The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-07-23
WISH HE WERE HERE.
St. Louis Boy Who Stopped a Smoke
Nuisance.
lClncinnati Enanirerl


St. Louis, Mo.-After reading news
paper comments on the smoke NUS
ance and gazing daily on the staff pho
tographerS' discoveries about town in
the way of belchers, Eugene J. Feine-
a St. Louis Manual Training school
graduate, began to fear that his
fathers mill would be next visited by
the eagle-eyed camera man. The mill
IS the family property, controlled and
managed by father and sons. The
young fellOw-a tbeardless yOuth-felt
that for their mill TO be held up to the
world as an enemy to the public health
and comfort would mean disgrace upon
the house. Besides, the day was draw
ing near when the smoke law was 30
go into effect, and he meant that those
of his name should never be held up
as violators Of the law if he could help
He had been intrusted with the
minor position of cashier at the plant
but even while running his fingers
through piles of specie his thoughts
constantly reverted to the engine room,
and his eyes were ever casting morti-
ned gIances at the black cloud of
smoke which poured from the giant
stack overhead ana mingled itself with
similar emissions from surrounding
mills and factories One day he went
down into the precincts which were
held sacred by the grizzled old man
with a sOOt-cOvered cOunteuance and
who went about in his undershirt. He
untolded to him his scheme. The old
engineer laughed. The lad went back
and drew some plans, and the next day
returned. The old engineer was more
aHaDle. They started in together to
model smoke consumer. The boy
went to his own bank account for
enough money to pay for making Pat-
q n 111e
The old engineer, who had been
around the world several times in the
engine rooms of German war vessels.
had his own ideas as to the applica-
ton Of a certain principle. The manual
training school boy had a different
idea There was a row and an e.x-
tremely rough time on top of a pile of
coal. The old man won and elected
the young inventor. who went back to
ms money drawer and safe. Nothing
daunted, however, and not disheart-
ened even by the jeers and iibes of the
men in the mill and his relatives, he
drew some more plans and venSured
back to the engine room. A truce vas
patched up There was a goodIy
amount of hammering and riveting and
forging, and tWenty-four hours before
the smoke nuisance law went into ef-
feet the big boilers had new fire doors
In each door whirred a little wheel,
and there was a myriad of pipes and
other appliances connected with them
In half an hour the dense black cloud
overhead had changed to small hand
full of gray mist-like smoke, scarcely
visible from the street
Then the mill hands and the reIa-
tIves ceased their banter and held their
breath. The doors were shut off for
their benefit, and they saw the fires
fed with ibushel after bushel Of the
softest kind of coal. The black cloud
belched forth again The doors were
set IN working order, and in exactly
thirty seconds the white mist took its
place. Then the young cashier went
back to his desk, and the old engineer
sat down to smoke his pipe. while those
who had seen rubbed their eyes and
wondered.