May, 1906 
AMERIGAN HOMES AND GARDENS 
Electricity in the Home 
By Harold Stannard 
RJ LECTRICITY, so extensively used in the 
Mi commercial development of civilization, 1s 
rapidly becoming an important factor in the 
modern conveniences of the home. Em- 
ployed in its earlier stages of use chiefly in 
the larger enterprises, such as power plants 
for railways or lighting systems of cities and towns, it is now 
being incorporated in the regime of the household for va- 
rious purposes, and sur- 
prising progress has been 
made by manufacturers of 
electrical apparatus in the 
invention and production 
of utensils and devices de- 
signed for domestic ser- 
vice. In certain centers 
containing _ conven- 
ient sources of electrical 
supply, or where the peo- 
ple are more familiar with 
electricity than is usually 
the case with the average 
citizen, we find homes 
equipped throughout with 
electrical devices and ap- 
paratus which have almost 
entirely obviated many 
former necessities, for in- 
stance, coal, gas and il- 
luminating oil. 
An excellent example 
of the development of electricity in the home is found in the 
residence of Mr. H. W. Hillman, at Schenectady, N. Y. 
The house, illustrated in four of the accompanying engrav- 
ings, is the second of this type which Mr. Hillman has had 
constructed, and from the experience gained in the first 
The Electrical Chafing Dish 
The Luminous Electric Radiator, Better than Logs and Cheaper 
building in the use of an electric cooking outfit no kitchen 
chimney was built, nor was it necessary to provide space 
for kitchen coal and wood, or fora cooking range. lhere- 
fore, it was only necessary to have a cellar under a portion 
of the house with, consequently, but half the excavation, 
while half the foundation walls were merely carried below 
the frost line. The house is heated during the winter 
months, it is true, by means of a furnace, as electric heating 
has not yet been devel- 
oped to such an extent that 
the warming of an entire 
house from a central point 
is a practical possibility. 
The electriccooking and 
baking outfit in the kitchen 
consists of an oak table, an 
oven, gridiron, meat broil- 
er, cereal cooker, disk 
stove, frying pan and cof- 
fee percolator. The table 
is fitted with several indi- 
cating switches for con- 
trolling and regulating the 
devices. The — servant 
easily learned to use the 
apparatus, and would very 
much dislike to go back to 
the old way of cooking by 
coal or gas. There is no 
coal to be brought up from 
the cellar and there are no 
ashes to sift, nor is there a fire to watch and build up again 
should it go out. The monthly cost of operation has been 
carefully compared with gas and coal at $1.30 per thou- 
sand and $6.50 per ton respectively. The average monthly 
bill has been $6.69 for the past twenty-four months, an 
Vie rer 
ot ae Bea 
SS a Se es 
The Electrical Cigar Lighter 
