The morning times., 1896-07-12
PLUMBING LECTURES.
New Course on an Important HON,
Industry


Shakespeare and Dante Maetterlinck
symbolism and the Decadents are all very
well in their way as subjects for lectures,
but the thoroughly up to date woman is also
keenly alive 10 the practical values of life.
At least one wonan-who is not less an in
dividual than she who was pioneer of the
| chatting dish classes, is proving 1t by in
| augurating new series of talks that
treat this time upon all the intricacies Of
perfect sanitation.
BY way OF preparing herself for his
| crusade the lecturer made a careful study
| not only of the theory and science of good
| sanitation, but of all the mechanical ap-
| rliances necessary to its accomplishu s-i-.
| including an accurate investigation OF the
| various plumbing systems. This knowledge
| She classifiea under fouT separate heads:
| Plumbing, sanitation, sewerage and drain
| age, devoting paper 10 each special SGh-
I ject. Although the letter was first writ
| ten out with The utmost care and niccty, it
| is delivered quite without notes, q nd with
| the air of being entirely eNtcmporane0us.
| she first awakens the interest of her fair
! hearers by moving tales OF how, since
| plumbing was, many woman who would
| have shuddercd at a sreck of dust on her
| drawing room furniture, has unconscioasly
| allowed her family to lie surrounded with
"A tainted atmosphere, and while applying
| the rule of eternal vigilance to kitchen,
| closet and sink. has had only filth and all
| unclcauness as the very foundation stone
| of her apparently immaculate menage.
And if anything openly goes wrong with
| this concealed enemy" proceeds the lee
| turer, 1.-The most ca pable woman has nothing
with which to meet it. but utter helpless
| ness and incompetency. In fact, my at
In1 st,.c l,x-
the experience of a friend of mine while IN
her beautifully sequestercd country home.
At about 8 O'Clock one Sunday morning her
maid appeared at Ier door with the message
that there was an overflow in the Kitchen
and the nearest plumber three miles away.
No breakfast no warm baths, nUthing but
misery and desolation. until the plumber,
who was Off regaling himself on his only
holiday, could be brought to the rescue.
Then the simple adjusting of screw, q
turn or two of the wrist. and, presto, peace
and comfort were restored.
"Tbis householder, being a particularly
clever woman, did not allow the matter to
drop here. She had employed the drcary in
terim in bitterly resenting the fact that she
was obliged to submit to Eours OF dscom-
fort from sheer ignorance and inoompe-
tency. She argued with herself, If a streak
comes in my cake, know why. If the milk
or pudding is scorched. I know that to put
a silver spoon in it will take away the i'll
taste. know. too, that coal oil will erase
every speck from my mirror, and
do know better than to wash my windows
with water. but use kerosene instead. This
and much other usefu! Information is part
of my mental equipment; but when con-
fronted with this problem, which is doubt
less simple one. If only understood it, I
must ignominiousiy retire Into inacton.
1or md t,o MIN nf my
and what to do in emergencies of this kind
And. true to her word, she had an expert
come the next day and initiate her into the
hitherto inexplicable mysteries
These clever. practical talks were there
fore prepared with special reference 10
being given in the smarter country placess
as women thus remote from the wiles Of
the plumber are more alive to their pressing
need Of Instruction.
Our fair crusader makes constant use of
the blackboard, drawing diagrams and
what-not to Illustrate each special feature.
With era yon and pointer she teaches the
purpose of bibb and valve, of ma in and
surge-tauk, OF tell tales, shut-offs a nd waste
cocks: Of what to do in cases OF emergency,
and in what essential points modern plumb
ing eXcels. Indeed. there is a lmost no way
in which q woman can extricate herself
from n disaster with the older systems,
where rloofS must De torn UP. I'd wallis
pulled down to get at the slightest dis
order, and where all the water in the
house is under the control of one stop
cock somewhere in the cellar. Where?-
not one housekeeper in Il hundred ever
knows.
With the best modern ''in-view'' plumb
ing, however, independent stop-cocks are
provided for each separate service, so that
the water may be shut off any one part
where trouble exists without disturbing
the water supply elsewhere. Two indie
pendent stop-cocks underneath the layora-
tory here represented may at any moment
turn the water off from this part Of The
domestic outfit alone. Another independ-
ent stop-cock above the closet enables
any accident there to be remedied with
out disarrangiDg the baths, the Cooking
or cleaning desired in other parts OF the
household. Again, with the kitchen sinks,
although the sink pipes are behind the
wall, Independent stop-cocks have handles |
In froot nf the wall fuce. |
Any woman may herself apply the test |
to discover the possible presence of sewer
gas. She has but to put drop of pepper
mint into the sewer pipe. II the odor of |
peppermint comes into the house It is a |
sure sign OF sewer gas. which is 10 itself |
odoriess. With some houses the only way |
to get at the pipe 10 frnm the roof; but |
here 1t is always accessible.