The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-10-27
WORK AND WORKERS.
Useful Suggestions Concerning Recent In
ventions and Devices.

A clever little device, designed for
the use Of tailors. has been perfected. 1t
f. fiat iron which utilizcs the prin-
ciplc Of expansion Of metals by heat,
so that when the iron is hot enough
for use little bell rings, apprising the
tailor Of the fact.
Most combination tools are so clumsy
that carpenters have generally aban-
doned them as wasting time instead Of
saving it. One tool, however, Of recent
invention, Is handy and simple, and
likely TO become Of great service. II
Is piece Of steel or other material cut
90 rs TO form IA square, miter or tri-
square.
A Swiss inventor has perfected n
method Of making artificial boards,
and Is advocating their use in building.
They are made Of mixture OF plaster
Of paris and reeds pressed into shape
by hydraulic presses. The material
has the advantage Of incombustibility
and lightness, and will resist the
warping action Of atmospheric changes.
An important innovation in railway
practice is tho device Of Baltimore
electrician for welding steel rails by
electricity, method which will admit
Of the laying Of continuous track.
After they are placed on the track the
rails are TO be welded by means Of Il
transformed electric current. They
may then be tempered so that the
joint will be as hard rs the rest OF the
rail.
1t will not be long before the shoe
maker can add to his stock Of raw ma
tcrials II waterproof leather. The pro-
cess, which has been recently perfect
ed, is not only Of service on the uncut
leather, but can be used in rendering
worthless leather valuable by plump
ing, stirening and watcrprooiing IL for
insolcs, counters, box toes, etc. Every
part Of boot or shoe can be "water-
proofcdn either before or after it IS
finished.
According to the JOHrRdi dcS Dcbats,
n society for the construction of arti-
sans dwellings, at Eouen has been
formed. 1t has already erected six
buildings, accommodating altogether
nincty-fvC families. The rents are
low and the sanitary arrangements as
nearly perfect rs they can be made.
A feature Of the enterprise is the cs-
tablishmcnt of local savings bank,
whore the trades people may put away
in safety what proportion of their
wages they do not spend. But even
with this advantage 1t will be n long
time before France can vie with En-
gland in provision of sanitary dwellings
for working people.
Dry goods merchants appreciate the
services of an employo who is good
window-drcsscr. Many firms keep n
man who does nothing else, but the
majority of dry goods and furnishing
houses depend upon the taste and
good sense of their clerks. Two
things are necessary to the making Of
n good window w-drcssCr-a sense OF
color in masses and in contrasts, and
the ability to appreciate the value of
repeated forms. Such colors, for in
stance, rs yellow and black, repeated
in gloves and stockings, say. are very
striking and catch the eye. Rcd and
black are also good, although, of
course, the variety of color combina-
tions is endless. A skillful window
dresser is valuable person, and his
wages are 10y no means small.
Cabinct-makcrs who keep on hand a
stock Of fine woods are frequently an
noyod at the destructive operations Of
rats, Traps are Intellectual, rat poison
is not much better besides being uu-
healthy to have around, and, no mat
ter how carefully the holes be stopped
and the Dashboard and quarter-round
be undcrlaid with tin, the rats find
some way of getting in and pursuing
their work OF destruction. \ New
York cabinct-makcr waxcd exceeding
wroth the other day. however, on find
ing particularly choice piece Of old
oak gnawcd into the scmblancc of n
bit of Italian iiligrec work, and he set
about discovering some means of rid
ding himself OF the pest. He soaked u
number OF newspapers, kncadcd them
into pulp, and dropped the pulp into
oXolic acid Before leaving the shop
at uight he put the pulp. while wet.
into every nook and Granny through
which rat could possibly squeeze.
The plan worked. After "a few nights
Of sore feet and sorcr noses the bafllcd
and disgustcd rodents decampcd from
the premises en- massc.- Chicago NCicS.
Tho discussions with regard 20
the substitution Of electricity for the
gallows in the execution Of criminals
have brought to mind the experiments