Vintage Cars: Columbia auto part?, acetylene gas, patent dates

Question
My husband found a silver oil can looking part which my husband thinks came on an old car. It has patent dates of 1898,1899 and what looks like 1800. It was Mfg. by Hine-Matt of Chicago. On the other side is Columbia Model what appears to be OM. Last line is Automatic. The bottom unscrews revealing what appears to be a bottom of a container.On the top is a bent metal rod that unscrews that goes into the canister. On the side is a skinny long metal spout that comes out of the canister. Also on the top as a lid that appears like it would unscrew. Any idea what this is? Is it a vacumn part of some kind for a Columbia automobile?

Answer
I don't know anything specific about the Columbia automobile other than the fact that they built both electric and gasoline powered automobiles in Hartford, CT during the first decade or so of the 20th century. I don't have any info on the part you describe, except that it sounds very much like an old "carbide generator" - an acetylene gas cylinder used during the early days of automobiles to provide fuel for the headlights on these early cars. Sorry I can't be of more assistance - this is beyond my area of expertise. I can, however, pursue this question with a couple of other folks who are more expert with "brass era" automobiles.