The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1855-11-16
Miarrllanenl1a .ReaAing.
The Carly life Of Sir Isaac
Nebton.

Men Of great learning and talents, whom
all people admire and praise, are found to be
more modest than persons not so wise aud
good. Sir Isaac Nowton was one of these
great, and, at tho same time, modest men,
When little boy at school, hc surprised ey-
erybody by the curious little machines which
he made with his own hands. He had a
number of saws, hatchcts, hammers, and
other tools, which he used very skillfully. A
windmill being put up near the place where
he lived, he frequently went to look at it,
and ptied into every part of it, till he became
thoroughly acquainted with it, and the way
in which 1t moved. He then began with
his knife and saw, and hammer and made a
small windmill, exactly like the large one !;
1T was a very neat and curious piece of work.
manship. lie sometimes set it on the house
top, that the wind might turn il round. lie
also contrlved to cause a mouse to turn his
mill. This little animal being put inside a
hollow wheel, its endeayors to get forward
turned the wheel and set the machinery in
motion. There was also somo corn planted
about the wheel, and when the mouse tried
to get at the corn, it made the wheel 90
round. Having got an old box from a
friend, Isaac made it into waterclock that
is, clock driven bv small amount of water.
1t was very much like our common clocks and
about four feet high. AT the top was dial
plate, with fingers Of the hours. The hour
hand was turned by piece of wood, which
ether fell or rose by water dropping upon it.
This stood in the room where he lay, and he
took care, every morning to supply it with
plenty of water. 1t pointed out the hour so
well that the people in the house would 90 to
see what was the hour by it. TWAS kept in
the house as curiosity long after Isaac
went to college. The room in which he
lodged was full OK drawings Of birds, beasts,
men, ships and mathematical figures, all
neatly made upon the wall with charcoal
When Isaac grew a little older, and went to
college, he had a great desire to know some
thing about the air, the water, tho tides, and
the sun, moon and stars. One day whenh
was sitting alone in his garden, an apple
happened to fall from tree to the ground.
lie then began to ask himself, what is the
cause Of the apple falling down? Isit from
some power or force in the apple ITSELF or is
the power in the earth, which draws the ap-
pie downi When he had long thought
about this subject, he found out that it was
the earth that attracted, or drew the apple
down, and that this power of attraction is
ono Of the laws Of nature. BY it, loose OBJ
jects arc retained upon the surface of the
earth, instead offlying abroad through space.
You have learned that this earth is globe,
which turns over day after day. 1t is at
traction which gives weight to objects !;
hence it is sometimes called gravitation.
which means nearly the same thing as
weight. Isaac Newton also discovered that
ali objects whatever have an attraction for
each other and always in proportion to their
size and the distance at which they are pla.
ced Thus the moon, though large globe,
is under the attraction of the earth, and the
planets are under the attraction of tho sun.
And it is by attraction shey are all made to
keep their proper distances from one other.
These discoveries were justly considered as
thcm important ever made and for his
having made them rejecting men will ever
venerate the name Newton. He was never
known before.
IIc was Of mild and equal temper and
was seldom or never seen in passion. lie
had little dog which he called Diamond.
lie was one day called out of his study,
where oil his papers were lying upon a table.
His dog Diamond happened to jump upon
tho table. and overturned lightea candle,
which set fire TO all his papers and conspsp.
ed them ina few moments. in this way
Newtcs lost the labor of maay years. Hut
when he came into The stndy, aid saw what
had hap3>,,,n6 hn III ,,<,y st, ~, ~ s1,yfio