Pioche daily record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1872-1876, 1874-01-17
A STEAM JACKASS.
The Most Wonderful Invention Of Amy
A.e--A Detailed Description Of Its
Operation and Eject.

Aman living near Nashville. Washing
ton county, Illinois. has recently in !
vented an apparatus to take the place OF
Whistles for railroad signals, steamboats,, |
tre-alarms, factory calls and the like. |
He calls it the "Telephon, but the pop. |
ular name is the "Steam Jackass.' The |
Inventor is stock farmer, and has de-
voted much of his time to raising mules, |
whose habits and anatomy he appears to
have studied carefully. On his farm |
there was a mule of more than ordinary
vocal power. whose voice could be heard
Il distance of four miles in every direc-
ton, when he once got warmed up to
his work The owner computed that If
he could set in motion all tho air in a
circle OF eight miles in diameter, or
twenty-five miles in circumference. or an
area Of fifty square miles, or thirty-two
thousand acres, a hundred horse power
jackass could, all other things being
equal, rival any other noise yet discov-
cred. He established the fact that the
power of an ordinary ass is about one
twelfth of an indicated steam horse
power. A steam engine of 1,000-horse
power would therefore be equal to the
one ass can fill circle of eight miles in
diameter, $4,000 jacknsses or l,0OO-horse
power jackass would fill circle Of 81, 600
miles in diameter. The inventor thought
all this over carefully, arriving at the
deduction that if he could take nature &
vocal apparatus and apply it to greater
power, he could produce a larger and
more satisfactory volume of sound.
Filled with this idea he put the mule to
death. and carefully severed the head
from the body. He then injected solu-
tons of chloride of zinc and arsenic into
the veins and arteries OF the head and
neck, to prevent decay of the flesh. India
rubber was dissolved in sulphuric ether,
and the solution forced through the
rachea or windpipe, and through tht
larynx or throat. The ether evaporated
leaving film or rubber on the mem
branes, and the injection and evapora
ton were continued until the rubber
film was found OF sufficient thickness
These organs were then subjected to |
vapor of sulphur, heated to 800 degrees
by which process the rubber was vul
canized, its elasticity increased, and tn
membranes rendered impervious Il
steam. These preparations completed,
short piece of rubber hose was attache,
to the wind-pipe aud connected with
steam boiler.
1t was moment of agony to the in
ventor, as he placed the ass-head in tn
hands OF an assistant, and slowly pulle'
the valve open; q moment of thrillin
interest. As the steam was turned on, /
passed into the wind-pipe, expelling tn
air and producing sigh, followed by
groan, snort, o chuckle, then violen
coughing and sneezing. As full hea
OF steam was turned on, the most feal
ful noise, the most frightful guffaw, tn
most vociferous bray that ever assaile
mortal ears, was produced. The lips cor
tracted, disclosing terrible array {
teeth; the features developed a satani
grin; the jaws rose and fell, as the stear
crowded the passages. and the ears pal
tlcipated in tho general movement, gi,
ing to the head OF the ass an animate
and excited appearance. The man VIII
was holding ths head eazed upon it
moment with dilated eyes, colorles
cheeks, knocking knees and protrudiu
tongue; then, suddenly losing all inte
est In the performance, he emigratet
AZ for the inventor, his success eIceede
MS most sanguine anticipations. For a
instant he contemplated the head, b
countenance working with every man
iestation or intense delight; then he, to-
started, probably to learn the create
distance to which that voice would pen
trate, leaving it still in operation, vii
all steam on. The head had now 8
iuily warmed up to its work. and tn
bray went hurtling through tho univers
II was an acoustic earthquake; SIX
Shake;it was a storm, a hurricane
sound, q tornado, n cyclone OF noise;
was donkey carnival, a jackass Four
OF July. It was the greatest success 4
world haa ever known