Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-19
WASHINGTON NEWS ANDSossIp.

something New Under the sun.-Ws watch
the progress Of our country in the arts with
peculiar delight, insomuch as it is very clear
that acknowledgement Of its resources depends in
greas measure upon the increasing adapta'
ton OF all things mechanical, so as to apply
them most economically to the condition OF
circumstances, under which, for the nonce, our
fellow citizens have recourse to such aids.
Steam, though it has worked wonders for US,
il, practically, yet in its infancy. So general
is this belief that no scientific man would be
surprised on learning that improvements in its
application to business purposes have been
made, which double its practical effect, while
they subtract one-half from the present cost of
using it. Indeed, at this moment. steam en-.
gines of various patterns are to be had, which
costing half as much as similar machines did
ten years ago, perform twice the effective
work at One-half the expense of running them
Yet, except those engaged in the business of
manufacturing them, few, indeed, can name
any particular leading improvement in the
steam engine, which has contributed to bring
able degree. So, also, in nearly every other
branch of the arts have similar improvements
been made in the same decade, and in none
more than in that of manufacturing printing
presses, which, within that epoch, have been
so improved as that with about the same power
to drive them. they will with ease accomplish
four times Is much as the presses which then
were regarded as the models in all the world
for rapidity and neatness, in the way in which
they did the work allotted to them.
These thoughts, referring as they do to
things of great public Importance, suggested
themselves to our mind on examining riding
saddle which has recently been introduced
into the military service of the United States.
after having been duly submitted to such tests
of its entire fitness and applicability, as are
undergone nowhere else in the United States
than before Government commissions. 1t is
the invention or arrangement, patented of
course, of our enterprising ow-citizen, Mr..
Daniel Campbell, saddler and harness maker.
Its peeuliarities consist in setting the parts of
the tree which bear on the horse on springs.
the tendency of which is to open upwards,
rather than to close in. and pinch the animals
back. The under portion of the parts in ques-
ton are shaped with great care, So as precisely
to ut the animals anatomy, while the top of
the saddle is also shaped 80 as to accommodate
the form of the rider much more comfortably
than any other saddle we ever saw. The hols
tiers are secured with spring catches, which hold
them securely without resorting to buckles :;
while the holster covers are patent leather
slides, movable by the slightest pressure of
the finger, and yet completely covering and
protecting the weapon from the weather. The
valise, too, is 80 fixed on the back of it. as
to hang in two parts diagonally down, al.
most parallel to the riders thighs as ne sits en-
eheUal; thus relieving the horse from its weight
across his loins, and remedying the ioltinp or
swinging heretofore incident to the use of the
valise, unless always fastened on with much
greater care than nine -tenths of those who use
them bestow on such an apparent trifie, though
all accustomed to carry them frequently on
long journeys, are aware that nothing serves
10 jade horse more than a poorly fastened
weight, great or small, upon his loins. Mr..
Campbell, in these improvements, has GER
tainly done much, indeed, to prevent CALLING
the backs Of horses, and breaking them down
needlessly, a. there can be no chatting when his
saddle Is used. 1t requires, by the by, but
the buckling of two straps to saddle a horse
ready for mounting where it is used Where.
as, in the saddle used in the service up to this
time, sixteen buckles are to be fastened before
that work is completed. We understand that
four hunded Of these improved saddles have
been ordered by the War Department. to be
manufactured for the immediate use Of the
mounted troops III the far West
The Colonization Cause.-Some friend of
the African colonization sends us the following
interesting panegyric upon it.
We mean African colonization. Never did
1t stand on higher ground. Never has it
awakened so wide and lively an interest