Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-06

W/fHy,ii MNMSNN\ tinueS at It's present
! WWltllN(AN\N rate, the work of the
| N.IillV\NN world will be mainly
| ~ wv done by electrical
apparatus.
Already electricity contributes enormous
| ly to the luxury of the rich. The house
hold establishment of Mr.. Gorgius Midas is
| fairly run by harnessed lightning. The
walls of the dwelling are threaded with
maze of hidden wires, the currents dis
| tributed over it being controlled by switch
| es and automatic regulators. a complete
| electric plant in the basement furnishes
lights and runs an elevator, which has no
| attendant being perfectly controlled by
| push buttons.
On waking in the morning, Mr.. Midas
summons his valet by push button. and
| presently is notified that his bath is ready.
His additions are accompanied by mild
scrub with electric brush, which pro-
| duces a pleasant tingling sensation, and is
| heaithful for the skin. Emerging from the
tub, he rubs himself to a glow with
| electric towel which is woven on loose
web OF very fine wires, so as to be perfectly
| flexible. Towel and brush are connected
| with small storage battery, and the cur
rent may be made gentle desired.
me same remark applies to comb that
hangs by the shaving glass. Nobody has
yet invented an electric razor, but that will
! come III time.
MIR. Midas uses an electric toothbrush for
| the benefit of his gums, and then, feeling
| TIT Tor little exercise, he devotes five min
utes to handling pair of light dumb bells.
These also are electrical and give a series
OF mild shocks TO the person employing
them. The gentleman is now ready for his
breakfast. His coffee is drunk out of
cup of precious metal, which is readily at
t&ehe6 to little battery beneath the table
| by hooking it on to the end of fine wire.
In his left hand lie holds a small electrode
that terminates another wire. The act of
drinking closes the circuit, and the liquid
| conveys the electricity to the alimentary
canal and stomach This is not only eX-
Cellent for digestion, but it renders more
palatable the fluid taken from the cup, be-
cause the electricity stimulates the organs
of taste. ae II
All Patented Devices.
Having finished ti,eakfast and read the
morGng paper, Mr.. Midas takes his hat
and cane and starts down town for his Of
flee. The stick tbas massive gold head
| ard would be prize for sneak thief but
it reposes safely in the hall rack, which
| has an alarm attachment, so es to give in
slant notice in case a coat or anything
else it is removed. The cane referred
to Is itself electrical, serding pleasant
ing Mr.. Midas 10 pursue his way to bust
ress, ii will he as we'll to return to his
wife. She is musicahy inclined and spends
most of the morning in playing on a piano
Il
series of shocks while manipulating the
keys, thus undergoing treatment for
rheumat ism incidentally to the perform
arce. Upstairs the children playing
with dolls that are made to dance by cleo
tricity.
All this might be considered rather far
fetched We're it not that patents have been
taken out for cry one of the devices de-
scribed in this article t. such point has
electrical service been carried that some
day ono may see in common employment
such automata as are SPOKEN of in the ro-
nance of THE Coming Race'-mechanical
servants actuGted by push buttons, which
will glide noiselessly about, attending to
their work and never talking back
When Mrs. Midas is ready to go out, she
summons her carriage by touching an cleo
trio bell that communicates with the sta
BILE. Instead CT walking down stairs, she
| calls the elevator by push button. Though
without ar attendant, 1T responds to her
touch, pauses to take her aboard and car
ries her to the first floor. The closing of
the door behind her releases the elevator
and places it at the control of whoever else
may want it.
Mr. Midas occasionally has an engage
ment at his club that keeps him out late.
Il Is SO this evening. At the close of bust
ness hours he drops in at gilded saloon
in the neighborhood of bis office to get a
cocktail and to have his shoes shined, the
latter process being performed by an auto
matte continuance. He drops nickel into
slot sits down into chair and puts his
feet upon two supports provided for the
purpose. An electric motor actuates the
brushes-frst a brush that carries black
ing supplied from reservoir and then pol
ishing brushes. On his way home several
hours later, the night being dark. Mr..
Midas wishes to know the time. His watch
is provided with a very small electric light
bulb In his other waistcoat pocket, con-
nected with the watch by a chain which
serves as a conducting wire, is little bat
terry. An instants pressure upon charm
that is attached to .he chain closes the cir
r,.t W. TAG hn
dial
TnttoOinE Made Easy.
When Mr.. Midas reaches home he has
no trouble in finding the keyhole. He
pushes button and an electric light shines
through a round hole in the door. illuminat-
ing the keyhole AS he enters the house all
Is silent The only noise he hears as he
passes his wife's room, is that of the baby's
cradle, which is being rocked by electricity.
He retres to rest and dreams that he is
shipwrecked on desert island, where
savages amuse themselves by tattooing
him with very improper pictures so that
he will never again be able to appear in
civilized society.
The process is. infinitely more painful
than the modern method, by which a
needle, actuated by electricity, jumps up
and down and makes punctures so rapidly
that a line is described with it almost as
fast as If drawn, carefully on paper. Thus.
the sketch Is outlined and is filled in with
| a similar machine carrying five needles
and making a stripe Ione-eighth of an inch
wide. The needles are dipped in vermilion
for red. To turn out tattooed man in
this wise, all ready for exhibition, costs
| only 5000.
OF course Mr. Midas has an electric
| pleasure boat. The power for running it
| is contained in storage batteries concealed
under the seats. Electricity is rapidly COM
ing into use for navigation. 1t is said that
| electric boats are replacing gondolas in
| Venice. A new Invention is an electric float
| for the Hfe-saving service. 1t is sent out
| through the surf to distressed vessel, be-
| ing propelled and staered from the shore
and carrying an electric lamp of several
| hundred candle ipowar. An improved life
| buoy is provided with an electric light so
| that it may attract the attention of a
| drowning person when 1t is thrown over
board. Canal boats are now run by cleo
| tricity, and the Baltic ship canal Is to be
eouipped with $4,000 electric lamps. 1t is