San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-07-02
A NEW CONTRIBUTION BOX.

Electricity TO BE Applied To Col
IecIiuns in a Philadelphia
Church.
From the Phi adelphia Record.
The vestry OF wealthy uptown
church, which will soon be redecorat.
ed and improved al q large expense,
has decided, after heightened con-
troysrsy which WAS marked by no |
inconsid cradle amount of warm argu-
ment and bitterness of feeling, to in
troduce. among other innovations
into the QUILTING Of sacred edifice,
the complete system Of the invention
known az Wattlesmith's Climax Con-
trIbution Collector.
The invention, which is somewhat
elaborate and intricate, until the
operator becomes thoroughly &C
quainted with Its working, was
placed In but few churches In the
eastern part of the country as yet,
but has found a firm foothold in many
cities and towns Of the West, South
west and distant Northwest, and in
deed, it was through the influence of
one of the leading vestrymen of the
Philadelphia church in question, who
saw the system in operation in
Walla, that this city is to have the
experiment tried within its borders.
In speaking of the inven ton the
vestryman who has successfully urged
trial here of Mr.. Wattlesmith's
schemes for collecting the contribu.
lions of churchgo ,rs automatically,
said yesterday: ut was very natural
that my plan of introducing the in.
vention in our church should have
met with strong opposition, because
the idea is naturally SO extremity
radical one that any gathering OF
church officers would naturally be
rather startled at the proposition to
adopt it; but alter much argument
aud many personal appeals / sucseed.
ed in gaining my point, and the early
autumn will find US thoroughly
equipped with the Wattleemith sys.
tenn. That it will be voted great
success have not the slighte doubt.
"Wattlesmith's idea, as he him.
self candIdly admits, Is taken from
the cash railways and tobogan slides
used in the big retail shops, but he
has used q great many improvements
in working out bis plan, and 1t en-
bodies the use of compressed air,
gravitation and electricity. To de-
scribe it In detail would involve me
i'm the use of so many purely techni.
cal terms that shall merely say that
the idea Is to send number OF beau
tifully decorated little baskets OF
brass wire through the congregation
at collection time, each basket, of
| fnlInxuinor AiffaFnnt
! and moving at SO solemn and sedste
q pace that the most careless men Der
OF the congregation can he taken by
surprise by its arrival,ye have ample
time to get out their pocket-books
and contribute. In case, however
that any one should not be ready, a
second trip, made at q more rapid
rate OF speed, will be made by each
basket.
ny q singularly clever and delicate
adjustment Of hair.spriEgs and dyno-
matte accentustorics, the invention OF
the renowned Spanish scientist, Don
Dondorado, of Upper Bolobombssto,
each basket can correctly register on
dial in the vestry room each coin
or bank note as it 10 deposited, 80 ths
wnen q basket returns the exact sum
IL contains already plainly In view Of
the keeper of the accounts. You can
easily imagine that the mechanism
needed TO attain this result is very
expensive, but that did deter us from
contracting for the plant. Another
clever Ida Is the manner in which the
basket receives the contributions.
Attached to 1t as musical signal box,
very small affair, but one which
seems to possess almost human intelli-
gence. If cent is deposited 1t will
grunt, aud will amt the same sound
when buttons or spurious contriou-
tions are passed off on it. A series of
musical sounds will be given
forth for quarters, halves, dollars and
oils, sweet in proportion to their
value, and when check is deposited
Checks being generally for larger
sums than $20-a long whistle, as of
gratifed surprise, will proclaim the
event throughout the church.
Therefore repeat that l consider
we have done a good thing in adopt.
ing Wattlesmith automatic climax
contribution collector"