The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-04-30
STOVES FOR YOUR POCKETS.
You Can Scatter Them All Over Your Vital
Parts, if You Like.

s'Whv how warm your hand isi' ex-
claimed young Noodles, upon clasping
hands with his friend Timpkins on F
street one day during the recent cold
snap, says the Washington Star.
Timpkins grinned.
''You haven't your gloves on, either;
and yet, while my gloyed hands are like
icicles, yours are as warm as toast. Do
you carry around stoves in your over
coat pockets?"
That is precisely what do" replied
Timpkins, laughing. Your random
guess struck the fact squarely. carry
a stove in each side pocket of my top
coat in this sort of weather and lind
them very comfortable, l assure you,
though there hasn't been occasion to use
them before during this winter. Here
is one of them.''
With this Timpkins drew forth and
exhibited to view a curious little tin
box about six inches long, by four IN
width, and one inch in thickness. 1t
was slightly curved in shape, and ap-
peared to be covered with some stuff
like glazed calico. When the top was
slid off the inside was seen to be made
of tin perforated with great many
holes. It contained nothing but round
stick of some queer looking substance,
which was burning at the end with q
bright redness, but without any flame
or particle of smoke.
F'What do you call it?" demanded
Noodles wonderingly.
''1t is a japanese stove--a device that
has been used in Japan very common
ly for many centuries. You see, it il
simply tin box with holes it, covered
on the outside with the calico stuff to
help retain the heat. 1t is really quite
hot, you observe, and it will remain so
for five hours with the burning of a
single fire stick. You can't imagine
how agreeable it is to have couple of
such stoves in your pockets to keep
your hands warm. No frozen fingers
for me, when can carry my fire around
with me. They are so small and so fiat
that they don't even make ones pockets
bulge"
But why is the contrivance made
with a curve?n
| Because it accommodates itself more
readily to the hand, for one thing. The
| chief reason, however, is that it is bet
ter adapted in this shape to other uses.
| Warming the hands is but one of the
services the japanese stove is made to
perform. 1t is applied also to any
other part of the body that needs heat
ing. l know man who wears always
in cold weather two of the stoves on
his chest beneath his shirt. They fit
admirably, and keep him warm and
comfortable for many hours at a stretch.
He told me that he wouldn't bewithout
them for anything, I have understood
that in Japan they are put over the
kidneys or the stomach or on any other
| o1-f rhN,. h,NoE Il IL
tic sufferers find their use most benef.
cial."
II should think they would be good
for grip"
Il have no doubt. Indeed, for any
sort of colds once contracted or as
preventive against them japanese
stoves ought to be excellent. 1 should
think that delicate persons would find
great comfort in cold weather in half a
dozen or so scattered over the vital
parts of the body. There is no reason
why ladies should not carry them in
their muffs; the equivalent is done in
Japan.
''Are these stoves very eXpensive?"
Every. They cost 35 cents apiece,
and with each one are thrown in two
packages of the fuel sticks for burning
in them. The fuel sticks are made Just
the length of the little tin box and they
come in packages put up very much
like firecrackers. They are made of
very finely powdered charcoal, and
curiously enough, the burning doesn't
give off any perceptible smoke. If you
want great deal of heat you light
both ends of a stick-only one end is
used at a time-and you get double the
warmth for two hours and a half. An
extra amount of caloric could, of
course, be obtained by putting in two
or three sticks at once lighted, but that
would make the stove too hot for
ordinary purposes. 1t is easy enough
to carry three OF four sticks in your
pocket if you are going to be out all
day in the cold, and as soon as one is
used up to light another and renew the
supply of fuel. You can get as many
fuel sticks as you want at the Chinese
and japanese shops where they sell the
stoves"