Pair of carriage lamps, what's the oily springy thing?

This is a left/right pair of late 19th C carrige lamps, black painted metal, nothing fancy, but I have a question. The long base part pulls away revealing a cloth covered spring, rather oily. Some sort of automatic wick?

 

Not sure about that for wouldn't that push the wick up out of the oil? But then again...it won't go far and should be holding the oil anyway.

 

It may be the wick can only get out of the top as it burns away to carbon dust.

 

I agree.

 

There's a car somewhere screaming for them.
Jay Leno maybe?
I know.... Carriage but still....

 

Nowww I'm not up on this type of lamp. These appear to be carriage candle lamps. The spring thingy is called a candle stem. As the candle burns melting the wax, the spring pushes the candle up. I haven't time to reseach now, but did find the following carriage lamps that the seller says are "missing candle stems and springs."

http://www.colonialcarriage.com/item.cfm?id=305

Usually the springs are missing or broken. One can buy battery candle replacements for these carriage lamps. The last ad on the following webpage.
http://www.ponyandcarriage.co.uk/horse-carriage-coach-lamp-holders-brackets-candles-shop.htm

--- Susan

 

Were they burning paraffin, the only reservoir would be what is in the 'wick'.

 

They were candle lamps, not oil or paraffin. Here is a YouTube showing assembly of a candle stem carriage lamp - reproductions.

 

I cannot imagine where they get the figure for the price of the antique ones, ($2000), as I'd estimate these at the equivalent of $100 -$150. And I'd include two free candles.

I'll try out a couple of candles later and see if they work as planned.