The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-03-23
FROM DUSK TO DAWN,

! Instructive and Interesting TalK on l the Evolution of Artificial Lighting
 by Henry Hopkins, Superintendent 1 of Lighting of the City of New Ha- | ven.
 l At the regular assembly of Mithras | Senate, No. 59, K. A. E. O., last even | ing, two candidates were advanced into | the mysteries of the second degree or | the order. At the close of the regular | session a social session and smoker | was held, at which Henry Hopkins, Esq. superintendent of lighting of the l city of New Haven, gave very able, interesting and instructive talk on the subject "From Dusk to Dawn," giving | a complete history of the progress of | artificial lighting from the time of the l old flint and finder box, pine torches, etc., down to the present system of electric lighting.
 | Superintendent Hopkins is an easy and fluent talker and held his audi ence entranced from start to finish. His address or talk" as he prefers to l call it, is profusely illustrated with l stereopticon views, twenty charcoal sketches, old candle rods and moulds, old whale oil, fluid and grease lamps | and ancient lantern tinder-box, fat, | pine torches, etc. He spoke substan- tially as follows:
 | MT, Chairman and Gentlemen:
 can assure you that I appreciate your kind invitation to be present to- night within the mysterious walls of your sanctum. It is not my intention at this time to deliver any long techni- cal or scientific address, simply short | talk in relation to artificial illumina- ton, which is by no means an insig- nificant factor of the present day. | Look at the immense capital invest ed in all it's various branches of manu- fracture; the thousands of hands em- ployed; the result of which is that it is I now nearly possible to have perpetual | day.
 l Good artificial illumination makes, or should make, our parks, avenues and streets safe to travel upon at night for l ourselves and ours.
 It makes it possible to pursue the various professional and mercantile pursuits after night-fall l But it has not always been so; 1t Is a | strange but true fact that up to one hundred years ago comparatively no progress had been made in the direc- tion of better illumination. All the time, talent and money had been spent in outward show of lighting fixtures. Within the last thirty years more progress has been made than in all the rest of time put together. Our home is now made attractive by | good illumination at low cost. A l trif1e over hundred years ago candles were considered a luxury, and it was a common saying that for the light of l day we had nothing to pay" l In some countries fire-tlies were held | between the fingers to see to read by; now every trade has it's special light given according to it's peculiar need. l We will find that with the marked | changes of illumination that other great Improvements came as well.
 It was struggle between candles and oil, oil and gas, gas and electricity.
 The lines of opposition have been well defined by prejudice. I will en- | deavor to show the various changes that have taken place by pictures and examples, and trust that I shall be able to please you.
 FROM DUSK TO DAWN. The Creation.
 From our earliest days of under standing we are taught that there was an unmeasured period of time when all space was filled with darkness. The air was ladened with steam; and be- tween the earth and water there seemed to be a mighty struggle for natural supremacy.
 With the receding waves came the cooling of the earths crust. But darkness and desolation was upon it's face.
 l It was uninhabitable for even the 1 lowest species of animal life
 THE FIRST DAWN.
 God looked upon the scene, and with His great foresight and wisdom saw that one great need, that of light, was necessary, so that vegetation and anil nal life might be sustained.
 In obedience to His command the l sun, moon and stars were created; and so we have the first natural light.
 THE BEGINNING.
 And now man in his private state appears upon the scene and takes pos- session of the earth.
 His wants are few Food, raiment, a rude shelter, with the various vegeta- bles which grow near by, together with certain fishes, birds and animals, the latter which he can easily capture and kill with the rude weapons made from the rocks, he is enabled to get not only food, but raiment.
 A cave or a projecting rock will serve as a shelter from the clements. As time passes these conditions do not suffice for him.
 That reason with which he is en- l dowed tells him that he is superior to the animals.
 He desires his food cooked, better raiment and a more comfortable home. The spark which he creates in clipping the stone for his weapon may acci- dentally set fire to the dry leaves; or perhaps he has noticed in the forest, fire break out from two dead limbs rocked to and fro with the wind.
 He learns that by striking two pieces of stone together, or by the rubbing of two pieces of wood, a fire can be ob- tained which will not only cook his food but will warm and light up his home
 And thus the first step in artificial il- lumination is made.
 | A drop of grease catches fire and