Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-21
COOKING In A PINE BOX.
EDWARD Atkinson's Novel Work With
HomeIy Materials-Couldn't Get Over
worked Wives to Look at His Invention
Whist Quart OF Oil Will Do.

AshlhSOns &NONol "Ork WIKI
Homely MateriaIs-Couldn't Get Over
worked Wives to Look at His Invention
What Quart OF Oil Will Do.
WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.l
I was led to consider the right use Of food
many wears ago when charged with tie well
fare of g village of some $500 people, who
depended wholly for their subsistence upon
the operation of factory of which was
the treasurer. 1t was during period when
1t had become necessary to work the mill
only four DAYS week. At the end of the
year in which 1 undertook to deal with the
elements of living, many of the operatives
assured me, through my agent, that they
had been better of on four DAYS earnings
than they ever had been before on six
When affairs were restored to their nor
NAL condition 1 dropped the subject for a
long time, until one day was passing over
q building which I was expected to insure
when I witnessed, at u o'clock, noon, the
opening Of the dinner pals of the men who
were building the factory. The display of
cold vlctusls led me to determine that 1
would invent a cooking pail which the work
men might charge with food material when
they left their houses and take to the place
of work; by lighting little lamp attached
to it. at y o'clock they would find hot
dinner ready Tor them, wherever they might
be.
Animals Far Better Than Men.
That invention is completed, but is wait
ing for the further perfection of some of its
details before being put into use. This
work led me to deal with the right applica-
tion of heat TO food material / then found
out that while there were many treatises
upon the nutrition of beasts, and while one
might find in many places the right instruc-
tions for feeding trotting horses, fattening
hogs, putting meat on the bones of beef
''critters," or how to produce wool on the
back of sheep, there was no popular treatise
giving the right instructions for the putri-
tion of man.
1 found scientific treatises from which the
unlearned might gradually learn the func-
tion of food in the human system, but one
might as well expect the high heat of fever
TO work the right assimilation of food ma
terisl in the human body as to expect the
high heat of q cooking stove, under ordinary
conditions of use, to work the right prepar-
alton of food for human consumption.
The problem presented was first to derive
the heat from the fuel that could be COM
pletelv consumed without the need of
strong draft through or over the oven. Ma
terials which are subject to complete COM
bustion are kerosene oil and illuminating
gas.
Inperfection OF Coal Stoves.
Had Count Rumford been in possession of
these materials he would have accomplished |
his whole purpose, and might have invented |
the appliances which 1 have now in part |
perfected and may soon complete. The i'm |
perfect or unsuitable work of the iron stove |
In which coal is burned is found not only in |
the strong draft necessary to light the coal,
but also in the fact that after the coal is well |
ignited it burns for hours at an increasing |
heat This imperfection has not yet been |
reuedied The reverse process is required, |
especially in dealing with meat, to which a
high heat may be rightly applied at the be-