Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-25
Tag MYsggaY o. Naqosss.


TIE Mystery CT BaTcEEs.
Matches ere undoubtedly useful. They
Gro an evidence and accompaniment Of civ
ilizatiuu. The savage knows nothing OF
matches. He mas 70 depend upon the tedi-
ors process OF rubbing stick against dry
piece Of board when be wants TO kiudle q
ire or TO light she gas, and very inc0nve.
n.sns he rcuzl fad it when he hears o purg-
lar IN the night and wants 10 light eau
die and 20 down stairs TO search for him.
And yet It u by no means certain thai we
are any better and happier for ths inven-
ton Of matches Think for q moment Of
the danger that always turks in matches
bow children set themselves and valuable
5hiDgs Oh IRE with matches, and how rata
try experiments win matches which they
have stolen aud dragged into their hoiee.
S1ch dangers wers mheard OF IN the days
6f thahin- and steel and finder box. Nc
child could start an undesirable fire with
hint and steel, Tor in order 20 use
those implements succssafully the in
teilecs OF grown man, together
with ioaz experience aud great
command of temper was necessary. AZ
for the rats, they scorned flint and steel as
articles maliciously designed for Che pur
pose OF injaring the seeth. In those happy
days it was possible Tor a sehool-teacaer to
eaforca discipline among small boys with
out the riak Of setting them on Ire by IN
ia. =nt.0naliy striking The matches which
nowadays are found III every small boy s
picket. As 90 the iuduercs Of matches in
promoting the habit Of smoking there can
be only one opinion. Not one-haH OF the
amount OF tobacco which Is now daily con-
suU.sa would bs consumed we're it not for
the fact that the smoker always has
matches ~ his pocket There would be
comparatively little smoking were it neosa-
aart tor She smoker 60 So dc"n IN come
quiet place aa6 devote hall al boar to 8
s-rutaia elth tilDl and steel every time be
niah. 4isa 10 Eight a cigar.
It's oue 5f the Objectionable features OF
ma ehas -lat they ars envelopcd ii mys-
terry. Few ops have considered tll5
sub Cd serIouslv, lol had they really given
thor miCds 10 s, tire msollbie nature ot
The n.qstgvv Of matcnes would have bred
in the,g wholesome haired Of tie bail cg
I1rie splDlers or suiphur-capreo WOOD.
j "a .5uere Is mOIe than one mystery III con-
uection with matches, and here IS no pros
osos that taa mysterious element N
ma.c1es wili aver be eiimlEa.sd. Laere
are 10 lae United S,2aes, say. twenty
millions Il people, av=rT enc Of waom uses,
On an average, twenty marches daily.
Ta.s vdl seem BIZ uo means large c5'l-
uasr Rbea We l5er That taa woman
,,1g lights fires, lau. c-ldiel or gas, 81.
way uscs 81 least tase- matches before she
c-n GET ere 81 burn snd that tao hao. .u-l
,n5&er rarely uses less ahan '9rty
matches per car march u5aaLy does
IS work yud 10 sE'losu' sAea by lne
-ITa aaE o. 70 asaH--'' Hh1 '' 1oois
tlo Loeorsure& -it thrown a"sy. f.
IS estimated tle 5s n7.i-con sumed
matches would, il cr-e.y preSd ont over
tne surface at -ra ear-., cover me Oni'e4
States 20 tls p,n " ooe inca. O0N-
1s.y -aey 40 ro.4- 81 lle scr5, ana 'Ae
question 1olt-iore arl-sg. Wns. becomes Of
-aem2 5ca mys,sy vi me dl2AppssiaiCe
If pms q as notalag 20 this- rms ara
mere or Tess enarg and car e2siiy oiA
heir say beueath tls surface o. the esF-n,
" IN uaay Other ways successfully conceal
themselves; bu5 matches are lsrge' 1luhl
and clumsy thsy cannot Ie4dliy escape
e-ticl, and they are SO hght tha5 tuey 20
not easily slnk ous OF slgn5 III the grass OF
elsewhere. There rs no rational hypothesis
which viii explain the utter disappearance
OF millions Of nait-b1rned maSehes ahhu-
ally, and We can only assume tnat mere IS
something IN tas nature OF sa :1 h''''n
which enables l. 20 7a'llsh = VII
ms ny 9osnes-S - S''.'''-.il(:- - ''.e
ferrous and utterly mex pilcAo 9Ss. WY -
which matches disappear rom SHe ila. .3-
safes IN which they are placed N mater sl
nov carefully the housewife may ~ 'lg.u
so2m 10 room spportlolllI,s 70 Sacu l's uue
supply Of natehcs' ana plagjlIa .A:lii 80
do rat or e5aef l'Ies pohA'oi5 au.'ia1 o.;''
each them, tns HaA-eoes WIZ HGo isl Iiaal
rhece they ore placed. = ie" G1ys 1-le1
he msn OF 11e house, Ousy u az - IA
p-stalra, wants q iaA'ea T1-d N-sN Al
fght his evening cigar ne iooeS II tllS
ua'cn-s@Te u ms Foom' ana unos !. Sn.p-y'
lie gees from one room ii-'' '.lG'uet,
ana ia esch an gup.y ''4 -e'' ~ ts
30 hlm. i1a QescehoS 70 lne
llai door, sud s'lll hl5 s9sroa 10.
H2ichs5 70 ii3l-lsas ana d. Is lo1 1L.il az
psrellates 20 she ki-clen mat ne y eo'e "
aua a nasch-s2ie containing ~ sne h!o-e'
three matches II ne ni9s:. -l-s @li ,.. s''i =
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