Evening star., 1915-11-28
ELECTRICITY USES
TOLD OF IN ESSAYS
Contest Interests Scores of
Competitors Who De-
scribe Utility.
FIELD OF OBSERVATION
SHOWS MANY DEVICES
Technical knowledge Not Involved
in Explaining in Words How
Current Is Applied.

How many everyday uses is cleo
tricity being put to in Washington?
Scores of essays telling of numerous
common applications of electricity
already have been received by the
electrical contest editor of The Star.
Judging from these, the invisible.
powerful current which can move as
rapidly as thought. has a wide field
OIL usefulness. The great utilitarian
force known by modern civilization as
Electricity is commonly thought of
mostly in connection with lights and
door bells
Many Uses of Electricity.
When those who would write an es-
say to submit in the contest start to
figure on how many ways electricity
is used in everyday life they begin to
wonder how they are going to crowd
SO many uses into the little space OF
ESQ words. Why, surely. there are more
than that number of uses alone!
For instance. upon arising one may
use an electric shaving mug or curling
|iron-depending, of course, upon the
sex of the user. Then. for breakfast.
the toaster comes into it's own, or.
perhaps. griddle cakes are made on
fast table. To go to work one goes on
an electric driven street car, or possi-
bly, in an electric automobile. Even the
autos having gasoline engines are de-
pendent upon the spark furnished by
wizard electricity.
So 1t goes throughout the entire day.
Many things are done by electricity
by the pressing of button or the
throwing on of a switch---the bene-
ficiaries often not even knowing that
they have been served by the powerful
but obliging agent.
Ideas for Essay1sts.
Those who are successful In the con-
test probably will be those who are the
best observers and whose minds are
most inquiring.
Do the department store elevators de-
pend on electricity? And, If SO. to
what extent?
How many kinds of electric lights
are TO be found in Washington?
What electric devices are finding the
best sale and proving the most popu-
lar?
To what extent are the department
stores dependent upon electric cur
rent?
There, are many things to be consid-
cred here lighting. heating. ventilat-
ing, telephone service. signal bells for
| employees ana dozens oi other Things
The best thing about the contest
that is, the best thing besides the many
fine priests that 1t takes no student
of electricity to write an essay which
may win a prize. No technique is In
volved. for 1T is the everyday" uses
which are called for specifically.
One doesn't have to know the differ
ence between alternating and direct
currents, or the definition of watts,
| ohrns and volts. He only has to have a
a.
uses in which Washington's business
civil and home life is dependent each
| day upon electricity.
Glasses Of Prizes.
Everybody has an equal chance. So,
| to use the slang. "go to it." Here are
the classes into which the competitors
are divided, and the prizes which have
been offered:
| General public-Any one allowed to
contest-First prize. an electric lamp;
second prize, an electric percolator;
third prize. an electric grill; fourth.
fifth, sixth. seventh and eighth prizes.
| electric candles.
| Washington high school pupils-First
prize, electric chating dish: second
prize, tourists combination iron outfit:
| third prize. electric curling iron or
| electric shaving mug; fourth, nth,
| sixth, seventh and elghth prizes, cleo
| tric candles.
| Pupils in Washington public school
grades from the fifth to the eighth In
clusive-First prize, electric teakettle;
second prize, electric heating pad: third
prize. travellers electric iron; fourth,
| fifth, sixth. seventh and eighth prizes,
| electric candies.
| PUPILS in Washington public school
grades from first to fourth. Inclusive
| First prize, children's electric range;
| second prize, tourists electric iron out
| At. third prize. electric toaster; fourth.
fifth, si~th seventh and eighth prizes.
| electric candles
Good Way to Earn Christmas Gifts.
| This contest is an excellent oppor-
tunity, point out those in charge of
| IL. to earn a Christmas present for
some member of your family or for
some one to whom you are under obIi-
| cations.
| The judges will grade your essays
| in pretty much the same way teacher
| n school would. The papers will all
| ,e marked on basis OF 100 per cent.
| N this fashion:
Subject matter, 20 points; spelling.
10; grammar. 90; general neatness. 20;
handwriting, 8.