Popular Scioice Monihly 



where the wire enters. The curtain, 

 when released, rolls down out of the way, 

 being actuated by a spring such as used on 

 window shades. Inside the central por- 

 tion is a switch for shifting the current 

 from one light to the other. The brass, 

 corners ard handle were purchased. TM% 

 case was painted inside and out as a 

 finish. — I. E. Pettibone. 



A Homemade Sawdust-Burning 

 Heating or Cook Stove 



HERE is a little new-style stove which 

 will save your coal. It burns saw- 

 dust. You can make the stove yourself 

 if you are handy with tools. It is simply 

 a cylindrical box made of sheet iron, 

 about 7^4 in. in diameter and eight 

 inches deep. It has no lid. The box 

 should be filled wdth sawdust to within 

 an inch of the top, leaving the rim, 

 which is pierced with eight holes ^i in. 

 in diameter, uncovered. Three small 

 pieces of sheet iron, bent at right angles 

 and riveted inside below the top, serve 

 as brackets to support the cooking utensil 

 at the right height above the flame. 



Before filling the box with the sawdust, 

 a piece of wood 103^^ in. long, tapering 

 from 1^4 in. in diameter at one end to 

 l}/i in. at the other, is placed, small end 

 downward, in a vertical position at the 

 bottom of the box. Another piece of 

 wood l\i in. in diameter and 6 in. in 

 length is inserted through a hole in the 

 side, at the level of the bottom. One 

 end of this piece is slightly hollowed to 

 fit the lower end of the vertical piece. 

 These two pieces of wood act as a kind 

 of core around which the sawdust is 

 packed and rammed down hard with a 

 wood rammer. After the sawdust is 

 packed in, the pieces of wood should be 

 removed, leaving two holes, one vertical 

 and the other horizontal. Through the 

 vertical hole a few drops of kerosene are 

 poured, and through the horizontal open- 

 ing a lighted taper is inserted. As soon 

 as the sawdust catches the blaze, the 

 cooking utensil may be placed over the 

 top. The fire will burn from three to six 

 hours without replenishing and without 

 flaring up. It gives off a good heat, 

 sufficient for any kind of cooking or for 

 laundry work.— James A. Carter. 



125 



The Animated Match Box on the 

 Back of the Hand 



DO this trick before a mirror and you 

 will actually surprise yourself. Al- 

 though exceedingly simple it is very per- 

 plexing to the onlooker. Take an or- 

 dinary match box and lay it flat on the 

 back of your hand. 

 At your command 

 it will "sit up" or 

 "lie down." More- 

 over, it will ac- 

 complish the task 

 slowly or rapidly 

 at your own will. 

 No threads, wires, 

 wax or weights are 

 used. Nothing 

 but your hand and 

 the match box. Try it as you read this. 

 When placing the box on the back of 

 your hand have the drawer open just the 

 slightest bit. Push it together with, the 

 fingers of the hand that is placing the box. 

 This will cause a bit of the loose skin to 

 catch in. The box will lie perfectly flat 

 until you push your closed up fingers 

 into your palm. The slightest strain will 

 tighten the skin and the little box full of 

 matches will gradually rise up in the 

 most amusing manner. To have it "lie 

 down" merely relax the pressure. As 

 you do this not a muscle or vein will 

 move. Only the slight "pinch feeling" 

 of the skin will keep you from fooling 

 yourself. 



The skin on the hand 

 is gripped in the box 



Tire Damage Caused by Driving in 

 Street Car Tracks 



ROUGH streets tempt one to drive in 

 car tracks. It is more comfortable 

 for the passengers and may seem more 

 of an economy to protect the car on special 

 occasions from bumps and unusual vibra- 

 tion by running in car tracks, rather than 

 over rough, cobblestone pavements. The 

 tires will not be injured by doing this 

 occasionally; however, to continue the 

 bad practice shortens the mileage of the 

 tire. Quite often the pavement along the 

 inside edges of the rails is very rough and 

 may result in cuts to the rubber and 

 bruises to the fabric. Driving over street 

 car track switches, the pointed frogs 

 may cut the tires beyond repair. 



