The Elbert County tribune., 1906-06-21
DENATURlzED ALCOHOL
Whist Its Use viii Mean to Farmers
and Mechanics.

When Lord Kelvin, the famous Eng
lish scientist, was In America some
years ago he was asked upon what,
in his opinion, would the world depend
for motor power should the supply Of
coal and its petroleum adjuncts give
out. Il confess that can see nothing
but windmills." he replied.
Since then the efficacy of new fuel
has been demonstrated in the old
world. and is now receiving careful at
tentiton in America. This new fuel is
alcohol.
By removing the tax on denaturized
alcohol. the bill recently reported
favorably in Congress would place this
fuel within the financial reach of the
Industries, promising to revolutionize
motive power. especially for smaller
engines; provide lighting substitute
for oil. and. to a great extent. a heating
substitute for coal
Its general Introduction would mean
more staggering blow than any yet
dealt the great Standard OIL octopus.
Coal strikes of the future will lose
much of their menace because of 1t.
Alcohol, 1t is said, can be placed
upon the market, when the tax of
$2.0S per gallon is removed, at or be-
low the present price Of kerosene
German consumers pay 13 cents per
gallon. In a lamp. the same quantity
will last nearly twice as long as oil.
1t is regarded as the coming fuel for
automobiles.
Made from a number of vegetable
products, the supply can never fail. SO
long as the world yields its increase.
There will be no mines to become ex-
hausted, no wells to run dry. Its manu-
facture provides an additional outlet
for the products of the farm.
Alcohol is the ideal fuel, beause of
its unlimited and universal source, its
uniform quality and the cheapness of
its production. In Germany the num-
ber of alcohol engines has doubled in
two years.
The farmer may plow. cultivate and
harvest his crops cheaply by means of
alcohol engines. The fuel will run his
dairy churns and his wife's sewing ma
chine; at night 1t will light his lamps,
all at less cost than any oil product.
II is estimated that free alcohol will
permit the immediate establishment of
industries, now practically barred, that
will furnish employment for 100000
workmen, and promise adequate re-
turns on invested capital to the extent
of $500000.000.
When Chairman Payne of the ways
and means committee of the House of
Representatives recently presented a
favorable report upon the bill remov
ing the tax from denaturized alcohol,
he made brief general statement of
the value of that product not only in
Industrial fields, but to the household.
In Germany, said Mr.. Payne. the
bulk of the denaturized alcohol is used
for light, fuel and heat. For lighting,
German consumers use lamp with a
mantle which produces strong
steady and clear light, lasting twice as
long to the quantity of fuel consumed
as kerosene. The Germans have also
adapted gasoline engines to the use of
alcohol.
1t is estimated by Mr.. Payne that
the actual cost of alcohol is something
less than 12 cents per gallon. and he
asserts that 1t will produce ten per
cent. more power than gasoline.
Germany, France, Austria, Italy Rus
sia and other countries already ex-
empt alcohol employed for Industrial
purposes from taxation. The United
States has awakened only recently to
the great value and general usefulness
of this commodity.
Indeed Germany was practically
riy n hn N nt
yield petroleum to any great extent,
and the industries demanded a cheap
and powerful fuel. 1t does have the
products from which alcohol is dis
| titled with the greatest economy. So
the government made its bow to the in
evitable.
The American alcohol bill pro-
vides that such spirits, when rendered
unfit for use as beverage, may be re-
moved from distilling warehouses free
of tax.
| Sulphuric ether, wood alcohol,
methylic alcohol, wood naphtha or
other substances approved by the COM
missioner of internal revenue and the
secretary of the treasury must be
mixed with the fluid to denaturize it,
| Although not mNntioned specifically
in the bill, Pyradin, picolin, benzine,
wood vinegar, gasoline and acetone-
the last of which Is derived from the
grease of sheep wool-as well as sew
eral other products. may be employed
for the same purpose. They do not in
jure 1t as lighting or heating agency.
If alcohol had not been made arti-
ficially dead in this country, experts
assert, it would now be competing sue
cessfully with kerosene and coal.
German farmers" says a recent
writer, reap and thresh by aid of the
spirit engine; it does the hauling, up
to twenty horsepower. in the towns:
large creameries run their churns
with it; the housewife attaches It to
her laundry, and it works the washing
machine, as well as the sewing ma
chine afterward
/