Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-09
DOMESTIC LABOR,
The Vexed Quesyion VIII Probably be
Solved by Electricity.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

From the Brooklyn Eagle
There is no doubt that electricity is des.
tined to solve the vexed question of domestic
labor" said well-known member of the Elec.
trio club the other day. "Let me show You
two devices have here in my own house which
my wife declares has made her life much hap
pier and the question of housekeeping easy.
She says that for twenty years she has been
struggling with the maids on the question OF
scratching matches on the paint and leaving the
burned ones about. Now look here" He raised
his arm, pulled little iron button hanging be-
side the gas jet and fame sprang up. "You
see there! that does away with the need of
matches entirely. As you pull that spring il
creates an electric spark which ignites the gas.
1t is very simple and never gets out Of order.
Here is another device for the same purpose,
but which can be used on the ordinary
burner" and he picked up a long wand,
in the handle of which he pressed a
button with his thumb, producing little train
OF blue sparks. which continued to flow as long
as his finger was on the button. He turned on
the gas, applied the wand, and it sprang into a
fame. But this new Device" he went on, sis
more important still, or rather even more of a
convenience, because / think the public will
come in time to think that method of lighting
gas in factories and business houses without
the hands OF careless employees, is one Of the
greatest value and importance. The other
electric device Of which speak is q self-wind-
ing clock. have one here in the house and
will show you how it works. get these things
at once and use them with the intention of
popularizing them as much as can Here it
H.. The motive power, as you will see, is from
fine spring, as in the ordinary mechanical
clock, and not from electrical action.
The self-winding device is the electrical
nj
small cells of battery are placed in the top of
the case and connected with a motor secured to
the lower part of the movement As the cen.
ter wheel, driven by the unwinding of the
spring, makes one revolution around the hub,
it brings up q loose arm which slips under Q
stationary projecting arm fastened to the train
plate. The moment this contact takes place
the circuit 10 closed and the action of the little
motor rotates the barrel containing the spring
one revolution from left to right, winding up
Just as much OF the spring as has been required
TO run the clock during the last sixty minutes.
The spring barrel itself carries an arm which
slides the loose arm from under the projecting
arm, breaking the circuit. The same action L
repeated every sixty minutes. Where Q num-
Der Of clocks are used one may be operated a.
sort OF master clock to correct and regulate
the others. As all labor-saving and economiz-
ing devices cost in proportion to the work
done, it 10 not surprising to and that these
clocks cost in their cheapest shape something
like e2S. But this is in great measure owing to
the patent, and when that has expired they
viii be very much lower in price. You can see
how useful this device will be ON church clocks,
tower and city hall clocks, and in establish.
ments where many clocks are required, and to
which very appreciable amount Of time must
be given to keep them running and tallying
with each other. am interested Just now in
an electric stove that will do away, I believe,
with the necessity Of an engine to produce
electricity, and then electricity can be used e
freely in households - FIRE IL now. The neces-
sity Of looking after an engine has done more to
retard the adoption of domestic electrical sp-
pliancee than anything else, and when that Il
obvtated You win see sudden and tremendous
increase Of the use Of electricity for thousand
and one purposea."