Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-06-18
POPULAR SCIENCE.
THE Ignite BEDS OF TEXAS APPS
USEFUL.
After the Agricultural Colleges-Ths
Wrong Men-Danger in the Bread
Drinking Ones Shirt Collar-Eind-
ing Comets by Machinery.

In his notes on the Geology Of the South.
west, appearing in the American GeUogis.
for June, Professor Robert T. Hi! saws III.
manufacture OF tse woody iibrous Ignite,
of the eocene beds of Texas into briquet.es
is the subject of great discussion in Texas
at present That this cannot be done profit
ably owing to the cost of manipulation h4s
been proven by the extensive experiments
| of the Houston and Texas Central railway
, company. But there are other Uses tu
| which this inexhaustible mass Of fuel can
be put. Burned in stu the energy can Ue
| converted into electrical force and trans
| mitted cheaply for industrial use Art
| fetal natural gas, or water'gas, can also be
manufactured with it and piped 10 leading
industrial centers at trivial expense. y
ready large quantities are being utilized Is
| substitute for charcoal-which it nearest
resembles in physical properties The re-
finement of sugar.
| DR.. Nj. G. Elzey. the scientific editor q
Mr.. Macune's National Economist, says,
June s, that it may take 'severa! years
for an agricultural college to perfect any
| important work. In some lines Of iayestl-
| cation it will require many years to reach
| definite conclusions bat with the handsome
! endowment these stations now nave It
| within one year after organization no evil
dence of capacity or intention 10 undertake
| any important work has been put before
the public, it may be suspected that no ~
! pacity for such work exists. IL may be ~
pected that piddling and fooling, and CAD
ding about, and sheer waste of funds, vii
characterize that administration TO the end
| of its existence" -.
| DR.. EIzev further states iii would be
mere affectation to deny that there ara
many individuals on pay about these insti-
buttons who obviously have no capacity. or
| fitness at all for any part Of the work. To
begin at the beginning, the law authorizes
| the governor of the state to appoint boards
| of visitors to these institutions, and be be-
| ing nearly certain to be a lawyer and
| politician, knows nothing and cares iess
about what is required TO constitute
| reasonable degree Of fitness for such posi-
| ton. A majority of his appointess are
nearly certain to be quite at sea as 10 Wha.
| is wanted -
Professor J. F. Elsom states through the
| Prairie Farmer that alum, as too commonly
used in bread, is greatly against the health
| of the people 'sWhatever doubts may exist
among chemists and physicians as TO the IL
effects of alum when taken into the Stom-
ach, none can exist, in fact none do eXlstas
| to its pernicious effects and influence u
cases of indigestion and dyspepsia. Breaa
| containing alum is Objectionable not merely
for its containing this harmful ingredient,
but the presence of alum is an infallible cri-
terion, almost, of flour of decided M
ferior and unwholesome quality. good
article of -four will make good bread with
out alum, in fact, alum does not work "e-
with good -four Better results are obtained
without it; but poor flour needs alum D.
fore good looking bread can be obtainsd
from it." -.
Elsom says many states have law pro
hibiting the use of alum by bat:erS,i Out
it does not seem to be much REGARDED
In three samples of bread from sue.
states, as analysed by him, he fouhu
alum conspicuously present. And even
in baking powders making hobby o.
not containing alum he has found alum Wei
represented. THE presence OF AIH
augments the whiteness of the bread an-
makes it somewhat frmer, which, %
course, adds to its keeping qualities
loaf of bread containing alum, even II o.o
and somewhat musty, will appear as gov
as new if placed in very hot ovei wi
few minutes. Hence alum comes h'
pretty general use by people who buy =
ferior -four and resack or rebarrel, ana y
bakers, especially when competition
close and margins small. Inferior n'-l
will thus, by the use of alum, maze
handsome white bread, not liable "
crumble when cut, and enables US
baker to keep his stock longer, ana "
separate the loaves more readily WEI
removed from the oven, particularly "H'-
recooking' old bread"
1t now comes through the scientine pa
pers that man in Australia has Discovers
a method of converting milk into the nne''
quality of celluloid yet known. tie 10
taken out letters patent in all clvinH'N
countries. Beyond its superior quality n'
other special advantages for the new piv
duct are set forth. OF course the cheHi'
who does a thing By means Of his scieh0S
would be able to undo it at will, and, thssS