Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-17

a red-hot ember In the center. This
will smolder for three or four DAYS,
The Usage Indians carried fire in
fungus finder from the inside of hol-
low tree, inclosed in earth and placed
between the valves of mussel she'll
Wrapped and bound in a cord, the
shell was carried about for several days.
Fishermen of Concarneau carried a
fire horn in their fishing boats. This is
cows horn with a stopper on the
open end. Desiring light. the fisher
man removed the lid, blew his horn and
famed enough flame to light his pipe
In Patagonia, the natives carried fire
on the march in earthenware pots hav-
ing holes in the base for ventilation.
Ancient and modern PuebloS used the
slow match, which was a bundle of
ceGar bark. Many slow matches were
Mesa Verde, Colo.
Fire may have birth in nature either
In the bowels of volcano or through
the medium of lightning. But one OBJ
server saw fires started by the clash
OF boulders dislodged in an earthquake
In Burma. it is said forest fires start
from sparks thrown out by two boulders
rolling down slope. When the ground
is covered with dry leaves and grass, a
spark soon grows into fame.
A traveller in Cashmere remarked that
high winds blowing through the forests
caused such friction between branches
that the trees ignited.
The coming of domestic cattle was
great event in the history of light, for
cattle are made of the stuff candles are
made of. Man hungered little for his
fats, but found more convenience in the
ff~Int ~ d..
and torch.
When it was found that beef fat is
too soft for candle tallow, the bee buzz
zed out of hollow tree and set up
factory in a straw hive, producing
honey and wax. Wax candles made
excellent but costly lights. AS bees were
considered sacred, wax candles came to
have religious import and were eSpe-
cially popular in the role of keeping
ghosts from the door, guarding against
lightning and lighting the way for we'd
ding professions.
The Chinese got fat for candles by
cultivating wax-secreting insects. The
method is used by them TO this day.
Candleholders and candlesticks fol-
lowed the candle. When the hot tallow
ran the candle, somebody invented a
basin around the socket. Another in
'euteu d luikeI -iloiueI, anu Sill dHOtneT
sliding litter.
: King Alfred invented the clock can
dies and used the "lanthorn" to protect
the combustion of his clock.
GENERAL hundred years ago, Venice,
~ the fluid city, first used street lamps
to render the darkness visible These
lanterns encased candles, and although
primitive, they are very beautiful in de-
sign. The lighting system Of Venice
has progressed much since the dark
ages, although some of the first Ian
terms are still in use.
Out of the torches, flambeaux and
candles came the beneflcent lamp.
which uses a wick bathed in fluid
The first lamp is lost Looking all over
the world, DR.. Hough said. he has been
unable TO seize it, although there should
be one.
Near the lamps beginning are many
curious methods of giving light.
In tropical America, the people make
use of large frefiies. Gagged in perfo-
rated lanterns. these insects are said to
throw a good light. Hunters use them
by night. Fashionable ladies tie the
flies in small gauze bags and fasten
them to ball dresses. The JavaneSe
| poured wax over the inside of box and
stuck fireflies to it.
Scotchmen. frugal and thrifty, caught
/ the strong winged petrol bird and found
he was made of animal butter Ergo,
! they stuck a twisted wick into his
throat, and the bird became a lamp
| which lasted until its fat was con-
sumed.
Indian salmon fishers on the west
; coast discovered the fish lamp After
pulling pisces out of the ocean. he was
stuck in the cleft of split stick. A
wick in the mouth sucked out his body
, fats and gave illumination.
| So fast has one invention followed
the other, that some children must
stop twice to think what a lamp is.
Today, they are found only in attics and
museums.
| The Aleuts of Alaska devised lamps
! out OF beach stones. The American
pioneer fashioned lamp reservoirs out
OF turnips. Some Japanese invented a
lamp out OF a clam shell. Others used
saucerS and pots. About three CEN
turtles 3. G. the Romans added short
spout to the saucer lamp and placed a
cover on it. This was the first lamp
reservoir. The Romans made many
terra Gotta lamps, each giving the light
OF about one candle For special occa-
sions, perfume was added to the oil.
! AS the Roman Empire crunlbled, the
lamparas fell to the dust and were
buried in the rubbish. The Dark Ages
were so dark that people almost forgot
about lamps and almost returned to the
age of torches.
In 1854, Argand a Swiss engineer
gave the lamp its real dignity He took
the smoking lamp and gave it oil pres
ssE4-