The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-11-03
How the Pneumatic Carpet
Sweeper Works.
Curious COntrivance in Use
On the Big Railways.
How Term "Uncle Sam" Came Into
Use-Echo Of War of 1912.

Modern labor saving devices have
wrought some remarkable changes In
the method of doing many necessary
things and the indications now are that
the ola fashioned Dr,om and carpet
swesper will have to give way before the
Last dust eradicattng contrivance. A gen.
tleman who bss seen this device In opera
tion in one OF the railroad yards at Chi
csgo. where II is employed in cleaning
passenger coaches, furnishes the Gossiper
with . very interesting description OF 1t
ana its working. At the time the Cos
siper's Informant saw the new device In
operstion force of men was engaged In
cleaning sleeping cars tnat had just come
into Chicago from California. Several
hundred yards from the car was the
power house. in which was the powerfui
epigns for compressing the air whicn
does broom service. Through long un-
dsrRround ripes of perhaps lie or z
inches in diameter the compressed air
was carried to the tracks. Here rubber
hose was attached to the connection, ana
st the end Of the hose was long handled
nozzle. The nozzle consisted OF an iron
pipe q little larger and about the same
lenpth az broom handle. One end OF
this pipe was inserted into the rubber
hose. and upon the other end was broad
brass arrangement which reminded one
of the M outh of catfish more than any
thing else. The end OF the brass fixture
was almost foot in width, and across
The face, or end, there was narrow slit
running from one side to the other, not
moro than 1-32 of an inch In width.
Through this long narrow aperture comes
the compresseo air ut about the rate OF
70 cubic feet minute.
The car cleaner grasps the iron pipe In
hts hands In about the same way as does
. housekeeper her csrpat sweeper. Tho
carpets from the cars are thrown down
facs up on the platform, on the side OF the
track, and the pneumatic instrument Is
pushed back and forth over the nap with
the brass end Immediately upon the car
pet, or just above 1t. The air rushing
against the csrpe, with tremendous vsloc-
ity blows the dust and dirt out in cloud,
ike the smoke from q locomotive. Tne
Yapidity with which the work Is done is
another astonishing feature. Enough
csYpef TO cover an ordinary sized room is
clear cd In less than five minutes. and
cleined 90 thoroughly that no more dust
could be beaten out with a stick. For
cleaning the upholstery Of the seats In
the cars Q smsIlcr brass nozzle, only two
or three inches in width, is used, but the
operation is otherwise the same ss that
used for the carpets.
During the campaign which closes to-
day the expression "Uncls Sam" has
been frequently employed, and now
comes correspondent OF an inquiring
turn OF mind who wishes to know the
origin Of the term. A recognized au.
thority ON American antiquities gives
this explanation: Immediately after
the declaration OF war with England IN
1912, Ebert Anderson OF New York,
then q contractor. visited Troy, where he
purchased q large quantity OF provisions.
The inspectors of the articles at that
place were Ebsnexer aud Samuel Wilson.
The latter gentleman, universally known
40 "uncle SAM" generally sup, rin ended
in person q large number of workmen,
VINO, on this occasion, were employed
In overhsuling the provisions purchased
by the contractor. The casks were
marked "E. A.--U. S." Their inspec-
tion fell to the lot of a facetious fellow,
who. on being asked the meaning OF the
mark, said he did not know unless It
meant Elbert Anderson and Uncle sam,
alluding to Uncle Sam Wilson. The joke
took among the workmen and the name