The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-29
LIGHTS NOW
AVAILABLE FOR FARMS
New Device Enables Each
Ranch to Install Its
Own System.
COST is REASONABLE
Juice" Can Be Used Many
Ways-Saves Large
Amount of Labor.
(By ]. A. Rugby

(By ]. A. Rugby
The house in which our family Of six
is now living was built by my father In
1867. It was substantially constructed.
and was considered = very fine home
in those days. In 1867. however. there
were very few Of the home comforts
and conveniences which we know now.
Light. for instance. WAS furnished by
coal-oil lamps. Water came from .
we'll with q wooden pump, about Is
feet from the house: later a windmill
was installed at this well. supplying
water for = constantly increasing
amount OF stock. Later still came the
large round wick coai-oil lamp which
gave out more and better light. and the
water system was improved by the ad-
dition Of a rainwater cistern with a
hand pump at the Kitchen sink. These
various improvements were adopted as
rapidly as the proved practical.
Ever since electricity came to be ex-
tensively used to light city homes
have been determined to have It on
our farm. There were. however. OBJ
stacles in the way Of getting It. In
addition there was the trouble Of wiz.
ing house and harnS, and Of getting
suitable fixtures.
But these obstacles are no longer in
the way. Thanks to the electrical en-
gineer. there are isolated electric light
an dpower plants on the market which
can be bought for less than the cheap
est automobile and which give the best
Of service without much care and at
tention. Furthermore. house wiring
has progressed to the point where any
house. old or new, can have entirely
concealed wiring at reasonable cost
and with very little tearing up"
These improvements were the ones
that led me to put in electricity. We got
our plant six months ago and installed
it in the pump house about half way
between the main house and the barn.
The engine and generator. which are
assembled In one unit, rests on solid
~OANIC Od0Cs anu NuC SSVx08C OoltCIS
consisting of Is glass jars. is placed on
two shelves along the wall. Our plant,
which cost $275, is a self-csanking one
that starts when my l2-year- old boy
presses a switch on the switchboard.
We put the kerosene In the fuel tank
every time we start It and a little oil
in the crank case about once a week.
Occasionally We put a little pure water
in each OF the battery cells. This
is all the attention we give It. We run
1t about three times a week and fig
ure that the running cost is about
SIPS or $3.50 per month.
Our wiring. all of the concealed"
type. cost us $3.50. and our fixtures. all
good ones. cost 800. understand that
many farms have been wired and
equipped with fixtures at = much
lower cost than this but I believe that
concealed wiring, conveniently located
switches. plenty Of lights and the best
OF fixtures throughout. are well worth
the added cost.
We have lights wherever we can
possibly use them. There 10 q globe
lamp on the front porch. . three-lam
cluster in the hall way. q four-lamp
chandelier and a table lamp in the
living room, another four-lamp cham
delicr In the dining room. two drop
lights in the pantry and two lamps In
the kitchen. one In the center Of the
ceiling and one hanging over the sink
There are two drop lights in the cellar.
Upstairs on the second floor there il .
bracket light in the hall way. This
can be turned on and off from upstairs
or down. as can the lower hall light.
There are two strong lights in the
bath room. and one In each Of the four
bed rooms. In the attic there are two
drop lights. There IL a light on the
back porch. one In the pump house,
two in the garage and 10 In the barn.
These are located as follows: Two be.
hind the horses and three behind the
cows. one In the feed room. one In the
harness room and three IN the loft
Finally. have a large lamp with q re.
Hector on a pole In the middle OF the
barn yard. a great convenience and
protection at night. This light can be
turned on and off from either the house
or the barn.
In addition to light We get plenty of
electric power from our plant In the
house We have an automatic electric
pump which draws water from the els
tern and forces It Int pressure tank.
From there It 10 driven BY the air pres.
sure to all parts OF the house This
made Il possible to install 4 bath room