Shocking if true

Brookville American, Sept.  6, 1900

A young student of electricity near Eaton, O., has just secured a patent on a form of primary battery that looks as if it were destined to wipe out every power house and electric light plant in the country.

He has succeeded in producing a battery which will give a steady current of 12 volts per quart cell at about 50 amperes. Unlike any other primary cell, it keeps up a constant current until exhausted.

Eight quart cells will run a two-horsepower motor 10 hours at an expense of only 10 cents. Ten cells will burn 12, 32-candle power lamps 10 hours. The cells differ from any other form in that the exciting fluid is dropped into the cell at the rate of one drop a minute while the battery remains in use.

Its cheapness of maintenance and great power will cause its universal adoption on traction lines. Almost every house and business place will have its own lighting plant and power for running sewing machines, fans, etc.

The highest voltage now obtained from the best form of primary battery is nearly 2 volts to a gallon cell, and then only for a few minutes as the current rapidly runs down.

Note: Obviously this did not become a part of our world, so it's  likely the inventor didn't have the capital to develop it, or more likely, his patent rights were bought out.