The Washington times., 1922-01-22


" It Is for an automobile to
" have a number so that 1t
can be recognised and identified
quickly. Every good watch also
has its number. which often plays
an important part in identifying
its owner. Not all housekeepers
are aware that household mechan-
-isms like sewing machines and
stoves and washers also have deh-
mite factory numbers which It is
important to keep on file in the
household record book.
Only this week l had an humble
example on this point because we
had somehow mislaid the shaker
OF my large office stove, and in
this cold weather a shaker is an
absolute necessity. After I was
positive that It had been lost dur
ing the Summer went over to the
hardware man and asked him for
q shaker. To my surprise he re-
piled that they did not keep them
and that I would have to 60 to the
tinsmith or to the plumber.
When went q considerable dis.
lance to plumbing shop the man
there Immediately asked: What
Is the number Of your stove?"
"Number!" I replied, In astonish.
ment, what difference does that
make In getting shaker? | don't
think this stove has a number"
"Oh, but II must have" he replied,
because there would be too many
sizes of stoves for us to keep shak.
ere for; but II you phone me the
number OF the stoye will send
for one or you can write the manu-.
facturer direct"
So / had to let II go at that, and
after spending over an hour on the.
matter I came back to fnd that
the number was plainly shown on
the back OF the stove-"Homer No.
So" 8, I wrote this to the manu-.
facturer and in about ten days at
last received my shaker.
Not only do all stoves have mum.
bers, but 30 do sewing machines.
washing and ironing machines.
typewriters, electric motors, dish
washers, vacuum cleaners ana
many other OF the more complicat-
ed mechanisms OF the modern
home. I will give other instances
OF how important II is to know the
exact number or model of any par.
tlcular device.
A few years ago we had q gas
engine for pumping water. 0rigi-
nail. there was an instruction book
with II. showing the various parts
In case there should be a break
age Unfortunately this book had
become lost, and on the engine,
now old and covered with grease,
W, could not read any number SO
as to identify this particular model
when some part had to be re-
placed, Over the long-distance
phone I struggled for some time TO
try and make q branch Office man.
ager understand the part that was
broken, but to no avail.
As he explained, the manufac.
turer changed the styles of ma
chimes very frequently, and the To-
cation OF the parts varied. IL he
only knew the number OF the mo
tor he could at once look this up
In a former catalogue and tell me
exactly what we needed. AS last
resort had to have local garage
min come down and locate the
number. II cost me over IS to do
IL and so I determined henceforth
TO at once write in a book the
number Of every new machine or
device we purchased.
Almost the same thing happened
with our piano, which is OF the
automatic player type. Some small
part Of the mechanism broke and
I wanted to replace II, as l could
very we'll do myself II I only had
the part. Again the manager asked
me the number, but / couldn't tell
him. at may be our 1917 model
that was made with such and such
a shaft, but II II is a 1915 or earlier
model we made II differently, and
don't know which to send yop."
Thus, again. I had difficulty which
might have been avoided II had
kept a careful record OF the pianos
number.