The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-08-12
SCIENCE AND CIGARETTES.

SCIENCE AND ClGAREiIES.
It has been known for years to the
average schoolboy that the a1kali met
ais. cpsium, rubidum, potassium,
sodium and lithium, have so powerful
an affinity for oxygen that they will
decompose water on contradictions bin
ing with the oxygen and liberating the
hydrogen. In the case OF all but the
last mental named the reaction is so
violent that heat enough is evolved to
fire the hydrogen, which burns with a
flame colored by violatilized portions
of the metal, as follows: Cesium, sky
blue; rubidum, ruby; potassium, violet;
and sodium, yellow. Lithium will in
flame only on contact with strong nitric
acid, when it gives off an intensely
white light. A Broadway fakir has
turned this curious fact to advantage,
and has abandoned the cheap, soft gum
drop, the marvellous tooth-paste, the
lightning strop, and the dozen-for-a-
penny tin collar-buttons to introduce
small strips OF sodium to the public
under the name of sEdison's Miracu-
lous Helectro-Dynamic Pipe and Cigar
Lighter. Ere, gentlemen! fl .'undered
lights for fiji cents!'' Having drawn
a crowd, he illustrates: s'Jus' clip hort
ha bit the size hof ha ptn's 'ead, put hit
hin the tobaclzer-this was, gentlemen
then spit hon it, so!-'n'ere yer see
hit BUSTS hinto flame, N per 'as yer
light, rainer shine"
This delightful chemical surprise of
course succeeded in obstructing the
street near Trinity Church almost as
we'll as does the United States Steam
Heating Company. The curious spec
tators gaze and then pass in their nickels
and receive small bottles covered with
paper, in each Of which are three frag-
ments of sodium the size of a pin
worth at wholesale rates about one
tenth of q mill. As sodium oXydizes
very rapidly when exposed to the air,
and is preserved only by being sub
merged in naphtha, the purchasers soon
find their Edison lighters worthless, for
the fakir only puts abouta drop of
naphta in each bottle. Yesterday a
smart man with waxen mustachc and
brown mats under his ears thought it
would be very funny to buy one of the
Edison lighters, shove it into cigar
cite, and then win ten dollars from a
friend by betting him he could light
the thing by dipping it into water.
The preliminaries were skilltully and
easily made, and the loaded cigarette
was carefully marked and deposited in
the case with others. The man who
was to lose ten dollars was fonnd pick
ing his teeth in front of Delmonico' IS
having just had a free lunch in Nassau
| street.
"IIow do, Jim?" said the smart man
sauntering up. "Have cigarette?'-
careless like.
! "Don't care'f do" observed the mar
who was to lose. "Gotter light"'
ono, butter guess there's water in
SIDE" insinuatcd the man W no was tt
win.
| "Water! Wha' for :'' asked the
man who was to lose, astonishcd.
"To light cigarette, of course" re-
sponded the man who was to win, art
fully.
A few questions and answers then
flashed back and forth, until the man
who was to win said:
"Betcher ten dollars!''
"Done," said the man who was to
lose. The money was PRODUCED, a
passing mutual friend was hailed and
appointed stakeholder, and the three
entered neighboring saloon to get the
water with which to light or not to
! light-the man who was to win, calm
aud smiling, tho man who was to lose
calmcr and staggering, and the stake
holder lobster-cyed, thinking he had
fallen in with pair of lunatics.
The water was produced, Il crowd
gathered, the cigarette was dipped. 1t
did not light. The crowd smiled. The
man who was to lose laughed. The
stakeholder started to pass over the
money. The man who was to win
checked him, said it was all right,
stuck the cigarette in his month and
gave it vigorous draw.