Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-04
ABOUT LAMPS.
Some Practical suggestions rs t.
Their Care and Use.


Their Care and Use.
From Harpers Bazaar.
That lamps have of late steadily grown in
popularity is sign of our growing national
instinct for beauty. The flicker of gas, and
the hard uncompromising glare of the cleo
trio light, have alike proved trying to many
whose sense of tone values in light is too
fine to be satisfied with crudities The
warm, subdued tone of the shaded lamp
easily places it in advance of all rivals,
while even in daytime handsome lamp Is
as distinctly an ornament to a room as any
article of bric-a-brac.
The manufacture of lamps has increased
to wonderful degree. There are today ex-
elusive large lamp stores in almost every
city of any size, and the manufacture and
proper use of chimneys have developed into
a science which few persons understand
The great bugbears about lamps are the
ch1mneys and the wickS; on these and on
the kerosene odor depend the objections.
All of these may be readily overcome A
perfect chimney for any lamp should be as
large in diameter as the brackets of the
burner will permit; it should be as high a
convenient and not too narrow toward the
top Lamps are by no means an expensive
| luxury, unless one has a very costly or an
t1Que relic to begin with: but the cost of
maintaining lamp in daily use is not more
than one-eighth that of any other illumi-
nant. 1t is also the only true artificial light
for the eyesight. Soft and untiring. steady
and mellow, it Is most grateful to the ewes
For the best color in globes yellow or
white gives the best results. Green is not
so desirable, and although much affected by
students and others who burn the midnight
Oil, 1t is easy to be seen that the area Of
illumination is contracted, while in the day
time no lamp can show TO advantage when
hooded in the dark shroud of the greer
glass.
There are about eighty-fve styles of burn
ers on the market, and the great trouble Is
with the wicks. This is crucial test of
patience to the housewife or the maid who
has the care of the lamps and truly 1t is
one which would try Job himself Rewick-
ing, which IS necessary so often; the care of
the wicks, rubbing the wick each morning:
the charred portion. which insists on falling
on the burner with the intelligence of orig
fnal sin; the gummy substance which forms
on the tubing around the wck-all these
are eXasperating trials. All these may east
~ be overcome by a few simple rules so
that almost any lamp will give satisfaction.
First, be careful to see that the wick
space, or tube. IS perfectly straight and
even, that the wick will not bind any,
where. Next see that the draught supply is
perfect and adequate to support a large
flame. Also, do not neglect to have the
reservoir at least two-thirds full of oil
Lamps are many times blamed for giving
poor light when the whole fault lies with
the maid, who did not feed the lamp enough
food to support its life. Last, and well nigh
most important of all. see that YOU have
the proper wick 1t should not fit the space
too tightly. should not be woven too com
pactly, and should be made of a material
as nearly non-combustihle as is practical
Lamps. from a sanitary Viewpoint are
not nearly so objectionable as is supposed.
and are. as a matter of fact, not so iniuri-
Gus as gas. The latter is detrimental to
plant life, whereas lamps are not. Florists
know this well, and gas is not found in the
hot houses and green houses whence come
the floral beauties of New Yorks market:
they use kerosene lamps altogether
Lastly, the housewife who really under
stands the care Of her lamps will give the
reservoir a thorough cleaning once a month
and if the wick has become clogged with
the waste matter 1t has drawn up she will
replace it with new one
Properly handled, nothing will give so
much real pleasure and such a sense OF har-
mony as the lamp, while for decorative p,.l-
poses nothing can compare with it.