Evening star., 1901-07-13
ELECTRICITY IN THE HOME.
Cheap Appliances Make 1t Available
for People of Moderate Means.

From the New York Evening Post.
1t is now possible for the owner of
house or boat to introduce into it great
many of the latest applications of electrical
machinery, without going bankrupt in the
process, even If he is not rich man to
start with. The feature of practical electric
work in the past few years has been not SO
much the increase in the number of uses to
which electricity has been put the extra
ordinary cheapening that has brought the
newly developed appliances within the reach
of much larger portion of the public.
For example, miniature electric lamps,
which were hardly more than curiosities
five years ago, can now be obtained already
wired for decorative uses at prices not be-
yond the reach of scarcely any one who un-
dertakes dining room or ball room decora-
ton. Intertwined with smilaX with flow
ers. these tiny star-like points of light in
appropriate colors, can be employed effec-
lively so close to the spectator that the
use of the large incandescent globes would
be out of the question. The price of year
two ago. which is still asked by some
electrical contractors not anxious TO go into
this particular line of work was 81 per
lamp for an evening for the smallest sizes.
On the other hand, a downtown contractor
will now furnish thirty lamps connected in
series to three of the largest size storage
cells, which will keep them burning a whole
evening, for $40. including the work OF put
ting them in.
another use for the miniature lamps
which are now made by half a dozen firms,
is in the so-called torch lamps or travel
ers' lamps variations on the old-faShioned
dark lantern, which light at the touch of
q button spring. patent has just been
granted for an improvement In the shape of
lamp and battery made fiat, to fit the
pocket like a folding camera. This will
burn for ten hours with single charge.
which costs % cents. and the lamp itself
will be ornamental in finish and available
for gift purposes. 1t Is not yet on the mar
ket.
Ornamental candles with miniature lights
at their tips and dry batteries in the candle
sticks below are coming into some popu-
larity Another novelty Is the clock with
a tiny lamp before it's face, to be lighted by
a pressure of the finger of any one who
wants to know the time of night. Electric
flash lamps for Photographic use are also
rev. There several new patterns OF
electric fans run by batteries, for use in
rooms not supplied with electric current,
and many of them are sold. They work
satisfactorily, but dealers say that the cost
pensive luXuries.
If power of any kind, as from water.
fall or windmill. is available, the owner OF
a house beyond the reach of electric light
wires can now install plant of his own
very cheaply. When water power is not to
be had, gasoline engine rs cohsidefeo
about the most practicable way OF running
a dynamo for use in an ordinary country
house With current in the house, there Is
scarcely any limit to the uses to which
electricity can be put Flatirons. curling
irons pumping engines. coffee mills, Ice
cream freezers and sewing machines are a
few Of the commonest applications. A
motor for sewing machine now costs only
SIS to $50, and is not very expensive to
maintain. Many are being put in private
houses Electric cooking appliances, IN
Guiding chafing dishes and tea kettles, are
most convenient and cleanly, but use up a
great deal of current and are correspond
iugly expensive to keep in use.
Telephones are replacing speaking tubes
in most Of the uptown houses now being
huilt two-station telephone can be
bought and installed for less tnan $40 The
cheaper instruments are guaranteed only
for distances less than mile. Between
houses and stables or outbuhdings IN tne
country they are also coming to be very
common. 1T is interesting to notice, SAID
A specialist in this branch or electrical
work today chow many of our customers
have worked out plans and ideas OF their
own for electric fittings of one kind or an
other, long before they knew they could
ever afford to have them carried out. Many
Of the big firms of electrical contractors
set prohibitive prices on small jobs, be
cause they don't think it worth while
MANY househoders are discouraged by the
answer to their first request for an estimate
on the work they have in mind. But II a
man knows where to go, he need not worry
much over the expense of the work ne
may want done on his house or his boat.
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