The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-26
How the SynchrOnOgraph
System is Operated.
Chemist Wiley Tells About
AdulteratiOn of Food.
Blaine's Prompt Assistance TO Z1ch-
ary Taylor's Daughter.

al read in your Gossip column q uay VI
two ago" writes News render
reference TO the synchronograph sysleih py
which IL is proposed TO transmit tele
granhic messages at the rate OF JOJU Wofus
n minute. and became very much inter.
csted i'm the subject The article dld not
describe the method by which this WohueF-
ful work is 60 be accomplished, 50 NiltS
10 request a more detailed description II
The News can spare so much N"Iu"Di0
space for the purpose.
The invention of the synchronograph Is
based on the use of alternating currents
in telegraphing. In the instruments now
i'm common use continuous CurrehV -
employed. This current Is broken 10
make the required dotes and dashes, ~
which the messages are sent, resulllng III
sparkling and delay. In the alternating
circuit, however, there Is "A point In each
alienation when the current is not run,
ming Mt all This exact instant Is solzeu
in the new machine for making ana
breaking the circuit, hence the sparkling
aud the consequent delay aro eliminated,
The signaling over line is accomplished
by means of emitting waves o1 the after
mating current.
The transmitting instrument of the
new system is a pair of electrical con-
facts, between which runs perforated
tape This tape. which really sends tho
message is made by an instrument llko
a typewriter, by pressing the keys OF
which, the perforations are formed inc
passage Of the tape between the olectrlcal
contacts makes and breaks the circuit.
AT the receiving end Is rapidly revol-
wing Photographic plate which Is exposed
TO waves of light made TO vary by means
of the alternating current sent over the
lire. In this plate is left succession OF
small marks which may be easily read
i'm the Morse alphabet. or course the
plate must be developed and the message
transcribed into ordinary writing. A
chemical receiver is being developed,
which, il is expected will do away with
the necessity of developing the plate
Harvey w. Wiley, chemist Of the Agri-
cultural Department, recently gave some
interesting and important facts In re-
lation 10 the adultcration of food. Foods
are adultcrated for many purposes, he said.
but rhe main reason Is for gain. Adulter-
alton IL accomplished in two ways, by
abstracting valuable ingredient from
the food, or by adding some cheaper sub
stance TO increase weight These processes
may not bo injurious To health. but they
are adulterations and frauds upon the pur-
chasers Of the goods. There Is but one
way TO preserve foods, and that is through
sterilization, and afterward Theoretically
seal the vessels in which they are
Kept. The germs that are a part of the
food and produce decomposition are de
stroyed by boiling. The process of storil
ization is expensive, and the dealers in
preserved foods find IL may To done much
cheaper by the use of salicylic acid, which
paralyzes organic action. This has "a
doleterious effect upon the digestion, and
may in time produce bad results. Mr..
Wiley then showed "a sample of adulter-
ated honey.
This adulterated article, he said, defcd
ictcction. Out of 300 samples he had pur-
chased throughout the country 80 per
cent were adulterated The adulterated
honey he displayed was one of tho clever
est Of all authorizations, the manufacturers
going so far as TO put in remnants Of bees
wings legs etc, to carry out the fraud
He also showed some sugar made from
ccrnstarch, which was as valuable food
as cane sugar and cost as much manu-
facturcd. LII is almost impossible To get
an unadulterated spice and he showed
some nice looking coffee which nc declared
had never been within 1000 miles ~ a
coffee tree Cottonseed oil, lie said, is
often substituted for olive oil and b.
equally good SO far as its food value is
concerned. Then he made the declaration
that the coming salad oil will be made
out of sunflower seed. Ii is perfect sub
stitutc for olive oil and will he SO cheap
that any person can afford to use il on
his table.
A story illustrating the goodness Of
heart OF the late James q. Blaine has re-
Gently been made public for the first time.
The widowed daughter of President
Zachary Taylor got rs far as Washington
on her way To Paris To see "A sick daughter,
and being destitute OF money appealed 20
her only friend at the capital, General
William L. Sherman. His purse was al
ways open TO the distressed, but ho had no
funds at all adequate To relieve her neces-
sities. In this emergency hc thought of
Blaine The man from Maine entered in
10 the spirit of the occasion as soon as ho
heard General Shermans statement lie
was then speaker of the House lie called
another TO the chair, made nve-minute
speech that fairly electrified the House,
which passed the resolution that Rlnine
had penDed only moment before He
took the resolution co the Senate in per-
son, where IL was also immediately passed,
had the president sign IL tho next day
and on the following day the beneficiary
got the money. General sherman always