Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-04-24
MODERN CANDLES.
THEY ARE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS
OVER THOSE OF FORTY YEARS AGO.
The Unit of Light Has Been of Inestima-
Bile Service to Mankind 1t IL "a Mistake
To Think That Gas and Electricity Have
Entirely Snuffed out the Candle


Now that candles have again com,
into use as means for lighting recep
ton rooms where gas is considered too
hot and electric lights too glazing, com
PARSONS are being made with the can
dies of today and those of the long ago
He is not very old man who still re
members the malodorous "tallow dip, -
six 10 the pound, that he bought at the
grocery or perhaps may have helped to
make III domestic way on Saturdays
when at home from school
II Is but few years since candle
molds were very important and neces-
sary part of every household, and yet so
completely are they now banished 10
the limbo of forgotten and useless
things that there must be thousands of
young people TO whom pair of suffers
and candle mold would prove I'M
| doubted curiositieS. They were not very
/ pleasant 10 the noStrils, those old fash
| Toned tallow candles, their illuminating
! power was not good. and their need of
constant shutting was indispensable. and
/
snutfers one was very apt to get badly
snudged in the course of an evening.
Yet the world stumbled along with
no better light than that for IS CEN
turtles and accomplished considerable
things on the way. Great scholars were
made by saved up candle ends, great
volumes written and the world enlight-
ened, even if the writer's and teachers
CROPPED "A great deal.
The great performances of Garrick
and SiddOns were given behind foot
lights Of tallow candles, and the candle
snutfer was one of the most important of
snpers i'll the theater of the olden time.
Without candle snuffer, " says Gold
smith of play he had seen, "the piece
would lose half its embellishments. ="
In those days early to bed and early
TO rise was maxim that had much
more significance, for il was necessary
to get more out of daylight than in this
era OF gas and electricity. Candles have
always occupied an important place in
public worship. In the old times Christ.
mas was called the Feast of Lights, be
cause many candles were used at the
feast. while the custom Of setting can
die at the head of a dead person after
being laid out" is still practice
But If people think that candles are
not much used nowadays they are mis-
taken. There are still several candle |
manutactories in New York A very |
large export business is done here, chief. |
~ 10 the West Indies and Central Amer |
lea In the United States sales are prin-
cipally in the western states. The min
ing region takes large quantities, for no |
light but candles is used in gold and |
silver mining
Candles are also used for church pur-
poses, at country hotels, and 70 some ex-
tent III families. Many of the people of
the east side, newly come TO the coun-
try. use candles III preference TO oil, be-
ing accustomed 70 candles and afraid Of
the oil. Although it is not great while
before they are won over TO the use of
)ll, there are always thousands Of others
who, for the first few months Of their
being here, shun oil as they would a
deadly poison.
No branch of industry has undergone
he change that candle making has in
he last 30 years. Formerly it was mere
y mechanical operation Anybody
'ould make candles and almost every
body did
Now 1t Is scientific industry. bring
ng 20 its aid the resources Of chemistry.
'ormerly candle was greasy, noisome
hing thar one usually handled with dis
Just; now II Is artistic and refined and
an be handled without the least offense
he wick Is SO prepared that the COM
ustion is complete, and snuffers have
Ong been banished. An ancient candle |
maker could only work with materials
READY provided 10y nature, so that he
adj 10 use fats, with all their impuri-
les
Inc modern candle maker by chem
al process removes impurities, which
caves him nothing but the hard and
'hlte fat for his candles. Fat changed ,
Y this process is called stearine. and
rom this material are made the star and
earlc wax candles. These are extreme I.
hard and are sometimes called ada
lantlne, do not grease the hands and
I'VE a soft and pleasing light Sperma- :
I'll and wax candles are also made.
Inc candle has ever remained the unit ! 8
light, Sometimes you hear of a light
" gas, being of % candle power. The
andard Is spermaceti candle burning :
the rate of l20 grains of sperm per !.
)ur There are candles, too, which are ,
ade of paraffin. but no candles are :
'ed so extensively as the star or stea- :,
he.
The great improvement in the manu- :.
cture of candles dates from the inyes- :
cations of the French chemist. NJ. :,
hevreul He discovered that the fat
tallow was separable from the oil. ;
I'd the result of the process was two =
'luable Notwithstanding and glycer- =
Those who have used the candles of :
e past can scarcely realize that can. :
Is can now be shipped to warm eli "
ates. In former days merchant .
ould as soon have thought of exporting =
ates or snowshoes to Havana as a car "