The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-07-04
SCIENCE AND CIGARETTES.
Adventure Of a New Yorker Who
Bet On q Sure Thing.
New York Times.

1t has been known for years to the
average school boy that the alkali met
ais. casium, rubidium, potassium,
sodium and lithium. have so powerful
an affinity for oxygen that they will
discom pose water on cOntact-cOm.
hining with the oxygen and liberating
the hydrogen. In the case of all but
the last metal named the reaction il
50 violent that heat enough is evolved
to fire the hydrogen, which burns with
a fame colored by volatilized portions
of the metal, as follows Casium, sky
blue; rubidium, ruby =; potassium, vio-
let. and sodium. yellow. Lithium
will inflame only on contact with
strong nitric acid, when it gives off all
intensely white light. A Broadway
fakir has turned this curious fact t.,
advantage. and has abandoned the
cheap, soft. gum-drop, the marvellous
tooth-paste, the fighting strop, and
the dozen-for a-penny tin collar but
tons, to introduce small strips of sodi-
UNI to the pubic under the name of
"Edison's Miraculous Helectro-Dyna-
mic Pipehand Cigar Lighter. Ere
gentlemen f. undered lights for fiji
cents" Having drawn a crowd, he
illustrates, jus clip hort ha bit the
size hof ha pins cad, put it hin the
tobacker-this way gentlemen-then
spit non it. so!-'n ere yer see hit
busts ninto fame. n yer as yer light.
rain or shine
Tine delightful chemical surprise, of
course. succeeded in obstructing the
street near Trinity church almost as
well 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 fragments of sodium the size
OF a pin-wOrth. wholesale rates,
about one-tenth of mill. AS sodium
oxidizes very rapidly when exposed to
the air. and is preserved only by being
submerged in naphtha, the purchas-
ers soon find their Edison lighters
worthless, for the fakir only puts
about drop Of naphtha in each
bottle. Yesterday smart man with
a waxed mustache and brown mats
under his ears thought it would be
very funny to buy one of the Edison
lighters, shove it into cigarette, and
then win SO from a friend by betting
him he could ligI the thing by dip,
ping into the water. Tue prelimi-
diaries were skillfully and easily made,
and the loaded cigarette was careful
ly marked and deposited in the case
with others. The man who was to
lose $40 was found picking his teeth
IN front of Delmonicos, having just
had free lunch in Nassau street.
How do, Jim ?" said the smart
man. sauntering up. ''Haver ciga-
rette ?"-careless like.
Don't caref do" observed the man
who was to lose. ''Gotter light ?"
"No, butter guess there's water in
side" insinuated the man who was to
win.
Water! Wha' for" asked the
man who was to lose. astonished.
TO light cigarettes, of course"
responded the man who was to win,
arttully.
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 t.
lose. The money was produced, a
passing mutual friend was hailed and
appointed stakeholder, and the three
entered the neighboring saloon to get
the water with which to light or not
To light-tbe man who was to win
calm and smiling, the man who was to
lose calmer and staggering, and the
stake holder lobster-eyed, thinking he
had fallen in with pair of lunatics.
The water was produced, a 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 mouth, and
gave it vigorous draw. x ):
The crowd never knew what made
him throw a back somersault, claw at
the air. choke. gag, whistle. cough.
spit and swear like a South Sea Island
er who had inadvertently taken a
drink of lava or Hoboken whisky. The
barkeeper was so surprised that he set
'em up for the crowd. The siake-hold-
er passed over the money, and said he
hadn't witnessed such gymnastics
since the last time he attended service
in Brooklyn. The man who was to
l.ca h,,t l:1pS< mn. l:..:lzl