Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-07-04

so old that it does not contain some
illusions tC this compound and its
singularly destructive properties. and
20 epic songs so ancient that we can
not find therein something fromwhich
it may be inferred that the substance
was known and used at a period
much earlier than is commonly sun.
posed. Fifteen centuries prior to the
dawn Of Christianity, the laws Of
lAdia forbid the making of war
with any deceitful machine, or with
poisoned weapons. or Nth cannon
and guns, or any kind Of firearms"
Powder, or Il compond possessing
similar virtues was known in the
grand old days OF Moses, and was Of
ten found to do effective service in
many Of the earliest conflicts where
of the world holds record. That
mighty man who is said TO have left
a name at which the world once grew
pale, and what is automatically re-
ported to have committed famous
variety of heroic freaks, even Alex
ander, did on one occasion refuse to
well, ego for" let us say,-a GER
tain people. because "they came not
out to fight those who attacked
them, but those holy men, beloved of
the gods, overthrow their enemies
with tempests and thunder-bot shot
from their walls" Then there was
also 10 olden times, about the year,
but no matter when-a very dia-
bolical old rooster named Caligula,
the ruling desire of whose later life
was that the Roman people had but
one head, in order that he might
have the supreme pleasure of decapi-
tating them as one blow. He was Il
"great military man." and had,
among several other death-dealing
instruments, machines VIII ic h
emitted thunder and lightning,at and
the same time projected stones"
Other instances might be cited, but
for TIE present the foregoing must
suffice.
Bartholobus Schwartz, a German
chemist and franciscan monk. born
in the old city of Freiburg in Baden,
is claimed TO haye been the modern
inventor Of gunpowder. But wheth-
er he was or no, we can't pretend to
say, nor DO we propose to enter in
to any sort of bewildering excursus
TO discover. In the second decade Of
the 13th century (1218) Roger Bacon
wrote: "From saltpetre and other
ingredients we are able TO make q
fire that shall burn at what distance
we please" This was before the
time of Sch GartZ, hence the belief OF
some that Bacon was really the mod
ern inventor of what we are now
writing about. The latter chemist's
receipt for making powder reads in
this wise: "Yet take of saltpetre,
with pounded charcoal and sulphur,
and then you will make thunder and
lightning, if you know how to pre-
pare them"
In England, the manufacture OF
powder egan during the reign OF
Edward III. (1345), but was not
very extensively carried on until the
remarkable and red-headed Queen
Bess took her seat upon the throne
and begun TO sway the Royal rod
Among the first and most indspens.
able considerations of our Colonial
ancestors were dry powder and-beg
your pardon-drier sermon books
The manufacture of powder in this
country antedates the Declaration Of
independence aud the adoption OF
the Constitution on which our gov.
eminent is founded Most OF the
powder produced here is made in the
Northern and Middle States. There
are now upward of twonty mills il
successful operation in the Union
OF this number eight are found in the
state of Massachusetts alone, and ter
are the property Of the Latin anC
Rand Powder Company, very hasty
and imperfect description of whose
Platteville Works is herewith brought
to an abrupt and timely termination
r.