Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-04-26
VOLUME 40; NO. II.
THE EOUcArIoN on rHr EYE.

/ Our physical senses are uural;.bls r.s;,
developed by use. The infant al rss.5;l.. e,ssla
reaches for the moon as for the rattle lv;ns
IN his lap and even apprentices 10 me-
ehanlcal occupation frequently make luji-
eroqH mistakes until they have acquired that
skull OF vision usually known as the tine
chanieal eye, 80 necessary 10 every finished
Il should be the object of bows even in
theiF sports % cultivate this sense of vision
as means 70 their after success if apy me-
c9hanlcal branch is to be their business in
sie For this reason the use of the fowIing
piece rife, and the bow and arrow Is to be
commended BY either of these the eve be-
GO comes accustomed to measuring distances
MS quality OF calculating distance is frst
1eanlrsd nolItgps by - 81 .--Eyps = g.
the sight is adjusted to one hundred Yards Il
Is HeE to first measure the distance bY a
hne, as pocket tape, and gradually to BE-
come accustomed to fix the distance by the
eye without any mechanical aid. II Il sur.
pr1slng how expert even boy may become
In measuring distances by practice. We
said the noting of the relative position Of
objects should at first be used as means to
the end, but as soon as possible the tyro
should emanelpate himself from this depen-
dence. After becoming familiar with dis
tanees on land the learner viii find great
dlfneulty 10 estimating distances On the
water, especially on smooth expanse, hav-
ing no liked objects above its surface, He
Will generally underrate the distance. So
IN measuring across depressions, as a valley
or even a narrow guney, every boy knows
the liability and danger Of such miscalcula-
tons. 1t may appear easy TO leap from one
bank to the other of brook. but often his
confidence in the uneducated eye NAV be
punished by a good, thorough wetting.
The laws of optics should be made study
by the young. We well remember the
many trials to which we were subjected
when boY in consequences of our Ignorance
Of the refraction Of light in passing from
medium ike the air into denser one, as
water. The pickerel loves to sun himself
lying in shallow water, just beneath the sur
face, where he remains perfectly motionless
unless disturbed. The shooting of these
fish, either with bow and anow or with the
fowlng piece, Is q common amusement but
he who would succeed must understand, iD
practice if not in theory, the refracsion of
rays Of light. The fish is not were he ap-
pears to be when seen at an angle, a. when
the spectator is on the bank. IF aimed at
VIC cAitE VIII hbi IO0AA Alku AHlS
of light can be illustrated By thrusting
straight stick into still water, as in a pail or
tub of water At the point where the sur
face of the water touches the stick it viii
appear as if broken or bent at an angle.
Measurements on much smaller scale
are also useful as educators of the eye. Af-
ter an examination of the foot rule with its
divisions it Is well TO mentally calculate sur
faces as the length width and highr of
table, the dimensions Of block Of wood,
sb and then t Eegfy the calculating Y hE
all times carried in the pocket
These experiments may seem puerile, but
the mechanic knows the value of them, and
it is as well that the boy-the future ap-
prentice and dworkman-should thus prepare
himself for his course and make his way, as
a learner, easier. No means to an end
should be despised because of its apparent
simplicity, and weather man is practical
mechanic OF not, he will often see the value
ofa correct eye in estimating and measuring.
- Scientific 4Baericaa.