The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-10-25
MECHANICS FAIR.
The Exhibit of the California
Electric Light Company.
Partial Award Made Of Gold and Silver
Medals and Diplomas to Meritorious
Exhibitors.

Fully 10000 people visited the Mechanics
Fair last night, in consequence of which
the main floor and galleries were fairly
packed, and it was with difficulty that Wis
itors moved from one exhibit to another.
The Exempt Firemen, headed by three
stalwart policemen and drum corps. were
in attendance and marched through the
principal aisles. As tonight is the last OF
the fair it is expected that a tremendous
crowd will be in attendance.
Incandescept Lighting.
The contract for the special electric dis
play in the Pavilion was awarded by the
Directors of the fair to the Edison Com
pany, and although the electrical column
. and Christmas tree were announced as
wonders, those special features have not
caused the surprise anticipated owing TO the
absence of automatic machinery in operating
them and the erratic and unsatisfactory
management of them by the small boys in
charge. These faults would have been
remedied if the Edison people had Displayed
the same amount of enterprise. mechanical
skill and genius that the California Electric
Light Company oas shown in their magnif-
cent exhibit. Their automatic switchboard
has worked regularly and without hitch
from the time the fair opened, and excepting
the times when the power has been shut off
to accommodate the Edison people and the
managers of the fair, the whole of their
lights have run steadily and brilliantly
throughout.
There is a wide difference, of course, be-
tween the system employed by the Calfor-
mia Electric Light Company and that used
by the Edison Company. That of the Cali
fornia company is what is known as the
transformer system, and 1t has certainly
given coed proofs during the fair that the
Edison three-wire method is fast taking
back seat in this age of progression. Alore-
over, not only has it been clearly demon
strated that tie transformer gives the best
results Tor lighting purposes, but 1t is very
much cheaper to erect, and Is actually safer,
for the current which supplies the lamps has
no connection with the outside circuit.
To those who are not familiar with cleo
trical matters, it is necessary to understand
that the principle of the transformer system
is to use high tension wire OF small size TO
convey the current from the central to the
subsidiary stations; here are located the
transformers; the current, after having
passed through them, comes out on two
large insulated wireo-of tension suitable
for lighting purbOses-at the same time in
surfing perfect safety to human life. The
lights are furnished through meter similar
to gas meter, and they. can be turned on
or OFF at any time during the day or night,
the charge being in direct proportion to the
number OF hours the lights are burning.
Already 1000 lights are in use, and this
system is being actively Installed in business
houses and dwellings.
The California Electric Light Company
has been established in this C ity for nearly
fifteen years, and the unvarymS success of
its installations Is due to the excellence of
the system employed as we'll as to mechani-
cal skill and genius; and it seems safe To
aver that, had the Directors awarded the
contract for special electrical features to this
company, there would have been much
more satisfactory display as we'll as more
certain service.
The booth in which is the display made by
the California Electric Light Company has
drawn immense crowds every aftern non and
evening. The leading attraction is in the re-
suit of the ingenious continuance by which
each letter of the rame of the company is
illuminated one after another, eliminating
in lightning-like flash across the sign
board that daZZles and astOniShes every one
on the watch for il. This flashing sign is
exhibited as specimen of what electricity
can do in advertising, and will, no doubt be
popular in this city at any early date.
Prizes Awarded.
Following is a partial list of the prizes
awarded; the remainder will be awarded to-
night:
Best display of agricultural implements, gold
medal, Baker & Hamilton. Best potato-digger. sill
cultvatOr, bronze medal, Durre Implement Com
pany. Best Dlow or general purposes, diploma,
Gilpin," diploma Durre Implement Company. Best
side-hi pillow, diploma. X. ]. Knapp Best fruit and
Co. etump-extractor diploma, Mosher, Chandler q
Co. Best gang-piow bradley" diploma, Truman,
Hooker & Co. Best mower, diploma, Truman.
Hooker " Co. Best hay-stacker, diploma Truman,
Hooker Il Co. Best lawn-mower. diploma, Pacific
Manufacturing Company. Cream-separator. silver
medal q. D. Sharpless. Fruit-pitting machine. di
ploms q. d. Shareless.
b1 brnnZA IN RancrOft
Company. Beet printing done in Pavilion, diploma,
Brunt & Co Best printing from wood-cuts, di-
piOma, Naeau & Petersen.
Best display of carriages gold medal. Larkins &
af
Company. Best hack, silver medal, O'Bren 81
Sous Best coupe, silver medal, OBJ rien a Sons
Best top buggy, silver medal, o'Brien & Sons. Best
open buggy. silver medal, O'Brien Il Sons Best
open rockaway, bronze medal, o. BrIen a. Sons.
Best unfinished carriage work coupe silver medal,
O'Bren x Sons. Fest farm wagon (imported), diplo-
ma, Truman Hooker Co. Best four spring two
sealed wagon, diploma, Baker d Hamii ton. Best
blackboard, diploma, Baker & Hamilton. Mix wag-
6roaze medal, j. A. BIZ fhoro1shbrace milk
diploma 0'Brien a Sons Best display buggy-tops,
diploma, Western Top Company. Liquor wagon,
diploma Thomas Mayer Il Co. Folding baby-car-
riage, diploma NJ. Nuremberg
Best display of furniture, gold medal, W. & j.
Sloane q Co. Andrews folding-beds, bronze medal
diploma, Burr Folding Bed Company. Patent sec
Rotary desk, diploma, Louis sehafer. RoIier-top
cabinet Diploma j. i. Mighell Furniture, bed and
bedding OF California manufacture, Pacific Spring
and Mattress Company. Brass bedsteads, window
shades and fixtures bronze medal, H. Ii. Marendel,
Decorated ceiling and wall, I. Tucker.
Billiard-tabes and bar-room fixtures, grand silver
medal, Brunswick-Balke- CoilendeI Company. Best
display of cooperage, grand silver medal. David
Noener. Best display of brushes, silver medal,
Buchanan brothers. Feather busters bronze medal
Buchanan Brothers. Best brooms, diploma Blu
chanan Brothers
Best fair leather. bronze medal, Phio Thorn & Co.
Best kips and side leather, bronze medal, John
Gebhart Best leather betting, silver medal, Ii. N.
Cook raWhtde goods. bronze medal. III. N.
Cook. Display rubber goods Pacific Coast manu-
fac ure, grand silver medal, w. +. Bowers d Co.
Excellent quality kip and calf leather diploma,
Charles BENNETT Alum tanned leather, bronze
medal. Frank McAlear. Best harness leather best
boot, grain, buff and bottom stock leather, bronze
medal, Huffman SaIZ Il Co. Best general display
boots and shoes, Pacific Coast manufacture (siver
medal) best mems handmade boots and shoes, |
Pacific Coast manufacture, bronze medal, Calm,
Nickelsburg Il Co best display ladies' and mems |
boots, shoes and slippers Qmported), silver |
medal, Rosenthal Bros. Co. Best ladies'
and misses shoes, California manufacture, |
eraI display of Pacific Coast tanned leather, |
grand silver medal, A. B. Patrick q Co. Best sole
leather, bronze medal. Anton Kreig. Cotton betting
('Gandy'), diploma, French & LilfoTth. Cotton |
betting (.'Leviathan''), diploma, Neville d Co.;
Gays" waterproof Manila paper silver medal. |
J. L. Wyman. Dressed skins and furs, bronze |
medal, Jacob Nowak. Sheathing and waterproof |
paper, silver medal, Parafine Paint Company. Dis
play OF California leather products, "vOte OF |
thanks" Leather Federation.
Best kid, buckskin and glove leather. silver