1908. 
THE) RURAL NEW-YORKKK 
787 
SMALL STILLS FOR ALCOHOL. 
From time to time we have received 
questions from readers who want to 
know about a small apparatus used in 
France for distilling alcohol. Two years 
ago Congress passed a law taking the 
internal revenue tax from “denatured” 
alcohol. This bill was passed with the 
aid and by the influence of farmers, 
who were led to believe that this bill 
would help them settle a hard question 
of light and fuel. Many of them 
thought that after this bill was passed 
the average farmer would be able to 
make alcohol on the farm at a low price, 
and that he could use this alcohol in 
place of other fuel. The result has been 
A SMALL FRENCH STILL. 
disappointing to such farmers. The 
price of alcohol is still so high that it 
cannot be used in place of wood or coal. 
At the time the bill was passed we told 
our readers that we felt sure the alcohol 
industry would be much the same as the 
beet sugar business, that it would not be 
made on the small farms, but concen¬ 
trated in the factories, where farm 
produce is brought, very much as sugar 
beets are brought to the factory, or milk 
or cream to the creamery. 
There is still, however, a demand for 
a small distilling apparatus, but we have 
been unable to find any of them made in 
this country. From a French catalogue, 
however, we have engraved two devices 
which are said to be fairly popular in 
France. The pictures, shown herewith, 
give something of an idea of the way 
these machines are operated. The small 
ones appear to be pretty close to toys, 
but there are larger and more expen¬ 
sive devices which are really practical. 
A great deal of the alcohol making in 
France appears to be done by traveling 
distillers, who go from place to place 
very much the same as grain thrashers 
travel in this country. They will go to 
a farmer’s place and work apples, po¬ 
tatoes, beets or other material into alco¬ 
hol at a stated price. We still doubt if 
this method will be practical in this 
country for a good many years, as the 
conditions here are very different from 
those on the other side. 
Mrs. Wiggs : “Your daughter seems 
to be suffering from the heat.” Mrs. 
Digs: “No; she’s just home from col¬ 
lege, and she prostrated by the family 
grammar.”—Philadelphia Inquirer. 
SOME USES FOR ACETYLENE GAS. 
What is the relative value in heat, power, 
etc., of acetylene gas, coal gas (both old 
and new water gas process'*. coal oil, and 
perhaps it is just as well to include gaso¬ 
line? I want to light the house, and one 
or two safe outbuildings, and for heat use, 
have a gas stove at least in kitchen (an 
article of that kind would save the women 
so much), use it for incubators and brood¬ 
ers. warm hog feed without a wheelbarrow 
load of wood, make steam for a little five 
or six horse-power workshop engine, for 
making quick hot water or even steam in the 
milk room, for utensils, bottles, etc., or 
anything where heat is needed. Also I have 
a gasoline engine. The manufacturers have 
a gas engine, same thing, only different car¬ 
buretor. How would acetylene gas do? 
It is explosive enough at times. If this 
one plant could be made to furnish material 
for these different uses, what a saving in 
labor and anxiety ! Now we have to keep 
on hand a tank of oil. 100 gallons; tank of 
gasoline, 150 gallons; they are dangerous 
commodities to have about in such quan¬ 
tities. j. B. B. 
Long Island. 
Ans. —After obtaining facts and 
opinions from a number of manufac¬ 
turers of acetylene gas fixtures the fol¬ 
lowing statement is considered fair. Re¬ 
garding heat the Acetylene Journal says: 
Acetylene consuming 2 Vi feet per hour 
reached boiling point 6% minutes; coal 
gas consuming 15 Vz feet per hour reached 
boiling point 7% minutes; gasoline con¬ 
suming % gallon per hour reached boiling 
point 7 Vi minutes. It will readily be seen 
by these tests that acetylene compares fa¬ 
vorably with $1.25 coal gas, and 10 cents 
per gallon gasoline. These figures of course 
are made on the assumption of carbide 
producing five feet of gas to each pound 
used in a standard apparatus, which is not 
far from correct. On other tests we have 
made for baking, we have found when 
using a return flue acetylene oven, con¬ 
suming five feet per hour, we could make 
ordinary biscuits in 10 minutes, where the 
standard coal gas oven using 30 feet of 
gas required 15 minutes for the same bak¬ 
ing. These figures show how much cheaper 
acetylene is than coal gas when tempera¬ 
ture is considered and compared. 
The value in heat in acetylene is 
figured by one manufacturer at 2 y 2 
times that of coal gas for the same 
amount. There would be no trouble 
about piping the gas to different parts 
of the premises. A good generator will 
force the gas 1000 feet or more. The 
gas has its limitations, and while it 
would answer for cooking purposes it 
would not do for raising steam in a 
boiler. This would cost too much. As 
for power in place of gasoline the Sun¬ 
light Gas Machine Co. says: 
Although the explosive power of acety¬ 
lene is perhaps the highest of any fixed gas, 
still, on account of the richness of the gas 
in carbon there is considerable residue left, 
so that the use of the gas for operating 
an internal combustion gas engine is im¬ 
practical. Even for operating an external- 
combustion engine, such as the Rider-Erics- 
son, acetylene has never been found suc¬ 
cessful, as the flame has to be enclosed and 
this has a tendency to turn the gas into a 
benzine vapor, result of which is deposit of 
soot over the surrounding walls. Various 
attempts have been made for using acety¬ 
lene for power purposes, but without suc¬ 
cess. 
IXIUDLE . 
CYUNDER/! 
Doyourov/N 
THRESHING 
If you raise one acre or more of 
Beans or Pease, we have a 
Special Thresher Proposition 
to offer you, which is the most liberal 
ever made by any Manufacturer. If you 
write us about it we will also send you 
free our new book on Bean and Pea rais¬ 
ing. This book will show you how the 
Owens Bean & Pea Threshers 
pay for themselves in a short time, how 
they are made in four sizes to suit both 
the small and largo grower,as well as the 
jobber; how they thresh directly from 
the vines without splitting the Beans or 
Pease, and separate the vines and pods 
Write to-day for our special propo¬ 
sition and free book. 
J. L. OWENS CO., 
682 Superior Street, Minneapolis, Minn. 
N.B.—Write for prices on 
Bean and Pea Harvester. 
“ Farmers’ Favorite ” 
Feed Cooker and Boiler 
I he most practical feed cooker and farm 
boiler on the market—economical, inex¬ 
pensive ami well made. Cooks feed for 
ntock and poultry andfui nlshes a splendid 
stove for heating cellar or shop, poultry 
house or milk room. Convenient for 
boiling spray mixtures. Write for de* 
scriptlve circular and prices. 
LEWIS MFG. CO., Box C, Cortland, N. Y. 
FREE 
Wear STEEL SHOES 
Absolute Protection Against Colds, 
Rheumatism, Stiffness, Discomfort. 
No More Blistered, Aching Feet. 
Good-Bye to Corns and Bunions! 
Send for our 
booklet,“The 
Sole of Steel’* 
r, better still, 
send for a pair of 
Steel Shoes. See 
our Money-Back Guar 
antee Offer below. 
One Pair of Steel Shoes Will Outwear 
Three to Six Pairs of Leather Shoes 
Just as a matter of economy, it will pay you to wear Steel Shoes. One pair will easily 
outwear from three to six pairs of leather shoes—saving $5 to $10 of your shoe 
money in a year. But the comfort of Steel Shoes is an equally strong reason for 
wearing them. You simply can not realize what foot comfort really means until 
you have worn Steel Shoes. They do not twist and warp out of shape like 
leather shoes, because the rigid steel bottoms compel them to keep their shape 
always. Unlike rubber boots, they do not make your feet hot and sweaty. 
They are light, dry, warm and clean. You can work anywhere—in mud or 
slush—in all sorts of weather—and you’ll find them restful and comfortable. 
Comfort and Economy of Steel Shoes Explained 
Strongest Working Shoes Made 
The soles of Steel Shoes and an inch 
above the soles are stamped out of a 
special, light, thin steel. One piece of 
steel from toe to heel—not a seam or 
joint anywhere. 
The uppers are made of the very best 
quality of pliable, waterproof leather— 
riveted on to stay. The bottoms of the 
soles are studded with steel rivets, to 
give you an absolutely safe, firm footing, 
no matter how slippery the way. 
A man who wears steel shoes doesn’t 
have to own three different styles of 
working shoes. No arctics or felt boots 
necessary. Steel Shoes need no repairs. 
Better Than Rubber Boots 
Rubber boots keep the feet hot and 
sweaty and make them very tender. They 
are positively injurious to health. 
Steel Shoes, with their waterproof 
leather uppers, give you the same pro¬ 
tection as rubber boots, without sweat¬ 
ing your feet. 
One pair of Steel Shoes will outwear 
at least three pairs of rubber boots. 
Steel Shoes Save Doctor Bills 
Wear Steel Shoes and you will not 
suffer from colds, rheumatism, neu¬ 
ralgia and other troubles and dis¬ 
comforts resulting from cold, wet 
feet. They prevent sickness, save 
doctor bills. 
No lost time on account of cold, 
wet, stormy weather! 
The inner soles of Steel Shoes are 
springy Hair Cushions, which absorb 
the perspiration and foot odors. 
They also give elasticity to the tread, 
and absorb the shock when you walk 
on hard or stony ground. 
The Hair Cushions can easily be 
taken out and cleansed. Being shaped 
to fit the feet, and having these Hair 
Cushion insoles, Steel Shoes keep 
your feet free from corns, bunions, 
callouses and soreness. 
They need no breaking in. Are 
easily slipped on or off. They are 
comfortable all the year ’round. The 
saving in medicine and doctor bills 
will pay for Steel Shoes many times 
over. Order a pair today! 
No More Sore, Tired, Aching Feet 
Throw away your old rubber boots— 
your rough, hard, twisted, shapeless 
leather shoes—and wear Steel Shoes in¬ 
stead. Then you will not be troubled 
with sweaty, blistered, tired, aching feet 
or tortured by corns and bunions. 
Your Money Back if Not Satisfied 
We make you safe in sending for a pair 
of Steel Shoes by agreeing to refund 
your money without delay or argument 
if you are not satisfied when you see the 
shoes. Shoe money cannot buy bigger 
value than either a $2.50 or $3.50 style 
of Steel Shoes. Sizes 6 to 12. 
We strongly recommend the $3.50 pair 
because the 9-inch uppers give you the 
best possible protection and the utmost 
satisfaction. 
Don’t cheat your feet out of the com¬ 
fort of Steel Shoes. Think of the trifling 
cost—the big saving in shoe bills and 
doctor bills. Send only $3.50 for our 
9-inch Steel Shoes (state size shoe you 
wear) and the best and most comfortable 
working shoes you ever wore will come 
by fast express. Send today. 
Steel Shoes Made in Two Styles 
We make them in two styles. Our $2.50 Steel Shoes have six- 
inch uppers and are better than the best all-leather $3.50 shoes on the 
market. 
Our $3.50 Steel Shoes have nine-inch uppers and are better than 
the best all-leather shoes you can buy at any price. We specially 
recommend the $3.50 shoes because the nine-inch uppers give the best 
protection under all conditions. 
STEEL SHOE CO., Dept 37, Racine, Wis. 
| ORDER BLANK FOR STEEL SHOES 
| Steel Shoe Co., Dept. 37. Racine, Wis. 
| Gentlemen:— 
I enclose _for 5_. 
J in payment for-pair Steel Shoes, size_ 
2 Name_ 
I „ 
I County-— . . State_ 
I 
| Town____R. F. D_ 
