The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-25
DANGEROUS OILS.

Prof. Traphagen Contributes More Inter-
estIng Information.
To The INDEPENDENT: Your article in
Tuesdays I~NDEpENpEsr entitled "Thc Talk
of the Town. needs careful consideration
before it's acceptance.
The statement that all the oils came from
the same tank is preposterous. to say the
least, and l question if anyone, upon
thought, is ready to accept this as a fact,
even the ones making the assertion.
One gentleman says he sells only can oil,
and we are told by the oily man, that this
comes from the east while the tank oil
comes from Colorado. You see these state
ments do not hang together.
A careful investigation would probably
show that the better oils were different
brands of can oils. However, / am pre-
pared to believe that the poorer samples
came from the Continental Oil company's
tanks Perhaps from the same one, for
they correspond very closely with their tan
oil AZ sold here, and the variations in the
results are only such as can be readily ac-
counted for by the differences in storage:
that is, q higher temperature of the store
house and a loose tank, on account OF the
greater evaporation of the more volatile
constituents that would have ar oil of high
or grade than the opposite conditions. The
samples flashing respectively at98 and ll0 de-
erees certainly came from different sources.
The remarks of the agent of the G. O. Co.
are very misleading and can only be ac-
counted for by one of two hypotheses-
either the gentleman does o know what he
= AzIJ..- clo,,& pr ba ID lolfhara$olu ut
tempting to deceive your readers.
HE also denied that naphtha was used in
making the oil. saying it would not pay to
ship it out here OF course everyone
knows that the crude petroleum from which
kerosene oil is distilled contains the naph-
tina already, and the trouble is that the re-
lne.s are not willing to take the naphtha
ont of the oil. No one accused them of put
ting it in.
Unless the United States has recently
adopted a tester, there is no such thing as
a s'United States standard oil ~tester,'' a fact
to be much regretted. s. T. Peckham, pc
troleum expert of the tenth census, already
referred to, in his report says: 81 may
state that while engaged in collecting stat
istics for this report l saw in the testing
room Oh u ldEko AchuClysh ihI6o LoDl0 Oh
which there were no less than seven differ
eut instruments that we're in daily use TO
fill orders from different localities" the
different local legislation requiring them.
We use in the college %iabratory here, the
tester adopted by the state boards of Ohio
and New York.
We are told that the Continental oil
man made two tests just out of curiosity.
/ One registered ITO degrees and the other
19O.' ..Registered.' What does he mean9
| Did the oil flash at ITO degrees or burn at
that temperature? Was the sample some of
his tank oil, or was it his can oil? And, il
the oil is as good n he says it is. why doea
he not bring suit against US for m~isrepre.
sanitation? | have made statements DAM
aging TO his oil.
He SAYS, further. he could make the oil
90 up M high 40 he wanted to by heating
IT,. He must use care or he will go ny
With the oil. But, this last statement of
his IL also a puzzle. What he means l an