11
Marvels of Everyday Science
Competent Scientists Apply Their Skill to Problems of Agriculture, Houskeeping, Schools, Business and Governmental Activities
HOME AMD FARM MAOAZTNE SECTION
ANKVV SYSTEM of teaching boys
and girls how to swim, instituted
N in certain Cincinnati schools equip
ped with bathing pools, is thns de
scribed by the Scientific American: An
aparatus is employed consisting of an
oval track secured to the ceiling over
the pool. A dozen trolleys run on the
track, and from each depends a tope
j'
n CSV
with a belt attached. Twelvo pupils
fasten the belts around their waists and
the swimming lesson is on.
They go through the motions of
"sailur fashion" aud the "Australian
erawl" as per the direction of the swim
ming instructor, who keeps watch from
around the edge of the pool. They can
not sink, so t ho . only thing remaining
for them to do is to swim. This "water
merry go-round" has proved so suc
cessful that others like it aro to be in
stalled in schools where a bathing pool
)B a part of the equipment.
' ,
Road-Making Device.
This invention, patented by Hugh G.
Taylor of Buhl, Idaho, is simple in con
struction. It is a drak constructed of a
piece of sheet metal four feet long, four
inches wide by a quarter of an inch
thick. It is attached by means of rods
to the axle of a wagon or buggy, and
drags immediately behind the wheel,
smoothing the track and inclining loose
4irt toward the center of the roadbed.
At the outer end of the drag is a disk
which serves to cut down the sides of
the track. Taylor has one of these
drags attached to his mountain back
and it fills all holes, leaving tho road
smooth after the passing of the vehicle.
How to Mend a Hole.
It is easy to repair holes in pots and
pans without the aid of a tinsmith.
Make the hole round by inserting the
point of a knife and twisting it. Flace
the pot or pan upon any firm, flat piece
of metal, such as an anvil, a bar of iron
or an Inverted flatiron. so that tho hole
is immediately over and touching the
iron. In the middle of the hole place a
shot about the sizo of the hole. Any
piece of lead will serve if shot is not
bandy. A i'ew sharp blows with a ham
mer will flatten the lead and spread it
out, filling the hole tightly and over
lapping enough to hold it in place. A
few strokes with a file and a rub with
sandpaper completes the operation. The
repair is permanent.
Mail Boxes Indicate Activity.
A German statistician has figured out
that tho number of collection boxes
used by the postal authorities of each
nation may serve r.s an indication of
commercial activity. According to his
information tho nation. rank commer
cially as follows: Germany, with loo,
766 boxes for collection of mail; the
United States, with 144,640; France,
79,724; Britirh India, 75,083; United
Kingdom, 71,986; Japan, 67,694; Austria-Hungary,
59,503; Italy, 39,767;
Russia, 31,714. Other countries range
Lfrom Switzerland with 13,472 to Persia
with 17 aud Abyssinia with only 6.
Searchlight Makes Ships Visible.
That the war color of naval vessels
was selected because of its invisibility
by day rather- than by night, is the
statement recently made by a naval
officer, and tests seem to show that a
vessel painted in this color, while diffi
cult to see in daylight, is easily picked
up and nii.de visible by a searchlight
at night. In one case a vessel painted
in tho war color was detected at a dis
tance of 17,000 yards under the search
light. There seems to be an insuper
able difficulty in connection with this.
For night work alone black is believed
to be the best color, but this is a color
too easily distinguishc! in daylight to
bo considered.
Traffic Telephone in Germany.
An electric street railway in Frank-fort-on
the-Main has recently supplied
its lines wilh a portable telephone to
enable the conductors or motormen to
report troubles directly to the main
office. The telephone is of ordinary
construction, but the connection has
novel features. A long pole, equipped
with uninsulated hooks, is carried on
tho car, and when connection is de
sired the pole is taken out and hung
on the telephone wires at the side of
the track. The battery case and phone
is so constructed that it may be easily
carried during conversation, straps be
provided for suspending the apparatus
over the shoulder.
Mahogany to Imitate Walnut.
A case of wood staining that has at
tracted considerable attention was that
of staining mahogany to represent wal
nut. This seemingly purposeless use of
one valuable wood to imitate another
came about "from the fact that a walnut
finish was wanted for a room r.t .". time
when walnut of the exact size and kind
was not available. Owing to the simi
larity in grain and texture in the two
woods the imitation might deceive even
an expert.
Gyroscopic Automobile.
A new gyroscopic aparatus for bal
ancing two-wheeled vehicles, recently
brought out by a European inventor,
has reached such a stage of develop
ment that it is now being promoted
commercially in England for use both
on monorail cars and two-wheeled auto
mobiles. In this apparatus the preces
sional power of the gyroscope is em
ployed for maintaining the balance of
tho vehicle in the same manner that it
is employed in stabilizing a ship, but
with a mechanism that is remarkable
for its simplicity in comparison with
the precession engine end other con
trolling apparatus ordinarily used with
an active gyroscope.
ft
Machine Records Steps in Walking.
The mechanics of the muscular effort
used in walking, in golfing, or in play
ing other games may be recorded with
exactness by means of a new device to
which the inventor has given the name
"kinograph," It consists of a system
of levers connected with a recording
pencil in such a way that a step upon
a movable platform is registered on a
strip of paper, which is propelled by
clockwork. The difference of the step
in walking and in running is marked,
and the swing of a golf player makes
distinctive impressions.
Health and Sanitation
BY A PHYSICIAN.
WE ABE passing through the annual
round-up in many households, and
in some parts of the country it
is all over with and peace is drawing
near.
It is true that the women of the
household still call the men down if
they walk in without thoroughly clean
ing their shoes or if a coat or hat is
carelessly left where it should not be.
It is also true that mother ia still
nursing a lame back and aching mus
cles, but she is so glad to know that
it is over and everything clean and in
order that 6he is comparatively happy.
Now, let me tell you something about
houseclcaning.
There now, never mind. I know I
am a man and am not supposed to look
at such things from the woman's view
point, but I am just egotistical Tnoogb
to say that I know better than, some
of you, and I will also say, that what
I know about the'matter I lcarned-from
a most excellent housekeeper, who never
found it necessary to do what most
women call "spring housecleaning. "
Why! Well, in the first place Bhe
found that in most homes the process
was followed by colds, sore throats,
child ailments and a great amount of
physical suffering on her own part as
well as great inconvenience to the en
tire household. ,
How did she avoid it t
By simply keeping clean all the time.
In the first place she found that the
greatest trial was to take up, clean, and
relay the carpets, so she took up every
carpet in the bouse and made them into
rugs.
Theu she painted and varnished 11
the floors, and after that she got a
vacuum cleaner. A little work daily
and a thorough use of tho vacuum
cleaner once a week has from that
time on kept her house in just as per
fect condition all the time as it was
formerly after the spring houseclean
ing. .
THESE are some ways to kill flies.
Carbolic acid may be used as fol
lows: Heat a shovel or any similar
article and drop thereon 20- drop of
carbolic aeid. The vapor kills the flies
in a room.
A cheap and reliable fly peisB r bj
chromate of potash iu solution. Biff
solve one dram (one teaspoeafttf) in
two ounces of water, and add a little
sugar. Tut some of the solution in
shallow dishes, and distribute about
the house.
Traps, nets, swatters and liquid poi
sons are among the best things to use
in killing flies. Also a solution of for
malin or formaldehyde in water is ef
fective. A spoonful of this liquid put
into a quarter of a pint of water and
exposed in the room, will be enough to
kill all the flies.
To quickly clear tho room where
there aro many flies, burn pyrethrum
powder in the room. This stupefies the
flies when they may be swept up and
burned or fed to the birds.
MOUTH breathing is the cause of
many undesirable things. It is
said to lead to adenoids and other
throat troubles, also to chest ailments.
At the same time one should remem
ber that mouth breathing is sometimes
a symptom of adenoids. Tho back of
the nose being blocked by these, the
child cannot inhale air in sufficient
quantity through its nostrils.
When you notice that a child keeps
its mouth continually open and cannot
Breathe comfortably through the nose
you should at once consult a surgeon.
Eating with the lips unclosed is a
very bad habit. It may not perhaps
affect the health, bnt it may affect the
child's future - socially and affect it
very seriously. People fight very shy
of those whose table manners are dis
tinctly unpleasant. Correct this habit
when noticed.
DO YOU know:
That a bag of 'tot sand often re
lieves neuralgia.
That warm boracic acid solution will
remove dandruff!
That a little soda water will relieve
sick headache caused by indigestion f
That a cupful of strong coffee will
remove the odor of onions from the
breath?
That well ventilated bedrooms will
prevent morning ' headaches and lassi
tude 1
That a cupful of hot water before
meats will sometimes relieve nausea
and dyspepsia t - (
That one in a faint should be laid
flat en the back, with the head lower
than the rest of the body if possible,
the elothes loosened, cold water applied
to the face; and otherwise let alonef
That tho best time to bathe is just
before going to bed, as any danger of
taking cold is thus avoided and the
complexion is improved by keeping
warm for several hours after leaving
the batht
Angora goats have been used with profit
to keep tiro lines clear of inflammable vege
tation on national foreulB in California,
EARN CHIROPRACTIC
A Mience that meetMrteneada of every omwIiq
It net. MEN and WOMEN are ineceaafal prac
.titionera. Kntcr a profMaion thai make voti inde
pendent, awl bsinga you mony. We havethebeat
coune. ClejeDoakSraiiaf. WHtfMGUilK.
Pacific Chiropractic College
COMMONWEALTH BUILDING
IP OUT LAND OftlQOWl
YOU WANT THE BEST SPRAYER
You wait la aave time.
temper, (rouble and tree.
You want ta raiie fruit that
briaav ttift htfhett pricna.
You want la know all about
our eprayer before you buy.
Wrltftfor . VjESiK,1 " " " xoo ouihiu.
Catalogue 8 V ,.. ' Jr ,! . want 1ft
IlillUI MURIItlTM. KmvM T1 PnceJ
Manutacturtrt, 162 Morrison St, Portland, Ore.
U. S. and Foreign Patents
Obtained.
Send Sketch and Description for Opinion
as to Patentability.
PETEE HABEBLIN,
200 Victor Bldg., Washington, D. O,
Free Homesteads
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73 SIXTH STREET, PORTIaAND, OEEGON.