American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-06-10
MECHANISM, No. v.-By JOSIAH HoLDnooK.

square is the measuring unit The
amount of all surfaces is determined by square
measure. This amount may be expressed in
miles, furlongs rods, yards, feet inches, or any
other specified measure No matter what the
shape OF quantity of land boards, cloth,
paper, glass, or any other article, the amount
OF surface is always ascertaned and expressed
by the number Of squares and parts of squares
II contains, either in miles, feet, or some other
known measure. The properties and uses Of
this most simple of all figures, save one, are OF
course important to be understood most tamil-
iarly by every person. No one thing probably,
is at once so important and 80 little understood
as the figure with four equal sides and angles
Very many of the most intelligent members of
society have no clear apprehension OF the differ
ence between six miles square and six square
miles. A person of much intelligence contended
a few days ago that, in the District of Columbia
i'll its original dimensions, there were only ten
square miles, and could not be convinced of his
error until shown it by a checker board. Not
long since painter Of some twenty years. ex-
perience named price per sheet for painting
paper. On being asked what would be his price
for sheets of double the length and breadth,
replied, double the price; offering, of course,
to do four times the work for twice the money
Cases of n similar character might be named
enced business men making blunders, attended
with far greater inconvenience and loss than
working at halfprice, and simply from the want
| OF little knowledge, entirely within the com
prehension of every child of five years old,
attended with high degree of pleasure in
acquiring. ,s .. .-
If children should occupy the first hour ever
spent III school-room by drawing upon their
states square with it's different divisions, they
might have proof positive that in an inch square
are four half-inch squares; that in ten miles
square there are one hundred square miles
They would also come to proof positive that by
the diagonal division of a square they would form
two right-angled isosceles triangles or figures
with one right angle and two equal sides they
would thus acquire at this early age positive
practical knowledge, which would greatly aid
them in "squaring their ,oorP' during the whole
of their future lives, whatever might be their
pursuits. Those becoming editors would not be
likely to make the mistake of one of the most
able editors in the country, who, in speaking of
a fire in Boston, stated that it burnt about one
hundred and fifty square feet that is, sur
face equal to a room of fifteen feet by ten. If
the space burnt was one hundred and fifty feet
square, it contained more than twenty thousand
square feet-rather mistake for an intelligent
and able editor in the literary emporium Of our
Union.
ExPERIMEETs.-If the schools of New York
and Washington, and of oil other places so dis
posed, should have their attention directed for
the few weeks before the August holidays to
some practical lessons on the properties and uses
of the square, they would doubtless prepare ma
ny instructive and beautiful illustrations in one
of the most important branches of knowledge,
rendered more instructive by exchanges between
| different schools, or being distributed through
this and other countries for the diffusion of scien
tiic light and the promotion of generous and pa
triotic feelings National functionaries, both of
our own and of foreign governments, have in
large numbers expressed high degree of plea
sure in opportunities for distributing such
knowledge for such purposes. Numerous such
specimens Of juvenile improvement, prepared
both in New York and Washington, have been
distributed far and wide in this and other coun-
tries. few are now deposited for distribu-
ton at the bookstore Of Mr.. Gray, in Seventh
street, Washington, which Mr.. G. will be happy
to show TO those wishing TO examine them.