The Idaho scimitar. [volume] (Boise, Idaho) 1907-1908, 1908-02-22
An Electric House.

The wonderful electric house. the Villa Fer;a
Electra, which has been built by M Georgia Khan
at TroyeS, France, clearly defines the role which
electricity is destined to play in the home of the
future. 1t not an exact type of what most houses
will be in fifty hundred years time it at anv
rate shows progress.
From the exterior there is nothing unusual about
the house, unless it is the total absence of CHM
ney. The gates cannot be opened from the out
side, but the electric bell is touched the
portal swings slowly open and a mysterious voice,
which seems to emanate from small iron box near
the gate, bids you enter. Stranger than anything
else, the voice has apparently recognized you and
calls you by name if you are a friend of the fam
lily. If visitor arrives after dark the same push
button that rings the bell will light up the way The
gate swings IN place as soon as you start towards
the house M. KNAPP, appraised electrically of your
coming, will be found in the vestibule awaiting you
With the first step inside the house small de-
vice automatically cleans the soles of the visitors
shoes .
Although the house is museum of electrical in
ventions and conveniences the dining table is the
greatest wonder. No servants wait upon the diners
At the touch of hidden switch the table is flooded
with many colored lights. Beside each plate is
little glass and metal cylinder which become small
electric radiators at the touch of a button Foot
warmers are also located under the table opposite
each chair
At the head of the table is a circular disk, its
groove like a miniature tramway. At the touch
of button the disk in front of NJ KNAPP disappears
in steaming tureen of soup, which rapidly travels
to the seat occupied by Madame KNAPP while the
sections close quickly and noiseessy. If the ladle
happens to be rather awkwardly placed the tureen
swings around and places the spoon almost in her
hand. All this is done by the press of finger
on two buttons under the husbands control
After waiting for Madame KNAPP to take what
soup she wants the tureen passes of its own accord
around the groove in the table in front of each
o11 oua heep fer Il has
peted the journey it disappears as magcaly as 1t
came In few minutes receptacle for dirty dishes
appears and waits patiently for its load. There IS
no rattle of crockery, no noise and confusion OF
walters. In this wonderful way all the food, from
the delicious uenne to the coffee and cigars, is
served IF the becomes slightly overheated the
inventor presses another button and COOL sweet
scented breeze fans the guests. The air is scented
and cooled by passing over perfumed water
After the dinner visitors invited to inspect the
wonderful house The first place visited is always
the kitchen. Here everything is done by electricity.
Fixed to the walls switches, meters, etc, Tor
the apparatus. The electric heat is ap
piled direct and it only takes few minutes to pre-
pare the food The dishes of aluminium, easy
to Clean and each designed specially for its work
On the kitchen table number OF electrical
utensils, including mncing machine immature
,hurn for producing fresh butter, coHee grlndeI,
buffer and polisher, and even an electric dlSh
washer There was also shown the motor driven
apparatus which waited the table SO nicely
In the laundry the clothing is washed dried and
roned by electricity The guest chambers are neat
ID and lighted and ventilated by the current Elec-
ric bells, telephones and cigar lighters abound. "A
impe electrical device notifies the servants III the
easement of visitor at the front gate. BY series
# mirrors the owner of the house can see his guest
landing in the street. With the telephone appa-
atus he can talk with him from the den and at
he press of a finger the gates swing open or shut
Not since the famous electric house in Schenec-
ady N Y, owned by H. w. Hillman, OF the cen
raj Electric Company, has such world wide atten-
on been attached to single dwelling.