Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-12-05
OF CURRENT

Il had always looked upon Edison, the
wizard. as the perfector Of other peoples
ideas. until 1 made an inspection of his
latest invention not long ago.. and Sc
cured some information in connection with
the development of the great machine"
remarked a Western mechanical expert.
recently. 1T is a revelation to anyone to
see this great piece of mechanism in OPP
Grafton The machine works
ally. The ore and earth are dumped into
a receiving hopper. and proceed through
a series of grinding rollers until reduced
to minute particles of dust. The iron Is
then separated by means of an immense
magnet. The iron dust is made into brick
cites and shipped away on fat cars. The
most remarkable feature in connection
with the machinNand the story of 1t is
a delight to the attendants-are the bear
ings. When the machine was first oper-
ated Edison experienced great difficulty
with the bearings. The dust would pene-
trate the supposed dustproof bearings
and the bearings would be badly affected.
Something had to be done. SO he retired
to his workshop and. after some days of
hard labor. he invented and equipped his
machine with sets of be~arings-over 1000
in number-that will not run without dust
mixed in them. That gives a clear idea Of
the man and his versatility"
At his sOth birthday anniversary. which
was celebrated a few days ago, ex-Presi-
dent Bartlett, Of Dartmouth college. said:
THE changes In the transition from my
earliest days until now are almost like
the passage to another planet; changes in
the arts of war and the arts of peace,
and in the whole comfort, convenience and
healthfulness of living and working, in
sanitary precautions and In the relief Of
the sick and the suffering. For a single
example. I lave seen the first surgeon
Of the country chip away with his chisel
and mallet at the necrosis of the tibia
by the half hour, with nothing to deaden
the pain or prevent the su~ppuration. till
one by one we crept into the open air from
very faintness. My memory goes back
to the fiintlock gun and the smoothbore
ca1non, to the sickle and the scythe, to
the open fireplace, the universal wood
fire and the tinderboX; for I saw the light
a dozen years before the first friction
match emitted light. 1 heard the hum of
the spinning wheel. and have seen the
shuttle fly back and forth in the hand
loom."
Owing to the existence of a peculiar law
in France. which exacts that any person
named or referred to in any periodical
publication shall have the right to reply
in the next number in the same place and
in the same type, providing the reply does
not extend to more than twice the length
of the offending article" one of the forth
coming numbers of the Revue des Deux
Mondes, the most important and infiuen-
tial monthly review in France. will con-
tain an article of unusual length. and
couched in extravaganza language. which
will appear in its pages in spite of the
opposition Of the editor. 1t will bear the
signature of a dramatic author. who, in
furiated by the nature of the criticism
passed by the Revue on one Of his plays,
has invoked his rights under article IL Of
the press laws. rights which were in vain
contested by the editor.
I've seen the brotherhood grow" said
Grand Chief p. NJ. Arthur. Of the Loco
motive Engineers. in a chat the other
day, from u membership Of twelve to a
good many thousand. 1t has weathered
the storms of thirty-four years, which Is
a good bit longer record than most or
ders can boast. We've had u good many
struggles. but altogether have won
about as many fights as we've lost. Our
last trouble was in 1857, with the Chicago,
& Quincy railroad. and since
then there has been no conflict with the
Mr.. Arthur has been grand chief
continuously lOT -lOur ycdfSp anu tn6
are that he Will remain at the
of the brotherhood for the rest Of
his natural life.
NJ. Blanc. the new project Of police in
Paris, has begun his administration by tho
of a stringent ordinance against wom-
EMS high trimmed hats in the parluet
and balcoly seats of the metropolitan the
aters. This rule does not apply to women
in tho boxes. Curiously enough a similar
rule was enacted at the close Of the last
century by the chief Of the Partisan DO
lice, whose lame was not NJ. Blanc, but
Noir. The same edict debarred all
except those Of the aristocracy.
from appearing in theaters n places Of
public resort with rouge on their cheeks.
Boldini. the painter of microscopic genre.
mas come to this country to paint Dor.
rats during the winter and carry back
,ome American gold in the spring. He
will presently exhibit in New York his
Of Whistler. Verdi, Stanford
White, Mrs. Adolf Ladenburg. of New
fork. and the Princess Poniatowska.
Ernest Daudet, the less famous brother
" Alphonse Daudet. but a much more
Prolific writer of novels, is a candidate for
he late Due d'Aumale's seat in the French
academy.
Tomatoes have been grated upon pota-
oes by a French experimenter, whose hy-
'rid plant produces tuberS underground
omatoes hove.