Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1910-03-24
HOW ELECTRICITY CAME -
~. TO A NEW YORK FARM.
Without Wind or Water Power this
Farmer Enjoys aII:the Comforts of
Electricity. A Model Farm Power
Plant.

RANT.
BY far-the greater number of farms
in this country cannot boast of noisy
mountain streams or meadow creeks
big enough to harness with water tur-
blne and generator to supply a steady
flow of electrical power for the farm
and home. Fortunate indeed are those
farmers who possess such water pow
ers, for they can easily obtain enough,
electricity to do all the hard work
about the farm, from the milking to
the threshing, light the home and
cook the meals; but there is no rea-
son under the sun why the less for
tunate neighbors should be without
electricity.
In the western part of New York
State lives a prosperous countryman
who is well versed on modern farm.
ing and knows the value of cheap
power in these days when farm labor
is so scarce and high priced. There
are plenty Of springs and small brooks
on his fine farm but not enough Water
to pay to build dam and water pow.
er. He needed power, cheap power
and plenty of it. He weired the
streams and could not find it; he test
ed the wind and found that he could
not depend upon it; he tried steam
and found it too dangerous, unhandy
and costly. One day he was helping
to thresh the heavy crop of oats and
the rythmatic sputter of the big gaso-
lene engine, belted to the thresher,
seemed trying to tell him something
which he did not comprehend until
the engine had been hauled away to
the next farm for similar work.
The very next day the country man
paid hurried visit to the electric
city of Schenectady and when he re-
turned that next day his face wore a
self satisfied look near akin to COM
plete happiness. In few days large
heavy box arrived and when it. was
opened and unpacked before the won.
dering eyes of the hired men and
neighbors there appeared a perfect
gasolene electric generating set, com.
plete and ready to produce ten horse.
mower electricity.
A corner of the milk house was
quickly turned into tiny power
house and the machine installed. An
electrician from nearby city wired
the house, barns, outbuildings and the
yard for electric lights and lines for
power were strung about the barn,
COW sheds and the milk room, as we'll
as the basement of the house. A six
horsepower electric motor, mounted
on a suitable truck, was purchased.
Today you will find this happy coun
tryman enjoying all the luxuries OF
electric light heat and power. His
power plant consists of four cylin
der gasolene engine direct mounted
On the same shaft with small power
full electric generator. The whole
machine only requires few square
feet of floor space When it is crank
ed up it works automatically until il
is shut down, requiring no care or at
tention beyond oiling occasionally
1t would be a hard matter, indeed
for anyone to take this handy little
electric plant away from this New
York farmer. He knows now the
great convenience of electric ligh
available in the house, barn or yar(
at the turn of switch. He know:
that the electricity not only lessons
his fire risk, for the electric light Cal
be burned with complete safet!
wherever~a wire can be strung, but i
furnishes in the electric pump won
derful volume and pressure of waite
for fighting fire. He has balanced vi
his books and knows just how muc]
the powerful electric motors hav
helped in saving labor and hired en-
gines.
Aside from the convenience of cleo
tricity for lighting the buildings abou
this country home it finds many task
to do which formerly required mer
horses and not infrequently hired e1
gines. There is a small motor drive'
pump which supplies plentiful quar-
Etity of water for the lawns and gal
dens, for the house and barns, as wel
/ as for fire protection. The portabl
motor is wheeled about the barn t