The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-11-21
What q school Girl Saw and Heard at
the Hillsboro Gas and Electric
Light Co.'s Works.

There is one building with TWO depart
ments, one for generating the artificial
gas and the other for producing the arc
lights that light up the streets of the
city Of Hillsboro. After having been
shown through the electrical depart.
ment by Mr.. Lynne, and hastily inspect.
ing the steam boiler, the engine driving
two dynamos and they furnishing light
through 80 1000 candle-power lamps on
the streets, Mr.. Bowers, being in a
happy frame of mind, took me to the gas
department, and proposed to explain in
detail the process OF making gas and
electricity, and to enable me more fully
to understand his meaning, he carried
on the conversation in dialogue form.
and being in front OF the two series OF
retort, he, taking up lump Of bitumin.
Gus coal, addressed it as Mr.. Coal, and
the three resident factors of the retort
process he addressed as Mr.. Coke, Mr.
Gas and Mr.. Tar.
Mr.. Bowers, taking lump of Pitts.
burg coal in his hand, he thus address.
ed It: "Mr. Coal, you have been sleep.
ing for a number OF thousand of years,
and is it not time that you should wake
up and be about your business? Do
you not know that all matter is held by
a law that makes it available and
adapted to the use and comfort of man.
kind? and now with you any farther
waste OF time would be useless. You
must be made to fill your manifest des-
tiny"
Mr.. Coal :-"Mr. Bowers, when you
view me in my black burial clothes as I
am now, you seem to know nothing Of
my origin. Of my illrstrious condition
and Of the beautiful life that was mine
during my palmy days, they would sound
to you fairy tale if related. To be brief,
what you now see on me is but the com.
pressed remains OF beautiful calla lily,
and when existing in my priue, my d.
mensions would seem fabulous to you.
During life we were surrounded by gigan-
tic fora of every description, whose per.
fume we inhaled with wild delight, and
now for me to peep from this black
shroud OF mine and see this utililaii:.n
age, l cannot help signing for my mali.
Ell Gala lily existence again. And il
you will not bring it back, then let mc
sleep until material things cease to De-"
Mr.. Bowers :-"Mr. Coal, this is an age
OF utility and not an age of sentiment.
While heretofore you have been reyeliny
in poetic existence Of splendid sun
shine. sweet and rare perfumes, AID
viii! delightsome surroundings Of both
veg, liable and animal life, will learn
you through the several evolutions that
mQiified and controlled heat when ap.
pie! 70 You, will make you fitted for
fulfilling your more active intended life;
ana will si;e you an era of higher
pocical existence, than that OF Which
you could have ever dreamed OF. | will |
give you the highest type OF poetry-,he
poetry of motion. / will enable you to |
travel miles upon miles, and in so doing
will have you distribute your sunshine as
you go. Will have you visit any family
in Hillsboro and throw your sunshine
upon their parlors, upon their social |
rooms and upon their kitchens, and |
have you to make the moon smile when
your sunshine will illuminate the streets
more perfectly and brilliantly than the
new harvest moon."
Frank, shovel Mr.. Coal with four
bushels of his fellows in the retort, and
later we will let him speak for himself"
Mr.. Coal 81 was thrown into hot
enclosed space, made of fine clay, and
all air was shnt off from me, being sur.
rounded by burning fire. This fire.
clay retort was all aglow with heat.
"A most suffocating feeling overcomes
ne, and yet ] made up my mind to
patiently await further developments.
A red glow soon painted my cheeks, and
with it an intense desire to fly away.
After staying in this retort for some four
hours, found that was Mr. Coal no more,
out instead was now Mr.. Coke, Mr.. Gas
md Mr.. G. Tar. My retort life now be-
ng ended, bid an affectionate adieu TO
ny two new friends as we'll as my for
ner self, and admitted to them that Mr..
Bowers had given me one OF the
most delicate and fragile dresses that /
lad ever worn. There was scarcely
enough substance in me to get either
aot or cold. ! felt quite ethereal and
angelic.
Leaving the retort by various pipes
IN by an invisible force, rushed me
through series of pipes so dark that I
could not see, but knew was purged by
passing through water, and through
several refining processes that I felt
greatly added to my beauty and delecacy
If countenance. We passed through a
arge machine in the Office and was
weighed or counted and were registered