Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-10-19
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Argana I:x:s OF LAMPS

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one in his eccentric efforts tSs..,t;..
something he did not believe in. 81
lanterns Of che Greeks aud Romans con-,
tanned an oil-lamp. Its sides were
made Of thin layers of horn. waxed
| parchment, linen or bladder. Glass
lanterns were used in England as early
as 705. They were expensive. how
ever, and Thousand years later the tin
lantern was chiefly in use among the
poor people. The Chinese excel in the
manufacture of lanterns. They have
used them for ages Some of their
mandarins have them built at a cost Of
thousands Of dollars each. The word
built is not out Of place here, for these
lanterns are twenty to thirty feet high
and contain hundreds Of candles. Their
sides are often Of rich colored silk. On
January 10 OF each year they celebrate
the feast Of the lanterns Why? o.
it's way they have they are heathens,
you know.
No; candles are not the most primitive
form OF light. In Homer'stime torches
were used, even in the palaces Of the
wealthy. Rush lights, early in use,
were rnshes dipped in grease, pitch or.
wax. Lamp comes from Greek word
--lampas- The candles Of Scripture
are supposed to have been lamps in
which olive oil was burned The earliest
lamps were shallow vessels of terra
Gotta, either ROUND or obiong in shape.
There was small opening in the top in
which the oil was poured; at one side was
q handle. and opposite, a nozzle through
/ which the wick protruded This form
Of lamp is offer represented in pictures.
Many Of them were ornamental with
representations of war scenes and
chariot races. Bronze lamps and golden
lamps have been discovered of such
beauty AS to entitle them to rank among
the choicest specimens of ancient arts.
In the Acropolis at Athens, according
to historian, was golden lamp, large
enough so that when filled it would
burn night and day for year. Above
| it was bronze palm tree to carry off
Its fumes and act as a reflector That
vas the kind of a lamp to have.
Speaking of primitive lamps. some
are still to be found in the country dis
tricts. while in West Virginia re-
GENTLY" said a travelling man. II saw
one that was primitive enough. A
saucer was filed with grease. and over
the edge of it hung lighted wick. It
| splutted some, but made enough light
to render the darkness visible. and its
heat was sufficient to light the pipes of
the family. 1t was more used for that
purpose than any other, it appeared to
me, though it was the only light in the
house. There are many people in the
mountain regions whose only lights are
tallow-dips.
form of the ancient Greek lamp is
still in use among the Canadian French.
In the remote districts of Scotland the
cruisie; a similar lamp, is sometimes
found. Olive oil, ground nut oil, pop
Ply oil and other vegetable oils are all
used in various districts of the world.
In the tropical regions cocoanut oil is
used in lamps. The trade Of candle
making, usually combined with that of
soap-boiling, was once an important
one. Franklin worked at it until he
ran away. The chandler made wicks,
nodded, and dipped his candles until
driven out of his business by the general
adoption of whale oil as an illuminant
early in the present century.
Improved lamps were introduced
about a century ago. A Frenchman
named Argand. in 1874, invented a
lslrner with two coucentric tubes. the
inner one open for Il current to pass
through. and the outer one containing
the wick. He had metal chimney to
make it draw and carry of the smoke.
Somebody soon found ont that a glass
chimney was better for that purpose
Assand' lamp, variously modified and
improved, is the parent of all the best
modern lamps.
Various substitutes for whale oil were
lried during the present century, but
none came into general use until coal
oil was introduced 1t was first made
from camel coal, and that is the way
it got its name. The general develop
ment of the petroleum region in Penn
sylvania, which began in 1890, soon
destroyed the manufacture of coal oil,
just as it was getting to be profitable
industry. Many Improvements in lamps
followed this discovery. But petroleum
is not new thing-neither is natural
gas. OIL was found in a spring on
Zacyuthus or Zant, one of the Ionian
islands, two thousand wears ago, and