Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-08-04

attention OF the person in charge and had
our claims allowed. He was a soft-v0iced,
large. eyed man with the languor which de-
votIon TO things electrical seems to gener.
ate Even the black cat with white whisk-
ers who lay in the window seemed to catch
the prevailing note of the quarters-ber
black fur stood ont like quilts upon the
Shakespearean animal. We were first
shown the inner mystery of the red boxes
that adorn certain Of the telegraph poles.
The red box is protecting shell which,
when opened, disclnses black iron face
upon which brass hook appears protrud-
ing through 4 cut in the iron plate. This
hook is dragged down and let go by the
agitated policeman who wishes TO give
fire-alarm. The iron plate being unlocked
showed
THE APPARATUS WHICH TELEGRAPHS
The number of the confsgrated district to
the headquarters, whence in turn the
proper engine house is notified. The en-.
gines are upon the street forty seconds
after the alarm is struck. A sort of ele.
waited counter runs around two walls of
the room, for the support of number of
telegrsphic instruments, one set especially
devoted TO indicating any break or OBJ
struction of the wires another, by IFS tip
ping to right or left, shows whether the
eastern or western set of lines ia disturbed,
which. in a circuit of ten miles of lines,
avoids the necessity of some purposeless
wandering. In the middle of the room
was a large structure like a showcase.
with canvas over one side of il and glass
face with three dials on it, like big bezique
counters, and numerals running from TO
! 10. The pointer is set at figure on each
dial, the sequence being from left to right,
and the great bells ring corresponding
numbers.
TO AVOID CONFUSION
There is no box with duplicate figure
No. l2l or 233. for example-and the
numbers do not run above 9. Ii ten
strokes were rung at a clap it would indi-
cate not. The electric clock was an in
tsrssting piece Of mechanism. Below it,
but inclosed in the same case, was white
paper with circle traced upon 1t, and at
the edge the hours and half hours printed
at equal distances. A partial radius was
drawn from two or three consecutive hat.
hour points on the circumference Ia wav-
! ing black line and crayon in a brass grip
stood at the next half-hour point. This is
the teat of the way the person In charge of
the things electrical does his duty By
rule all the wires in the building must be
tested every half hour. aud 1t is only by
manipulating each separate wire that the
faithful black crsyon can be made to trace
its hall. hourly and semi radius, while its
connection with the works of the clock cause
it to passfrom one half hour pointto thenext
without the tell-taie black line being drawn
if the electrician Is asleep and let's the time
for testing 90 by. a little gong rings at
tho hsf-hours to jog the good mans mem
ory also. The giass jars from which all
the ele ctric power ia generated stood prIm
and parti colored and innocent-looking on
their shelves, covering the whole wall of a
long adjoining room. In the office there
was beautiful large map Of the streets of
the city, painted on wood and shellaced
the electric lines, represented by fine red
silk cords, were just being applied to it,
held in place by fficient.looking little T.
shaped steel rails. No one can tell me
again that my deep self-complacence over
the fact that my watch is right by the
bells is the result Of misplaced conf
dence in the accuracy of those bells. have
seen them struck electrically by chro-
nometer that regulates the sun, and that
finishes it.
TWO PICTURES FROM MILAN
Have found their way out here. One is
half-nude young woman in forest glade
with patches OF sunshine on her back, posi-
blymeant to Observation-Disclosures
foliage, but more, as lady rather wittily
expressed it, as if some one were holding
lenses over her anatomy. The forest set
ting of this nymph is very rich and mystic
rious, as wooded backgrounds should be.
The artist scrawls the name Crevotin in
the corner of his canvas. The other pict.
ure, by one Broccoli, is said to be the best
flower painting that has ever been in the
city. 1t is about four and half feet by
three, and represents a heap of gigantic
pink and white peonies lying on cool old
gray stone slab. The messy foreground,
the basket that held the flowers and the
undefnable droop of the great green leaves,
as if they bad Just begun to realize that
they are gathered, are noticeably excellent.
It is a very attractive picture, neither
crudely strong In its tints nor dejectedly
low. spirited.
KNIGHTS TEMPLARS PRIZES.
The prizes offered by the California Com.
mandery of Knights Templars for the drill
of the invading Knights have been on pr.
vate view at the factory where they were
made thatconnected with theestablishment
of one of the leading jewelers. of the town.
The principal prize is said to be one of the
finest pieces of bronze work ever made in
America. There is enough delicate handi-
craft about it to satisfy Oscar Wilde him.
self. From base of bronze, ON which lie
grouped the trappings Of Knight-hel-
met, corselet, shield, gauntlet and sword
springs a shaft of California onyx, beauti-
fully cleuded. Round this column clings
a grapevine with leaves, tendrils and clus-
ters complete, made Of oxydized silver.
Patient and renewed workmanship hsspro.
duced red purple hues upon the grapes.
Round the top Of the column is circlet Of
medallions, alternate engraved and gilded
pictures and crosses of California minerals.
The pictures of the Yosemite, miner of
40 and other characteristic designs are
engraved upon silver by Swiss artist,
and then gilded and oxydized by the most
delicate processes until the lights and
shades, the perspective, the tone and depth
of water, appear in these unsympathetic
metals as real and vivid as the scenes
wrought upon the canvas with brush and
colors. The bronze capital is surmounted
by the figure of knight in full armor on
horseback, silver knight upon bronze
steed. The cast of the horse was modelled
by Marion Wells. The glints of light in
the name, the lusterless saddle. cloth, the
texture OF the animals coat are remarka-
BILE examples of the differing effects that
can be produced in the one metal. Every
point of the horses body is gone over with
chisel and file. The whole weighs $50
pounds. Tosophile GautieI, whe said that
the Muse walked best in light shoes, and
that the artist who respected himself
sbonld choose difficult task and work in