The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-08


of our national affairs if he should by any
possible chance manage to become President
of the United States; but such possibility
as this is too remote to be thought of, and we
are pleased to believe that when his present
term expires our ambitious Governor will re-
tire to the shades of private life, where he
will have ample opportunities to amuse his
leisure moments by extracting from his legs
those bullets which he bears about with him
as memorials of his warlike career.
PLEASANTON'S PLEASANTRIEs.
OUR townsman, General Pleasanton, has
made discovery that will give Darwinism,
and science generally, boost such as it may
not get over for a long time. On another
page of this paper will be found some
account of the Generals experiments with
blue light upon animals and plants. 1t
appears that light when transmitted through
blue or violet glass has a strange in
crease of vivifying power, and instances are
given by General Pleasanton in which grape
vines, etc., fourished in an unprecedented
manner under the improved treatment. Nor
was the General content with operating upon
inanimate nature. He tried his blue and
purple arts upon the humble but useful pig,
and that creature so thrived under the tinted
sunlight that genuine educated hog, some
thing quite different from the make-believe
article, may be confidently expected shortly.
With poultry the same success is
claimed. Particulars are not given, but
we are led to infer that the hens laid
eggs like clockwork, and that
the roosters crew themselves blue in the face.
The strangest experiment made was upon a
calf. 1t was such a weak calf that its pre-
cious life was despaired of, but in twenty
four hours after being placed under the
Generals cerulean- rooted stable it took up
its bed, or some of it, in its mouth, aud walked
about with it. A more thoroughly y-recovered
calf than that calf in a few days you could
not find. Aftor detailing the facts of this
experiment, General Pleasanton says:-''If
by the combination of sunlight and blue
light you can thus mature and strengthen
animals, you can scarcely conceive of the i'm
measurable value of this discovery"
1t must be understood that we in no way
dispute or disparsge these results. We are
proud that Philadelphia has given one more
proof that she is the scientific leader of the
country, and that Pennsylvania has so liberal
and intelligent body as her Agricultural So
ciety, through which these important discove-
ries are certain to receive the attention they
deserve. General Pleasanton winds his
theory up, however, in tantalizingly abrupt
manner. The first thought of every reader,
In learning of these wonderful doings, will
be of his own interest and possible share in
this rejuvenation of the world. If this
blue light has so magical an effect on plants
and n the lower animals, may not man
be expected TO get little good from
it 1t is quite unreasonable that this
magic should be reserved entirely for the
cabbage, the goose, the squash, the mule,
and not for the Paragon of Animals For
ourselves, we will not believe it. We feel
sure that the General builded better than he
knew, and that it is impossible yet to say what
good may not come to the human race through
this improved way of taking its sunlight.
The hypercritical will be ready, of course,
with all sorts of objections. From the in
veation of steam down to the time
of Paid Fire Department, every new
idea has been assailed with ridicule. The
pIluClpdl OOJoCllOu W tuo uoW pullOSOpuy lS
easily foreseen, and may be answered once
for all. Briefly, it will not be necessary for
men to live in hot-houses. Such an idea
would not enter the mind of any one search
ing for truth for the truths sake. More or
less blue glass disposed about the place where
the philosopher abides is of course neces-
sary, but that need not derange in any way
his old mode of living. Leaving, however,
these cavillers, who see good in nothing, let
us supply the omissions in General Pleasan-
tons theory, and look at the possible work
ings of the blue light theory.
If tried at Washington we should doubtless
find the most ordinary men springing up,
under the influence of these enlivening rays,
intO.energetic legislators, and possibly-for
who can limit the wonders of science?-into
honest men. 1t would be an instructive
sight, that of the Senate or the House, with
its blue ceiling, and the consciousness ever
present that our representatives were volun-
tarily developing themselves, and were en-
listing the forces of nature to call out their
sluggish faculties. That would be humility
with some point in it. But not
only to Congress could General Plea
santon's Aureole with propriety be
applied. Think what an altogether unique
attachment it would be to the courtsl Our
judges, lawyers, juries, and witnesses are
actually suffering, although they may not
know it, for this new atmosphere, and il NAV