The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-03-27

strength and resistance against the
mighty winds and waves-enabling the
vessel, with almost resistless power, to
| Cleave path majestic through the flood
| AS II she were goddess of the deep.
ana now that have quoted this ele-
CANT compliment to the steam engine,
will tell you what the Professor said
about light.
In very old times," he began, epeo-
pie went to bed with the chickens when
the sun had set. When they wanted to
sit up a little later, all the light they
knew how to make was from the blaze
OF burning wood. After a while, some
observing old fellow noticed that when
grease fell into the fire, the blaze be-
came much brighter; SO he dipped a
reed or rush into Oil and set one end on
fire, and thus rush lights came into
fashion. Old books and songs tell
about the farthing rush-lights. They
were sold four for a penny, and very
dismal illumination they must have
made. Then people began to put oil in
cups, preparing rind of pork to set in
the Oil for a wick, and burned that.
The great feasts of the Romans, in the
old classical heathen times, before the
birth of our Savior, must have been
most dingy affairs, for all they had for
lighting up their tables were these
lamps" And here the Professor put
out all the gas-lghts, and applied a
match to the wick at one end of the lit
tie bronze Roman boat.
1t was highly classical and very ele-
CANT in shape; but the light it gave was
so utterly dismal that all the company
uttered funny little groan, and hand
some old gentleman, who sat next to
me, said:
"Well, after that specimen of old Ro-
man brilliancy, l am quite reconciled to
paying my big gas bills"
AFTER this" continued the Profess
sor, "candles were invented. To show
you what the first ones were like, 1 tried
to get as bad a one as possible. 1t
should evolve or unfurl the traditional
shroud in the light, and be otherwise
disagreeable; but this one, am afraid,
will be far more respectable and well
behaved than the tallow candles of our
ancestors"
Here he lit the candle, and another
dismal groan saluted the forlorn yellow
light. :, 1t looked as if it had lost all its
friends. 1t spluttered and guttered;
tallow tears ran down its greasy sides,
and very soon it became--if not broken
hearted, certainly broken backed, tai
low candle.
=" It was not so many years ago." said
the Professor, "that candles were in
general use, though greatly improved in
quality; for the next invention-the ar
gand burner, or astral lamp-could on
ly be afforded by well-to-do people.
The flame was fed by the Oil made from
the blubber of the sperm whale, which
was rather expensive; but the lamp
made great improvement in artificial
light. Many of US can remember the
astral lamp, which gave soft, pleas
ant, steady light under its glass shade,
quite sufficient to render room of or
dinary size cheerful and cozy. Gas had
been discovered, and utilized in places
of business d long time before it was in
troduced into our better houses; and
then it was that petroleum or kerosene
took the place of candles in poorer To-
calities, and it is still in universal use.
'You may think that there is nothing
better to be desired than gas; but if the
ladies present consider how this light
changes and Injuries many delicate col
ors, and how unbecoming it is, they
would rejoiceIin that restless spirit of
invention that. is ever crying Excel
sior!' and is now using all it's resources
to bring the exeuisitely beautiful pure
white electric light into common USE
Let me show you the effect of light still
more yellow than gas-light on those col
ors hanging up. 1t is a sodium light,
and sodium is only common salt pre-
pared for burning
Here the Professor applied match to
one Of the things on the table of which
l told you'll did not know the uses. A
dull deep yellow flame sprang up. ALI
the blue, red and green in what we will
call the banner vanished utterly-no-
body knows where-leaying three ugly
gray and leaden- colored stripes, while
the pale yellow border had an attack of
yellow jaundice Immediately, and be-
came orange color. The Professor held
his hand against the flame, and it chang
ed to ghastly gray hand, and as to us,
we looked like dressed-up ghosts.
''Y You see now,'' said the Professor,
:" how great an Improvement white
light ought to be. am told that when
ladies purchase silk for an evening dress,
they request to have it shown by gas
light. Some ofsthe larger stores have
little room lighted only by gas for this
purpose; and it is surprising to notice
how a silk, beautiful in daylight, will al
ter and become dingy in color the mo-
ment the gas-light flashes upon it.''
And now the Professor, putting out
the hateful sodium light, touched hid
den spring. In an instant-like the
winking of an eye-a tiny, but most glo-
rious star, ,or,w hat it was still more ike,