kw. direct-current dynamo. The
street lighting load consists of eight
incandescent lamps, and commercial
lighting is given from dusk until 11 p.
m, The Eailroad Commission of Wis
consin reports 140 villages in Wisconsin
with less than 1,000 population, having
electric service utilities. Of these forty
one are of less than 500. population.
The total -number of electric service
utilities in the state is 233. There are
seventeen gas or oil engine plants and
eighty-two plants operated either wholly
or in part by wator power. No less
than seventy-eight cities and villages
are supplied from, municipal plants. .
New System Calls Express Wagon
; Promptly.
Each tenant in a new office building
in New York is provided with a num
ber of small metal disks or checks, each
' Units Used In Novel Call Bystera
for Expressmen.
bearing on the one side his room num
ber, and on the reverso, the name of an
express company. When lie desires to
have an expressman call at his .office
for a package, be deposits a check in a
special chute in the elevator wall, aisd
the check drops down to the first floor,
whero an authorized employe of the
building opens the box, records the room
number and notifies the proper express
man he is to call at that room. The
expressman takes with him the check
as evidence of bis authority to receive
the package.
' How Far a Man Can See Distinctly.
Some interesting experiments have
been mado intho German army with
the object of discovering at what dis
tance the recognition of one soldier by
another is reliable. For' soldiers iwth
good eyes it was found that a person
seen once before could be recogniod at
a distance of 80 feet, while an acquaint
ance could be recognized at a distance
of 300 feet, and an intimato lriend or
relative, at a distance of 500 feet. The
various parts of a man's body can be
distinguished and any decided move
ment can be detected by an expert rifle
man at a distance of 300 feet. At
J.800 feet a man appears as a spot on
the landscape and cannot usually be
seen if he keeps still or it his dress
does not contrast with the bakgr:und.
Sailors, hunters and farmers can usually
see twice these distances, probably on
account of their constant training in
making out the nature of distant ob
jects. ' i , ;',
Fastener Holds Tonjus of Bho.
An invention by a Canadian is de
signed to prevent the tongue of a shoe
from slipping down out of place. The
contrivance consists of a ball-and-socket
fastoncr, the ball portion being on the
tongue a4 fitting into the socket,
which in a man 's shoe is part of the
hook itself, while i a woman's shee,
where the eyelet is employed, a separate
socket is inserted.
Fan and Rack for Drying Dishes.
A new devioe for drying dishes con
sists simply of a pan, 20 inches, square,
fitted with a rcmovablo wire rack, to
hold the dishes on edge while draining,
and to keep out of the dripping rinse
water. After tho dishes are washed
they are set on edge in the rack, scald
ing water is poured over them and they
are allowed to dry, the idea being to
eliminate the use of the towel for dry
ing. By this method the dishes are both
cleaned and sterilized.
s Electric Servtcs.
The cost of lighting at the present
time averages only from 1 to 2 per cent
of the cost of living and ia one of the
smallest items on tho list of regular ex
persee. If it is really advisable for a
state to go into business in order to re
duce the cost of living there are other
lines i.l which even a small saving, if
accomplished, would amount to more
than the entire east of lighting. For
instance, food amounts to 35 to 45 per
cent of the cost of living, and a 5 per
cent reduction in this item would be
the same as the furnishing of light for
nothing. Besides this, the1 price of food
is steadily going up while the price
of electric light is steadily going down,
and that witho-ii ary great expense to
the state.
WorM's Largest Filter Kant:
The world's largest mechanical filtra
tion plant is under construction at St.
Louis to purify te city'n water nupply
from the Mississippi River. The de
sign provides for forty filter units ench
one of which will be capable of filtering
4,000,000 gallons daily. Each filler box
measures 59x28 feet in plas and con
tains a 30-inch depth of fine sand and
a 12-inch depth of gravel.- Be'ore en
tering the filters the water Till pass
through eed'mcntation basirs where a
coagulating chemical will be added.
Eed Desk for an Invalid.
An adjustable desk or table for an
invalid or convalescent can be made as
Bkcwn in the sketch. The arrangement
of the top may be in this or any other
manner to suit the maker. The length
of the desk should be the same as the
width of the bed. Two vertical stand
ards made of two pieces of tubing, one
telescoping in the other, are used as
tho supports. ClampB are attached to
tho upper ends of the larger, or out
side tubes for use in holding the desk
at the height set. A brace, also made
of two telescoping tubes, is used at each
end to adjust the rear part of the desk
to a comfortable height for the iser.
Thnmb nnts are used to clamp the desk
to the bed.
Concwfc telegraph Pole.
Reinforced concrete telegraph poles
along the Pennsylvania Eailroad in the
vicinity of the New Jersey entrance to
tho Hudson tunnels proved during the
blizzard of March 2 their superiority
over the ordinary kind of wooden poles.
So severe a load did the ice-cnated wires
impose upon the concrete poles th:;t the
wooden eressarms on some of them were
broken; the concrete poles themselves,
however, remained intact. Many of the
wooden poipj, however, were entirely
demolished.
BY A PHYSICIAN.
THOSE who have little time for ex
ercise and are compelled to live
chiefly within doors must en
deavor to obtain or should have ob
tained for -them as far as possible by
employers by way of compensation, a
regular supply of fresh air without
draughts, an atmosphere as free from
dufft and other impurities as cau be
obtained, with a good supply of light
and some artificial warmth when need
ed. These necessities granted,- cereal
foods, such as well, made bread in va
riety and vegetable produce, including
fruits, sr.ould form a fair portion of the
diet consumed, with tho addition of eggs
and milk if no meat is taken, except
in the 'form of soup, - and little other
animal food than fish, fowl and gamt.
On such a dietary, and without alco
holic stimulants, thousands of such
workers may enjoy, with very little ex
ercise, far better health and - more
strength than at present they experi
ence on meat and heavy .puddings, beer,
baker's bread and cheese.
CREOSOTE is an excellent means of
combating chronic, conr.tipr.tion
without exercising any purgative ac
tion properly so called. The creo
sote should not bo prescribed -ia pilie,
capsules, or alcoholic solution?, but pure
and in drops. The effective dose is
about seven or eight drops taken twice
daily, immediately after breakfast and
after dinner, iu a glass cf milk, beer,
wine and water, or pur3 water.
To begin with, one drop of creosote
is administered, and that amount in
creased -by one drop daily until the de
sired effect is obtained. In this way
the necessary dose is determined for
each case individually. This treatment
has to bo continued for soma ti:ns
some months, in fact and not only
overcomos the chronic constipation, but
at the same time restores the appstite
and braces up the system.
THOUGH smoking cigarettes is redly
hinnfijl for boys, they smoke nof
becausa they ore basically bad, -but in
imitation cf their - elders. It is -the
parjats' duty to prove to the- boy that
srroWag nia,' prevent his becoming an
athlete ftd thfct it will affect his chest
expa.uioik .nJ muscular development.
See to it that he distinguishes the real
from the cheap sport and desired to
imitate the right kind of tl'Ur fellow. I
f .
Y CHILDREN never carry um
brellas, writes a friend. Instead
each cno is provided with a rainproof
hood, which when not needed is but
toned into an inside pocket of the over
coat. If rain comes 6n the hood is button-
FARMS WANTED
From 10 to 500 acres, stato how much
under cultivation and also what improve
ments; full description and location, terms,
etc. I'll do the reBt; option required.
CHAS. HIKSTEL
101 Sherlock Building, Portland, Oregon.
ed on to the buttons sewed under tho
collar of the coat. When the collar is
turned up and the hood drawn over tho
head the little one is as cozy as pos
sible and takes no harm from the rain.
The hood can be quickly dried after
ward. I find it a far bettor plan than
providing umbrellas, which are always
getting damaged.
'
TO PIECE of advice the physician
can give will bear more frequent
repetition than the pithy sentence,
'.'Breathe deeply." It is a perfectly
simplo rule of health, yet it is constant
ly broken.
SPRINKLE chloride of lime, crude oil
or kerosene over contents of vaults
past when occasion induced the primal
There are two ways to learn to
breatho. If our powers of self disci
pline arc poor, as is the case with most
insufficient breathers, it is a good plan
to join n gymnasium or calisthenic class
and learn to use tho lungs as a baby
learns to use its feet and hands. But
remember that lessons in breathing will
do no good if the scholar thinks ho is
absolved from his task except when ho
is in tho class.
A simple method for those who have
not time or opportunity to attend a
gymnasium is to turn life's daily roTi
tine into a continuous discipline in
breathing. If tho poor bronther takes
the troublo to watch himself carefully
ho will find that when ho is engaged
upon any work that calls for close at
tention he does not even breathe as
deeply as usual; he almost invariatily
holds his breath. Thus tho blood cur
rent is vitiated whon it ought to be
cleansed, and the worker exhausts him
self, not so much by his lubors as by
his neglect,
Draw in deep drafts of air ovcry time
you take a breath, and every little while
stop everything else and f ill your lungs
a few times with UreftUa Ut test their
capacity. You will be surprised to see
the improvement that it will make in
your general condition.
or garbage boxes. Keek garbngo recep
tacles and open vaults tightly covered,
dark and clean daily.
Sprinkle chloride of lime or liquor
crosolis compositus over manure piles
and other refuse. Koep manuro screened
if possible. It should be removed at
least once a week, and where it cannot,
should be boxed in air tight receptacles.
Pour kerosene into tho drains.
Clean cuspidors every day. Koep a 5
per cent solution of carbolic acid in
them. Don't allow dirt to accumulate in
corners, behind doors, back of radia
tors, under stoves, etc. Allow no decay
ing matter of any sort to accumulate
on or near your premises. ,
We will be Pleased
to correspond with you in relation to
any condition pertaining to dental work.
Twenty years' practice in Oregon.
DR. M.A.JONES
245 Washington St., Portland, Orogon
m
WE TEACH YOU TO PLAY
Any Instrument Easily --Quickly
YOU STUDY AT HOME
est child) can learn Prices are low.
Let us put th joy of music in your , '
home. Write today now to ,
American School of Music if
Iftftn Floor Commonwealth BIdg. Jfj M
Portland, Oregon.
STAFF Flora McCurdy, director; V. K. McCurdy, Mgr.; Fiau Em
merich; Signor A. Viccttl; Mons. Bazin.