Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1871-03-04
Divine Mechanism.

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the famous English Collier and Rail
road Engineer, that whilst walking in
the woods or through the grounds, he
would arrest his friends attention by
allusion to some simple object such
as a leaf. blade of grass bit Of
bark, nest of birds, or an ant caray-
ing its eggs across the path,-and de-
scant in glowing terms upon the crea-
tive lower of the Divine Mechanician
whose contrivances We're so exhaust
less and 20 wonderful. This was a
theme upon which he was accustomed
to dwell in reverential admiration,
when in the society of his more init
mate friends,
One night, when walking under
the stars, and gazing up into the field
of suns, each the probable centre of a
system, forming the Milky May, a
friend said to him, What an insigniti-
cant creature is man in sight of so i'm
mense a creation as that y Eyes,
was his reply, "but how wonderful a
creature also is man, to be able to
think and reason and even in some
measure to comprehend works so in
finite"
Old Christian Weller, one of the
best and earliest mechanics of this
village, who impressed his mechanical
genius upon the town, who did not
care much for abstruse mechanics, but
only for the experimental and practi-
cal, as is usually the case with those
whose knowledge has been self-ac-
CURED by hard industry, often used to
say that he was taught many a useful
lesson by the constant toll of the in
dustrious ant. In the spring time of
the year he used to repair to the noun
tain, in the neighborhood of Chimney
Rock, and there sitting on an old log
he used to observe the industrious
ants toiling at their work with inces-
SAINT labor. The idea and the exam
pie gave Mr.. Weller courage. 1t was
soon bolted into his mind, and when
he returned to his shop on the follow
ing morning, it seemed that he could
turn out a better horse shoe or make
better edge tool, an axe, an adze or
drawing knife, and temper it with
more power and durability. AS a
blacksmith Mr.. G. Weller was known
to stand at the head Of the mechani-
cal art, and this town takes its name
in a great measure from his genius
and skill as one of the forged sons of
Vulcan. 4
We mSation these circumstances to
show that there is much, very much
indeed, in the animal and vegetable
economy, if properly studied, to guide
our mechanics, farmers and miners in
beginning the pathway Of life. The
ant, studied from practical point OF
view, may be said to be natural
Geologist and Mineralogist. 1t is like
the screw in mechanics which holds on
to all it gets, and at every turn gains
a little more.
SWEEPING THE OCEAN-BOTT0M.-
Science is busily at work exploring
air, earth, and sea. During the past
summer and autumn, an expedition
has made many remarkable discov'
cries in dredging the bed of the sea
from the Bay of Biscay to the Farce
Islands, from a depth Of a few fathom'
near the shore, to nearly three miles
out at sea. 1t ascertained that there
is stratum of warm water from l5(
fathoms upward, a stratum of ice-cole
water from 300 fathoms downward
and stratum of intermixture between
the two. 1t was formerly supposed
that no animal could exist lower thai
300 fathoms, but various forms of ami
NAL life have been brought up from
the profoundest depth Of the ocean
many species having been found alto
gether new to science. Some of tn
5 animals brought up from a depth Q
? 1870 fathoms, or nearly mile and
half, had perfect eyes, while the colo
& of tLo;r chelIa indicated the inf1ucnr