TIME MACHINE ... Electricity!

(Excuse the "shocking" pun on this week's previews. No, not any shocking revelations today but items that all deal with electricity! Hope you'll find them of interest.)

　

February, 1942

(The Salisbury Times)

LOWER SHORE FARMS TO GET CURRENT FEB. 9

Half Of Rural Homes In Area To Get Electricity

More than 50-percent of approximately 1,200 rural homes and farm buildings on the lower Eastern Shore have been wired for electricity and inspected by the Choptank Cooperative in readiness for REA current to be turned on next Monday.

The three switches at power stations on the Eastern Shore at Salisbury, near Princess Anne, and at Airy in Dorchester County will be turned on according to John Warren of Snow Hill, coordinator of the project for the Choptank Cooperative.

Although houses are wired for the current, the system will not be ready for use for the homes for about ten days or two weeks after the current is officially turned on. As soon as the homes are wired, the Choptank Cooperative inspects and approves each job.

Maintenance will be done by the cooperative, which has made arrangements to purchase power from the Eastern Shore Public Service Company.

Rights of way were obtained from all subscribers on the power routes by farmers who volunteered their services in the interest of obtaining power for their communities.

A meeting of the cooperative today in Denton was held to elect officers and make final arrangements for bringing the lower shore unit into the cooperative as a completed project of the Rural Electrification Administration.　

　

July, 1944

(Eastern Shore Public Service Ad)

The question most frequently asked about extending electric service to the farm is "How much will it cost to have a line extended to me?"

Our new rural line plan offers an easy solution to this problem because most farms can be connected without any expenditure on the part of the farmer for the electric lines. This plan includes not only the electric line along the county road, but also the line running into the farm.

Temporary wartime restrictions may delay the construction of some lines, but we are ready now to estimate your needs and contract for your requirements. If you are interested in having electric service on your farm, we shall be happy to talk with you. Just give us a call or drop a penny postcard to Ready Killowatt, Box 391, Salisbury, Md., and say "I am interested in getting electricity to my farm."　

　

Anyone know when electricity first came to Pocomoke City? Perhaps it was around the same time as nearby neighbor Snow Hill.

December, 1887

(The Herald And Torch Light- Hagerstown, Md)

Snow Hill, Worcester County, was lighted for the first time on Wednesday night of last week with electric lights. The work of wiring stores, etc., proceeded rapidly and the business portion of the town has been supplied with electric lights.

　　

March, 1970

One of Pocomoke City's long standing buildings, which in earlier times had housed the town's ice and electric company, was demolished. The Maple Street building had been built around 1910.　

　

ACROSS THE USA

August, 1885

(The Wellsboro Agitator- Wellsboro, Pa.)

SCIENCE AND PROGRESS

Good For Hot Weather

(Excerpts)

An electric lamp manufacturing firm has recently invented something quite new. It is an electric fan. Upon the top (...like an ordinary lamp pedestol about a foot high) is mounted a screw propeller fan. The standard is of wood or other non-conducting material, with wires running up through the middle. When the connection is made, the fan begins to revolve rapidly.

The battery is contained in a little box about four to five inches square. It holds material to generate electricity enough to turn the fan several hours. The fan is fixed upon a hinge so it can be set at any desired angle, thus changing its direction. Clockwork fans are not uncommon. In large factories, where large number of men are crowded together in hot rooms, large revolving wooden fans are attached to the machinery and worked by steam. But this neat little electric arrangement seems an improvement on any other plan that has yet been tried.

　

November, 1905

(The Anaconda Standard)

NEW ELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR

Latest Labor Saving Invasion In The Cooks Domain- Economy Of Time Accomplished

"A newer application of electricity to household uses is the electric refrigerator," says a writer on "The Electric Housekeeper" in the Technical World Magazine.

"Heretofore the difficulty has been to make a practical apparatus small enough for use in the average household. An electric machine which will furnish refrigeration equivalent to that supplied by 800 pounds of ice has been on the market for some time and shows a saving of 50 per cent over the ice-cooler apparatus. Now, it is claimed, a smaller electric refrigerator is about ready for general introduction, which will take the place of ice boxes which now use 100 pounds daily. It will show a considerable saving over the cost of ice and will do away with the uncleanliness, odor, and general sloppiness which too often make the ordinary ice box a nuisance. The new machine will be arranged so that when the desired degree of cold is reached the electric current will automatically shut off, to be turned on again in the same way when the temperature rises above a certain point."

　　

December, 1905

(The New York Times)

THE ELECTRIC DINNER NOW

Viands Cooked on Electric Range or Frozen to Order.

An electric heating company gave an exhibition last evening in its booth at the electrical show in Madison Square Garden of what can be done in a kitchen with electricity. An elaborate dinner was served, all cooked and prepared on an electric range. A special arrangement of the meter recorded the moderate amount of electricity used in cooking the meal.

Not only were hot viands prepared, but dishes which should be served cold were cooled in an electric refrigerator.

Footnote: "viands - articles or dishes of food, now usually of a choice or delicate kind."

　

Do you have a local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two or more if you wish. Your name won't be used unless you ask that it be. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!