Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-01-28
THEY KEEP THE HANDS WARM.

Rapidly 1ncreaEtnE Use OF JnpaneSe
"F<iroS" In This Country.
Among the inexpensive, and at the
same time useful, novel and attractive
objects which are being extensively
purchased this season are the little
"kiros," or hand warmers" as they
are called in this country. When
Americans first made the acquaintance
Of the Japanese they taught them
many useful things, which the soft
eyed Orientals doubtless never dream
ed of, but, at the same time, 1t would
be a great mistake to suppose that In
return for all we taught them, the
Japs and the Chinese had nothing to
give in return. Ever since the Spanish
American war and the Pekin campaign
we have learned the value Of many
new conveniences for which the Orien-
tails are famous. One Of these Is the
''kiro." In Japan they are carried by
all classes, rich and poor alike patron
izing the little hand-warmers during
the short, though sharp and severe
Japanese winter. The kiro Is tin or
aluminium box, made somewhat in the
shape of a purse or cigarette case, and
covered with silk or velvet, save for
the ends, which remain uncovered, and
upon one Of which there Is slide
which opens and shuts, and through
which the fuel is inserted. This fuel
is made in Japan, in the form Of short
sticks, about the length Of cigar,
wrapped in tissue paper, and put up
in packs Of six, which fit snugly in the
tin box.
The ends Of the box are perforated
with a series Of holes, through which
enough oxygen reaches the interior to
keep the fuel burning at the proper rate
to generalize a comfortable tempera-
ture. What this fuel Is made of Is a
mystery. Like many other Oriental
combinations, from chop suey to India
ink, it Is a mixture Of strange ingre-
dents, and thus far no American has
been able to determine the nature OF
this fuel, or to manufacture an imita-
tion worthy Of the name. Thousands
of these hand-warmers are now being
used in the United States, and hun
dreds have realized that If they could
only succeed in producing a fuel haV-
ing the same properties as that used
in these kiros their fortunes would be
made. Yet, despite numerous expert
ments and efforts to worm the secret
from the Japs, they have failed signal
ly in every instance, and today every
one of the thousands of kiros used In
this country is imported from Japan.
Remove one Of these sticks or fuel
from the package Of six, strip or the
tissue paper wrapper, and it looks
like an electric light carbon. Closer
inspection will reveal the presence OF
some variety Of fiber or wood sub
stance running through the stlcK'
which, when crumbled between the
fingers. looks somewhat like that grade
of gunpowder used in making fire
crackers.
The stick itself is as light as so much
dried fungus, yet for all that the text
ure is surprisingly dense. A pack OF
this fuel lighted and placed in the kiro
will last twenty-four hours. 1t burns
so fast and no faster, and the kiro dur
ing the time that the fuel lasts, re-
mains at an even temperature, regard
less of any changes or fiuctuation IN
the outer atmosphere. The astonish-
ingly slow rate at which the fuel burns
can only be likened to that of sponta-
neous combustion. The nearest that