The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-02-15
More About Coal u1I-

. EMPoRIA, Feb. Sth, 1873.
EDITORS NEwS:-My article on coal
oil was largely based on the absol ute or
approximate correctness of DR.. Nichols
test. MesSrs. Looms & SniveIy say ''the
method OF testing oil mentained by DIR.
Nichols II obsolete and of little value"
In addressing your readers the gentle
men evidently presumed upon an ignor-
ant, frontier community; for, in no other
event could even an ignoramus have
blundered into such q bungIing evasion
Of the leading evidence against him.
The test Of DR.. Nichols is founded up
on the low igniting point Of naphtha.
This point is fixed by natural law, and
one might, with equal propriety, assert
that the law of gravitation is now ohso-
lete. What means the brand ''fire test
HOP If 1t expresses anything but the
plain English, it bears q falsehoOd on its
face. Taking 3 common sense interpre-
tatiOn, we infer that the contents Of that
barrel will not ignite below no degrees,
This is all that DR.. Nichols test demands,
Why then "Obsolete':
The presence of dangerous kerosene In
this place is sufficiently manifest without
the testimony Of chemist or dealer.
Lamps containing such oil are nightly
witnesses against assertions to the con.
trary.
The specIous arguments, constituting
the bulk Of the gentlemens' reply, rest
upon fAllacies that need only be men.
toned to become apparent. Wood is in
fsmmable but gunpowdeI is highly In.
hammable, hence the statement respect
ing the dangerous oil which has foun its
way into our market. Desrth of argu.
ment alone can justify such a petty, pur-
lie criticism. Some of our most ObserYant
citizens, as well as myself, have noticed
an actual combustion Of gas in the lamp
bowl after the lights have been extin-
guished by blowing down the chimney
hence the polntless comparison of our
critic.
Il diamond, Standard, etc, are all
brands Of one establishment, there is
doubtless something grossly rotten about
the coal oil business. By Nichols test
Diamond does not ignite below 100, while
another brand inflamed at 65. Is one es-
tablishment engaged In turning out oil of
all grades, and 9 government officer CIV
ing sanction TO their business? "Lone
Star" oil Is now sold by a firm In this
city. 1t is decidedly superior to any that
have examined. 1t does not have that
dirty straw colSr OF Standard and LOOM
IL q SniVely, but Is as transparent as wa
ter. By Nichols''SobsoIete'' test it ignites
but slightly below the brand. Why does
government test and that Of DR.. Nichols
correspond 90 closely in the case Of clone
Star" and Diamond, while In that oil
LoOmis 4 Snively the discrepancy is SC
Rreat3 The latter firm had better ex.
change their ''best apparatus procurable''
for the s'obsoleteo method of Dr.. Mich.
OILS.
A specimen from Usage Cityignites Al
20 degrees. It is to be hoped that this
sAmple Is not from the 10000 gallon tanE
OF 'LOomis 4 sniTeIyI
An regards government inspectors, J
venture the remark that the public ar,
not convinced by such statements. Peo-
pie remember the presence OF q govern
ment inspector in st. Louis during tn,
reign Of the whisky ring-eYen during
the days Of crooked whisky.3
The sole motlYe prompting my first ar
ticle was based upon 9 desire to secur,
plfe oil for myself and the community
With the assurance that this object Ia
besn attained, disayow any inelinatioi
for . Newspaper controversy and dlsmIs
the subject. Truly yours,
s. c. DFIAP.