Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-04-18
I.vG Ry'IOUS BOX.S.

Some fifty years ago or more, family of
boys lived on farm OF moderate size in
one of the Northern States. One peculiari-
ty was observed in them, in that they car
ed very little for the common idle sports of
the boys of the neighborhood, such as fish
ing and Notwithstanding, but all the time
they had to spare from the labors of the
farm was devoted to some scientific inves-
tigation. They varied in age from nine to
sixteen, yet all had the mania for study
and experiment. One of the younger took
have been difficult to puzzle him in any
paragraph of Brande's great Manual of
Chemistry, then newly published. Two
others pushed the study of botany, and
two Others still, went into mechanics and
optics. The natural history of the farm
was pretty thoroughly explored. Several
isolated trees Of the original forest lowered
upward from the level fields, and the
height of these were determined with rigid
accuracy by measuring the shadows as fol-
lows:
A ten-foot pole as placed perpendicular
by means of a plumb, and the length of its
shadow carefully measured. The length
Of the shadow of the tree was also measur-
ed. Then, by the rule OF three, as the
length of the shadow of the pole was to the
length of the shadow of the tree, so was the
ten feet to the height. Such feats as these
excited the marvel of the neighborhood,
and an old sea -captain from the neighbor-
ing village, who was also stone mason,
and built the underpinning 10 the barn on
this farm, went home, aud with some ex-
aggeration ,toldt the villagers that Mr.. -
chad half a dozen boys not more than knee
high, who had measured the height of
every tree on the farm"
One of the boys had received the present
ofan expensive and beautiful knife. He
accidentally dropped it into a we'll contain
ing twelve feet of water. Quite lamenta-
ton was made over this disaster, and the
conclusion was adopted, 1--WE shall have
to draw all the water out to get the knife"
"Stop," said another, "where is the horse
shoe magnetf We will tie it to cord, and
that will bring up the knife" "But,"
said the others, show can we see where
TO lower the magnet-we cannot see
where the knife Is" "Bring a looking
glass;" said the first, land throw dowr
the SUMS rays; that will show It," The
experiment was tried, the knife seen, and
the magnet brought 1t to hand. SO muci
for little scientific brainwork.
A new and wonderful interest was ex
cited one day among these young minera
explorers, by the visit of gentleman who
had with him what was then a great won
der in that part of the country-a micro
scope. Its magnifying power on the mi
mute crystals of these boulders excited ad
miration and establishment. Microscope
could not be had then in the shops as now
and money was scarce for sending TO dis
tant cities. Their ardor for something o
the kind was fred by reading Joices Sci
entific Dialogues, the only work on optic
that came to hand. Circles of wax wer
made on broken panes of glass, and waite
dropped into the circle, the rounded sur
face Of the liquid magnifying objects be
low 1t. This was not enough, however
higher power was wanted. A Transparent
globule of cherry gum was found in th,
orchard and this served as a powerful
though imperfect microscope. The thronI
OF children was soon seen searching tn
orchard for similar globules of gum.
, Investigation did not, however, stop here
Concave surfaces were drilled into steel
and polished with drill bow. These mad
rejecting microscopes. After many trial
and experiments, one of the boys then a
bout fifteen years old, succeeded in grind
ing down pieces of broken tumblers nearl.
TO the lens form, and then grinding tn
true circular form by placing the lens il
the end Of stick as handle, by working
II about In the cavity OF soft piece o