The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-01-09
Rubber From Wheat.

Song Echoes of Kansas Dugout
Rubber From Wheat.
Wheat and hogs, hitherto regarded
by the farmer of the Mississippi val
ley as food products, have assumed a
new commercial importance. In brief.
wheat and hogs spittle will produce
rubber.
From Wheat" William T. Walsh,
writing in reference to this matter in
the Technical World Magazine for
January, says: The Importance of the
discovery can scarcely be overesti-
mated, coming as it does at a time
when the world is anxiously asking
from where its future supplies of rub
Der are to come. In half decade, 1t
is said, the annual consumption of the
elastic material will be at least $4,000
tons. Even 100. 900 tons is regarded
by many as a conservative estimate.
1t was by accident that Mr.. Carr. the
English inventor or discoverer of the
substance, made the first step in his
boy then. Passing one day through a
field of wheat, he plucked a few grains
of the cereal, and, chewing them,
formed the glutinous compound so
familiar to every country lad. Many
years later. recalling his early expert
ence, he began putting his theory to
the test. His first laboratory was a
small shed in his back yard; his ap-
a COIeS SrlnQor ana KeLll0
of hot water Later he was able to
obtain the use of the best shops and
laboratories in England.
After years of experimentation Mr..
Carr has ultimately achieved success.
But, continues the writer, in the face
of the fact that so many men have
failed in their attempts to produce a
similar product, how can we be at all
certain that the new product will
realize our expectations? There is
IerJ0I 1Tr nCf %ov 17n ir1a
as against the spurious. In the case
of cereal rubber, the test is vulcaniza-
ton. This is a process of hardening.
through the introduction of sulphur.
to ena BILE rubber to resist the action of
heat and solvent chemicals. But three
substances, so far as is known. can
stand this process; they are natural
rubber gutta-percha, .@and the new
product known as cereal rubber.
- Photographs by Wire.
Prof Korn of the Munich university.
has greatly improved his apparatus for
transmitting photographs over tele-
graph wires.
He had succeeded IN sending photo
graphs and sketches six or seven inches
square in this manner from Munich to
Nuremberg, distance of 100 miles, in
from 10 to Is minutes. The professor
says that precisely the same results
would be obtained If the photographs
were transmitted over a telegraph line
Of any length.
The photograph which has to be
transmitted is placed on a transparent
glass cylinder, which revolves slowly
and at the same time moves from
right to left. A ray of light is thrown
on the cylinder by means of an electric
lamp and lens, and when the ray of
light reaches the interior of the cylinder
it is brighter or darker according to the
coloring of that particular part of the
photograph over which it passes.
Inside the cylinder is some selenium.
which transmits electrical current in
proportion to the intensity of the light
transmits current more rapidly in
bright light and less rapidly as the light
decreases. The selenium is connected
with the wire over which the photo
graph has to be transmitted.
The receiving apparatus consists of an
electrical Nernst lamp placed inside a
glass cylinder covered with senSitiZed
paper. The lamp burns more or less
rent transmitted through the selenium
at the other end of the wire. 1t thus
reproduces the exact shade of the Or
iginal photograph, provided that the
cylinders at each end of the wire re-
volve at exactly the same speed. Prof.
Korn has invented means of regulat-
Ing the revolution of the cylinders. so
that the speed is Identical at both ends.
Further improvements to the appar-
atus will shortly enable a photograph to
be transmitted within two minutes
LODOOu press.
He Was Cured.
A certain clergyman in Richmond
has had in his employ for so long a
time a negro named Julian that the
latter has come to regard himself as
of confidential adviser of
the divine.
Early one Sunday morning the pas
tor awoke feeling decidedly ILL., After
a futile attempt to breakfast, he sum-
moned his old and faithful servitor,
saying:
Julian, I want you to go to my as
Mr.. Blank. and tell him that
as 1 am unwell. he will officiate for
me in this mornings service
At this Julian demurred, and after
some argument, persua ded his master
that he would feel better If he Of
hciated as usual This the latter did,
and. as predicted by the darby. he did
return home feeling much better.
"You'se better, sub? asked the SER
want, meeting his master at the door.
Every much better, thank you, Ju-
lian.'
The darby grinned. What did
tell you. sub? knowed you'd be all
right jest as soon as you got that SER
mon outer your system. Success
NJ oufr