The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-04-29

Persia.
 During all this time, and even as late as l7S2, no great improvement was made in regard to better lights. All the time and thought and money were put into fancy, and elaborate vessels to hold the candles or oils, but the light was the same old dim light, liable at any moment to go out, and then the finder box and flint and steel had to be brought forth. for matches were not made until 1929.
 Candles were made with weights in them to mark the passing of time, and goods were sometimes sold at auction to the highest bidder at certain mark on the candle. The candle, although now despised has done good service, It was by candle light that the May flower compact was made, the Declara- tion of Independence drawn up, and by its going out 1t saved the charter of our state of Connecticut from the hands of usurpers.
 We now come to gas. This was first discovered in a natural state some where between 1858 and 1799, but was not manufactured until about 1792. People at that time thought it impossi- ble to have a light without the use of wick, and were naturally prejudiced. Le Bon made proposition to the off, cials of Paris to light some of the | streets of that city with it, and the most worthy cabinet of ministers told him that it was impossible to burn something you could not see, and he was classed as an impostor and re- quested to move out of the city, The | year 1907 found the streets of London | lighted with gas In our own city this event did not occur until 1S4S. Profess sor Silliman, the elder, carried some gas to New York in bag, had burn CT made for it, and his home was the first one to be lighted with gas in this city. This was in 1S47, Mayor Peck's home was the second, on the corner Of I Howard and Orange streets (now Au- 1 dubon and Orange street.) Prior to this only few oil lamps were in use, and those were supported by the mer- chants In front of their places of busi- ness. People coming from short dis tance carried lanterns.
 In England, when gas was first used, old gun barrels were used as pipes to convey the gas The Chinese claim to | nave plpGu IdI SdS III bdlllDOO pl lOl to this will give you a few illumin- ated illustrations of some of the differ ent burners that have been in use. They show the remarkable progress from the old iron burner down to the beautiful Welsbach.
 Now, as to electricity. This wonder full power, so invisible, yet so power full. On Saturday, June 15, 1752, this discovery occurred. Note the progress that has been made by the skill of Franklin, Davy, Faraday, Thompson. Edison. Tesla, and others. The first experiment in this city, or rather first exhibition, was in a back shop on July 4 1884. Later in the year it was adopt ed as one of the systems of street light 1 ing. In 1858 various light houses of France were equipped with electric lights. So wonderful has been the re- suits in this branch that you can now carry an electric light in your pocket for use
 l Now let us take a step back again, for moment, to speak of the various oils of a vegetable, mineral, animal and chemical nature. Until 1860 whale oil was used in large quantities for lamp use, but it's cost being about s2 to s2.25 per gallon, other substitutes were provided, among them camphene, or fluid. Kerosene had been discovered as early as 1926, but on account of it's great cost few people could afford to use it. Through the efforts of Colonel Drake of this city driven wells were used, which speedily reduced the cost so that now Illuminating oil can be purchased for less than ten cents per gallon. Thus you see what New Ha- ven has done toward letting her light shine. When whale oil became scarce and high priced, and fluid had been dis carded on account of its danger, and candles were going out of style, the young people married at once lest they should have no light to court by; at the present time they marry on account of the great variety of lights, and the old ideas are reversed.
 A word about lanterns, and I am done. The Egyptians are credited with making the first lantern about A. D. 33, and one of the early writers said that the man who yentured out in the streets at night was liable to burn his fingers. King Alfred was troubled by the can dles going out, so he had COW horns scraped thin and used as a protection. A street scene in London in 1900 shows the need of street illumination. Peo- pie were about the streets for penny. Some of the natives on the islands of the coast caught fire flies and entan- gled them in netted lantern. Lan- terms with mica sides, then glass, and the variety is countless, including those using candles, oil and electricity. In New York in 1897 an ordinance was passed whereby out of the second story window of every seventh house lan- tern was placed to light the passers- by at night.
 Thus have we traced the progress of light from the flint to the search light.
 A TRIP TO EUROPE.
 William H. Douglass, of the firm of