The Ottawa free trader., 1871-01-28

HARrER's MONTHLY for February. Harper Il
Brothers, New York.
The illustrated articles are "Ths American
Baron" Chaps. l to 4 ''Glass BLOWN as Fine
Art" "Along the Florida Reef" "Wed in the
Morning. Dead at Night" and The Bank of
st. George, Genoa ;" "Auteros" and Frederick
the Great are continued, with illustrations; Kate
+. Osgood contributes a sweet poem; Justin
Mccarthy neat story: Rev. NJ. Maury a critque
on the claims of Christopher Columbus; and Ed
Z. Cooper fine story about Madame Simple's
Investments" The Editors Drawer, Editors
Record. &C., maintain their usual interest; and,
on the whole, We but repeat what We have
often said before, that the number is very fine
one.
We append few extracts:
ORNAMENTAL GLASS -BLowING.-We remem-
Der LII cur bOyhood, whsn Barnum's American
Museum was in its greatest glory, watching
with intense interest the operations of the glass.
blower whose table was u marvellous centre of
attraction, and whose wonderful little birds with
long siiken tails of ridescent glass always temp
ted US to violate the tenth commandment. This
workman was descendant of the artisan of
Venice and perpetuated curiosity what was
ence profitable, but is now almost n lost art
The glass-spinner sits at little table Before
him quantity Of glass tubes Of various colors
A spirit.larnp also sits before him. which, blown
by pair OF bellows placed under the table,
and worked by the feet Of the operator, gives
forth long Jet Of flame, The workmanplaees
the end Of one of his tubes in this fame. 1,
speedily begins TO soften. No sooner does it do
80 than he seizes one extremity with small pair
OF pincers and draws it out in thread, the size
OF which he easily determines. He then winds
and weaves 1t back and forth, forming these
ornaments which give that peculiar aspect of
ornameutation TO nearly all the specimens of
Venetian glass which we have presented to our
| readers By attaching the end of the glass tube
| to little wheel or drum, and gradually winding
it round and round, a fine thread NAV be pro.
duced 40 delicate that, despite its fragile char.
| scter. 1t may be woven into robe The aiyrets
which ornament the ladies bonnets and are so
fine and flexible that the slightest breeze agtates
them, are of spun glass The same material WAS
| once employed in constructing flowing black
| curs. which, worn by prince became the ad.
miration of all Paris. II any of our readers were
at the Universal Exposition of 1856, they NAV
remember piece of statuary composed of spun
glass lion of the size of life, with splendid
hair and bristling maze, sitting 3 serpent-a
piece of workmanship which is said TO have cost
its author thirty years Of labor. Spotted tigers,
striped hyenas variegated serpents, AS we'll as
BIRDS OF all variety OF plumage, are successfully
| init ,ted by this curious but useless art Now
fallen into disu.e, it was so highly esteemef that
in the commencement Of the sixteenth century,
Fugger the rich banker of Augsburg-who, not
content with warming his gaest, Charles v,
with bundles OF cinnamon wood, lighted them
with the bond for large sum which the .over.
eign had borrowed from him--found nothing
rarer or more worthy of being offered TO his i'm.
perial visitor than a small vesse! of molten spun,
cast and twisted glass. ABBOTT
SPoNGEs PROM THE FLORIDA REEF.--Sponve,
were very numerous, though we were told that
large portion were not worth gathering The
sponser could readily distinguish the bes, as he
pushed his boat over them. Some Of the coar.er
KIND, not III irketAb!e, are four feet in diameter
They are all more or less concave at the apex A
black membraueous tgniC covers them aud soft
leliy-like portions project iuto the pores and cav
titles, constituting the ght claim they have 10 a
place III the animal kingdom. Animal nucus
and tat oil have been fonnl ia their ANALYSIS; so
tue yexed question j. settled bv clefni>trv and
they are unqGestionably admitted to the rank Of
animated nature, though far from active mem.
bes. y slight current is observable over the
openings, and ..OurishInent il prob! !bly absorbed
as 1t crculates through them. The framework
is make of silica wonderful proportion in the
form of spicu!m or splinters. Unlike most other
marine objects, sponge is less attractive in its
living state only aftei the soft parts are remov.
ed 1t Is pleasing 20 the eye. The pretty urn and
other shaded ,ponCes found on the beaches are
merely the skeletons.
y large Trade is now carried on at key West in
this article. Small schooners from ten 10 twenty
tons burden, are employed. They are much the
shape OF half an egg, and as fat as j. consistent
n yrl .n all, -.