Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-10-12
Wisttllang.
Catch-P Pennies,

OnIOA-A Cuu4CSs
The edges of certain pavements in London
have become regular markets for catch-pennes.
These catcll-pennies are often SO ingenious
and cheap as to deserve better generic name.
There is man who sometimes stands in
Leicester Square, who sells microscopes at
penny each. They are made Of a common
Pill-box; the bottom taken out, and piece of
window-glass substituted A small eye-hole
is bored in the lid, and thereon is placed the
lens, the whole apparatus being painted black.
Upon looking through one of these micro
scopes | was surprised to find hundreds of
creatures, apparently the size of earth-wOrms,
swimming about in all directions; yet on the
object glass nothing could be seen but small
speck of flour and water, conveyed there on
the end of lucifer match from a common ink
stand, which was nearly full of this vivifed
paste. Another microscope exhibited single
representative Of the animal kingdom showing
his impatience of Imprisonment by kicking
vigorously. Though must confess to shud-
der, could not help admiring the beauties Of
construction in this little monster, which, if
at liberty, would have excited murderous feel
ings, unfavorable to the prolongaton Of its ex-
istence. The sharp-pointed mouth, with
which he works his diggings; his side-claws,
wherewith to hold on while at work and his
little heart, pulsating slowly but forcibly; and
sending stream of blood down the large ves-
sci In the centre of his white and transparent
body, could also be seen and wondered at.
When the stock OF this sort Of game runs short,
a common carrot-seed is substituted which,
when looked at through magnifier, is mar
velously like an animal having thick body
and numerous legs projecting from the sides !;
SO like an animal that it has been mistaken by
an enthusiastic philosopher, for an animal
created in or by chemical mixture in con-
junction with electricity.
bought several of these microscopes, de-
termined to find out how this could be done for
penny. An eminent microscopic examined
them, and found that the magnifying power
was twenty diameters. The cost of lens
made Of glass, Of such power, would be from
three to four shillings. How, then, could the
whole apparatus be made for single penny
A penknife revealed the mystery. The pill
box was cut in two, and then it appeared that
the lens was made of Canada balsam, trans
parent gum. The balsam had been heated,
and carefully dropped into the eye-hole of the
plll-box. 1t then assumed the proper size,
shape, transparency, and polish, of very well
ground glass lens. Our ingenious lens-maker
informed me that he had been selling these
microscopes for fifteen years, and that he and
his family conformity made them. One child
cut the pill-boxes, another put them together,
his wife painted them black, and he made the
| lenses.
Not long afterwards, in another part of the
town, / came across another microscopic
He did not sell anything, but merely charged
half penny for peep, His apparatus con-
sisted Of tin box, about the size of common
tea-caddy, placed on three legs, at about the
level of small boys eye: these ingenious
youths being his principal customers. The
fee being paid, the slide was drawn away from
the peep-hole, and the observer addressed with
the following words
Here, you see drop of Thames water,
which looks like gallon; the water is full
Of heels, snakes, and ladders, playing about
and devouring of one another
Whence the Snowman had got the water
cannot undertake to say, but | sincerely hope,
not from the Thames; for it was filled with
numerous little creatures, which, having very
small bodies, have as sort of compensation
received very large Latin names from thei1
christener and discoverer, Ehrenburgh, Many
of them were swimming about, pursued BY
what appeared to be immense sea-snakes
who caught and devoured them. Others were
quietly reposing on weeds which looked like
elm trees, and all Of them were perfectly un-
conscious of being exhibited to the British
public at halfpenny head. But this was
not all the exhibitor next brought out of his
waistcoat pocket small tin tube, and said, all
in one breath
There you see flea chained round his
neck with silver chain he lays his heggs on
the glass and feeds him three times day on
nv 'and the performance is now concluded
Another man in the optician line has two
tubes, like telescopes, placed facing each
other. He asks you, whether you can see
through an inch board Of course you say
Z No. Then for halfpenny Ill show you
that you can Accordingly you look through