Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-19


feet in diameter, from which the atmos.
pheric air had been, as far as possible,
exhausted. Owing to the impossibility
of completely Withdrawing the air, its
manifestations were to some extent i'm
peded. It was in the form of powder,
which, when at rest, is white. But
after sufficient air is withdrawn to
enable it to assume its activity,
the colors Of it are those commonly seen
in anima and vegetable lifs. The globe
containing this powder was suspended
from the wall by fine silk cord, about
Eve feet from the floor, so that il could
be readily observed by the members OF
the academy. DR.. Meissner, when be
wished to call attention to it, removed a
black silk cloth by which it was covered.
and violently agitated the powder by
shaking the globe with great force. When
the powder had become chaotic in its
forms, he allowed the globe to hang
quietly from the ceiling, and requested
the audience to watch it closely, and see
how this microcism would reproduce
from the earliest times of the universe,
the various changes which the microcism
has undergone. At first all was in con-
fusion, but soon the powder became bril-
liautly prismatic and tremulous motion
pervaded the mass. A sudden scintilla-
ton of the exterior portionsin proxi nifty
to the glass succeeded, and flash OF
light shot from all these exterior portions
toward the center, representing, as Dr
Meissner said, the cosmical light. At
the center toward which the light had
passed was then seen in rapid process OF
formation an intensely bright crystalline
earliest form of organic life, which was
soon to become the central sun OF this
little universe. This crystal began to
revelve slowly, and, as it was the only
portion of the Whole which had at all ap-
preached to soil form, the PARTICLES OF
powder began to approach and
unite themselves to it. In all direc'
tions the effect Of attraction was
seen, and like myriads of scintal-
ating comets the atoms rushed to-
ward their sun, until all had united them.
selves to it. And low this sun revolved
with ever-increasing rapidity until, as
the centrifugal force overcame the CEN
tripetal, the ball in whiring threw Oh
ring after ring of matter, and the rings
breaking formed planets, revolving ryth-
mically around the central sun. Select
ing the third planet from the miniature
sun, which represented the earth, Or.
Meissner provided the President OF the
Academy with a powerful msgnifylng
glass, and requested him to examine this
earth. 1t was its azoie age. Not trace
of life could be seen in the barren
rocks, none in the lonely seas breaking
unimpeded on desolate shores. Inc
palaezoic age came on, and the eye could
trace seaweeds and the earliest vegeta-
ton, and so the astonished President
went through the mesotoic era and on
ward, as life increased. Vast vegetable
forms, mighty ferns tossing their giant
arms in the gale, appeared. Uncouth
monsters crept over the land and swan
in the seas. Commissions rent the earth's
crust, and hurried millions of animated
beings to death. Time passed, and men
appeared, digging roots and ranging the
forest. Cities arose, and history-the
story of human woe-was repeated on
this mimic world. Rome rose and
fell. The countless hordes OF India
and the East ragged and tore each
other in the mimic fight. The whole
course of history was rs-enacted. Even
Berlin and its academy appeared, and
was seen gaping at glass globe sus-
pended from the ceiling. How closely
must the President have examined this
But. unable to endure the sight, as he
saw himself in a moment struggling IN
the death agony, he relinquished the
glass, and would look no longer. AS 1t
was growing too dark for further obser-
walton, the academy adjourned, but the
experiment has since been frequently re-
peated with the same result OF the
minor parts Of DR.. Meissner's processes
such, for instance, as his having OBJ
tanned the emotions Of the mind in the
form of precipitstes, as amor pdtri6 In
the form of powder closely resembling
gold, amor rirginis as white powder
and resembling snow, odium theologi-
cum, black, pithy mass, communicating
all who touch tit is not necessary to
speak at length. ut is easy to see that
an entire revolution in our philosophy of
life will soon take place, the basis of
which will be that heat, will, thought,
life, are but modes Of motion. That mo-
tioA is a substance capable OF producing
an impression on our senses is evident,
for II has long ago bsen settled by those
who oppose the doctrine of innate ideas
that we can have no knowledge Of what
does not appeal to aud come through
our senses, aud we do know OF motion,
and il is also settled By DR.. MeissneF's