The Washington herald., 1909-08-26
AT THE HOTELS.

vention which they claim is a new ap-
plication OF the Old idea Of preventing
railroad wrecks by automatic devices.
A. n. Jones and B. N. Snyder. Of Hagers-
town. Nd, who are staying at the Hotel
Harris, viii give a demonstration OF their
new invention on the Chesapeake Beach
Railroad line this morning. 1t IS expected
that representatives Of all the railroads
leading into Washington and a member
or official Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission will be present 70 pass judg-
ment.
Albert NJ. Jones is the inventor. and in
his work he has largely pursued an eclec-
tic method. taking advantage Of the mis-
takes made by inventors IN the past and
evolving a device which from the engi-
neer's and signal operators view. more
nearly approaches the ideal locomotive
control than any other placed upon the
market. AS Mr.. Jones has been an en-
gineer himself for twenty years he knows
whereof he speaks and knows the history
Of railroad wrecks in the United States
from the beginning. He declares the vast
majority Of collisions are caused by trains
running past the danger signal on the
semaphores.
"The problem has been" he said last
night, Ito find an absolutely safe con-
trol which would prevent trains from
.disregaTding the red light. It is not that
engineers are careless. But they are not
lnfallible, and as long as wrecks can be
prevented only by human vigilance. they
are sure 10 continue. But when we have
a mechanical method OF bringing the
train 70 a halt whenever IL passes a
danger signal. the engineer may be
asleep and yet a wreck be averteG. We
think that In this device we have accom-
piished this
1T should be understood that many de-
wees Of the same type have been pat
ented. but none has been entirely SIC
cessfUl, either because Of high cost OF in
stallatiOn or because OF the Inconvenience
and loss OF time in operation. We claim
for our invention that II can be cheaply
installed on any system IN the country
and will not cause the slightest trouble
IN the vast majority OF cases. when en-
gineers do not require its aid But in
the one case out Of thousand when
the man al the throttle may have missed
the red sempahore. it can be relied upon
to do MS work for him. II works like
thiss
When the red signal Is UP. a little
iron piece jumps up along the track about
800 yards in front Of Il. The approach
( ing train IS equipped with corresponding
/ piece, which strikes the raised jack and
exercises consequent pressure upon an air
/ cylinder. This cylinder blows whistle in
/ the engineers cab. and puts the air
/ brakes in operation. The train IS brought
to halt before II reaches the semaphore.
/ But the engineer. n he Is on the job
] s-uf 70 crrff al
and may stop II at the precise spot he
/ desires. With many automatic control
devices. the train IS stopped suddenly,
7nS the engineer is compelled to release
l the thrO.'ie again and steam up 70
point nearer the sempahore where ne may
learn the cause OF the delay.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
has already approved our device by plac-
ing It, with five others, before the recent
convention OF signal engineers in New
| York. Three OF these were electric, which
are not favorably regarded by railroad
officials, because II involves electrihca-
tion OF the entire signal system. This
would make II very. costly. indeed
1--WE have met with much encourage
ment from railroad officials and we are
confident OF meeting with success IN our
venture. We have established a small
factory IN Hagerstown, and have staked
all our capital IN It."
Gov. johnson has not strengthened
himself by his recent sensational attack
on the dominance OF the East IN legis-
lative matters" said r A. Hopkins, OF
Duluth. at the Raleigh last night He
is generally regarded IN our part OF the
country as a favorite for the Democratic
Presidential nomination in 1912. now that
Bryan IS out Of the running. and we were
sorry 70 see him make any hasty and
, ill-advised attack which savOred OF sec
tionalism.
But I believe Johnson is stronger In
his home State than he has ever been
The Minnesotans now realize he IS OF
Presidential calibeT. and are determined
: - keep him before the public There is
a strong snt-Cannon feeling out on
, way. and both Nelson and Ciapp, our
? Republican Senator'S, are heartily In.
dorsed for their stand with the so-caueC
Insurgents While the State is Demo.
cratic. so far as Johnson is concerned
there is no doubt that the Republican:
will elect the United States Senators for
] years to come. I think Clapp Will be re,
z turned next year"
The citrus fruit industry in Californir
was the subject Of an interesting tall
! by G. A. Layton. OF San Francisco, q
the Shoreham. yesterday. He expressed
satisfaction over the tariff provisions
which afford ample protection to tn,
business. and is enthusiastic over tn,
prospects.
Did you ever know how a prune Il
prepared for the market?'' he asked
, The prune. or plum. can be shaken from
the tree; the apricot cannot. because 4
e is always split open and mashed by tn,
: fail. Hence great labor is involved II
the picking OF the latter fruit.
2 When the plum Is picked Il Is spll
p open, then placed in a great wire basket
q which is dipped into boiling hot waite
- and preparation which renders II I'm
y mune from an attack by worms Thel
I IL is thoroughly dried. When the girl
e pack II. II is treated with a lamp-blacl
o preparation so as TO become neat an
a shiny A properly packed prune vii
e never be touched by worms It is onl
4 the cheaper grades OF prunes, sold 4
bulk, which are ruined in this way.
|, The prune IS the great export fruit Q
= California Talk about our oranges an
our lemons as we will. it IS the prun
which has the largest demand. At m
present time the grower Is at the nero
OF the fruit sellers associations, VIII
t. are debating alike 10 the public and III
g orchard owners as 20 the price. I bc
!. lieve the transportation companies ar
= also eowed by the market men. who's
organization presents en- inVuinerabs
, front. But this condition cannot Ion
continue"
= The 500 possesses probably the grea
/ est natural water power equipment in IN
/ country outside OF Niagara said Ralp