Popular Science Monthly 



485 



Fiber Containers Take the Place of 

 Tin Cans for Preserved Foods 



TIN is scarce. Imports have decreased, 

 due to reduced production and poorer 

 shipping facilities. "Ready-to-eat" foods 

 are prepared in the containers; hence 

 they require tin cans. Many foods, like 

 ripe olives, jams, and spices, can be packed 

 as well in glass jars. But the price of 

 glass is steadily rising. 



To conserve glass and tin, containers of 

 fiber or. paper are being made in increas- 

 ingly large quantities. They come in 

 various sizes and shapes adapted to differ- 

 ent uses. Most of them are coated with 

 paraffin, which prevents leakage and helps 

 to make the container airtight and to keep 

 it board-stiff. 



Fiber containers can be recommended for 

 cream, oysters, syrups, dried fruits, jellies, 

 mincemeat, horseradish, pickles, deviled 

 ham, chicken, vinegar, mustard, sauer- 

 kraut and olives. 



■*&#+* 



With this combination knife and fork a wounded 

 man can cut and eat his food without assistance 



The Umbrella Hat— It Was Invented 

 Years Ago by an American 



THE umbrella hat is not a recent inven- 

 tion, but was familiar years ago to the 

 residents of Seattle, as the particular head- 

 gear of Robert W. Patten. He was a 

 picturesque figure on the city streets, 

 and he always wore the hat which 

 he invented while mining 

 Mexico. 



The hat is mounted on a 

 frame which fits closely 

 around the head and 

 branches out in ribs like 

 those of an umbrella. 

 Originally, netting was 

 draped around it to keep 

 off the mosquitoes. The 

 umbrella portion could be 

 tilted to any angle. 



Although not as wide as 

 an ordinary umbrella, 

 when used with an all- 

 enveloping rain-coat, the 

 umbrella hat keeps off the 

 rain as well as if it were 

 larger. The idea has been 

 adopted in a modified de- 

 gree by farmers. 



The umbrella hat can be tilted 

 at any angle to keep off the sun 



A Combination Knife and Fork for 

 the Wounded 



EVEN the ordinary tableware is under- 

 going changes and improvements to. 

 meet the needs of the soldiers who have 

 been wounded. The accompanying illus- 

 tration shows a combination knife 

 and fork which will enable a man 

 eat in comfort without hav- 

 to call on some one else 

 to cut up his food. 



The knife blade is equip- 

 ped with a bone handle at 

 one end, and at the other it 

 curves up and around and 

 ends in four prongs like 

 those of an ordinary fork. 

 The usefulness of the knife 

 for the purpose is evident. 

 Below the prongs is a 

 broad flat portion slightly 

 dented in, to prevent the 

 food from slipping off. 



This also serves as a 

 spoon, so that in reality the 

 implement is a combina- 

 tion of knife, fork and 

 spoon. It may be used for 

 everything but soup. 



The November issue of Popular Science Monthly will be on sale on all newsstands, 

 Wednesday, October tenth (West of the Rocky Mountains, October twentieth). 



