Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-09-27
THE DUKES LESSON ABOUT Dill
GENCE

There was once duke who disguised
himself, and placed great rock in the
middle of the road near his palace.
Next morning a peasant came that way
with his OK cart. ooh, these lazy peo-
ple," said he, "there is this big stone
lying right in the middle of the road,
and no one will take the trouble to put
it ont of the way" And SO Hans went
on raving about the laziness of the peo-
pie. Next came a gay soldier along.
His head was held so far back that he
didn' notice the stone, so he stumbled
over it. He began to storm at the
country people around there, forleaving
Il huge rock in the road. Then he went
on. Next came a company of merchants
When they came to the stone, the road
was SO narrow that they had to go off in
single file on either side. One of them
cried out Ibid anybody ever see the
like of that big stone lying here all the
morning, but no one stopping to take it
away 1t lay there for three weeks,
and 10 one tried to remove it. Then
the duke sent around word to all the
people on his lands to meet near where
this rock lay, rs he had something to
tell them. The day came, and great
crowd gathered. Old Hans, the farmer,
was there, and so were the merchants.
A horn was heard, and splendid caval-
cade came galloping up. The duke
came down from his horse, and began
to speak to the people: MY friends,
it was | who put this stone here three
weeks ago. Every passer-by has left it
just where it was, and has scolded his
neighbor for not taking it out of the
way He stopped down and lifted up
the stone. Directly underneath it was
a round hollow, and in the hollow lay q
small, leathern bag. The duke held up
this bag, that all might see what was
written ON it: "For him who lifts up
the stone" He united the bag, and
turned it upside down. and ont upon the
stone fell beautiful gold ring, and
twenty large, bright gold coins. SO
they all lost the prize, because they had
not learned the lesson or formed the
habit of diligence.
/ WHAT rs To BECOME OF NIAGARAa
"The proximate future of Niagara at
! the rate that excavation assigned to it
by Sir Charles Lyell, viz, foot year,
i'll $500 years will carry away the Horse
shoe Falls to above Goat Island, and
drain the American branch of the river
and become cultivable ground" SO
says Prof. Tyndall. Prof. Holly calcu-
latcs from numerous masses which have
fallen that it recedes only about three
tenths of a foot Il year, and this, to
wear back six miles, would occupy
~, 600 years, or l., 900 years for mile
About the American creek getting dry
and cultivable is quite out of the
question, on account of the topography
of the country, and other creeks in con
nection, thus throwing the learned Pro-
feSsor's theories ont of the question.
The middle and deepest channel is
about four feet deeper than the side
channels. This current, according to
Prof. Tyndall, is to be the future site of
the Horseshoe Falls. Prof. Holly
thought this statement was at least most
remarkable In forty years the channel
has reccded eight rods. The water has
carried away more than forty feet of
| houlders, cobhle-stoues and earth, and
formed for itself deeper channel than
it had before. From this Prof. Tyndall
draws his conclusions, and Prof. Holly
thought they were in the main incorrect.
| He afterWard noted several inaccuracies
of a less important character, and closed
with saying that Prof. Tyndalls style is
so vigorous and animated that one may
be excused for preferring to read
'Tyndall's romancing than the most
realistic utterances of his brother sci
entiStS.