New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-03-08
NEW ORLEANS RHfUBIICAN SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 1874

oeiea. He touched spring somewhere
and the petty-cash adjuster relaxed it
horrid hold. I placed myself gingerly il
plain, cane bottomed, rocking chair
which Rivarol assured me was safe loca
ton.
THAT seat" he said, ''is an arrange
ment upon which 1 much felicitate my
self. 1 made it at Heidelberg. 1t ha
saved me a vast deal of small annoyance
consign to its embraces the friends VIII
bore, and the visitors who exasperate me
But it is never SO useful as when terrifying
some tradesman with an insignificant &C
count. Hence the pet name which I hav'
facetiously given it. They are inyariabl.
too glad to purchase release at the pric,
of bill receipted. DO you wei! appre
bend the idea?"
While the Alsatian diluted his glass O
aqua forts, shook into it an infusion o
bltters, and tossed off the bumper with
apparent relish, had time to look around
the strange apartment
The four corners of che foom we're DC
cupied respectively by turning lathe, 6
Rhumkorff coil, a small steam engine
and an orrery in stately motion. Tables
shelves, chairs and floor supported an ode
aggregation of tools, retorts, chemicals
gas receivers, philosophical instruments,
boots, TASKS, paper collar boxes, books
diminutive and books of preposterous
size. There were plaster busts of Arts
totle, Archimedes and Compile, while q
great drowsy owl was blinking away,
perched on the benign brow OF Martin
Farquhar Upper.
HE always roosts there when he pro-
poses to slumber," explained my tutor.
"You are a bird Of no ordinary mind.
Schlafen Sic ,ooM."
Through a closet door, half open, (
could see human form covered with q
sheet. Rivarol caught my glance. s'That,
said he, twill be my masterpiece. 1t is
a microcosm, an Android, as yet only par
tally complete. And why not? Albertus
Magnus constructed an image perfect to
talk metaphysics and COMPUTE the schools.
SO did Sylvester H.. SO did Robertus
Greathead. Roger Bacon made brazen
head that held discourses. But the first
named of these came to destruction.
Thomas Aquinas got wrathful at some of
its syllogisms and smashed its head. The
idea is easy enough. Mental action will
yet be reduced to laws as definite as those
which govern the physical. Why should
not accomplish a uaannikin which shall
preach as original discourses as the Rev.
DR.. Allchin, or talk poetry as mechanically
as Paul Anapest? My Android can already
work problems in vulgar fractions and
compose sonnets. ] hope 20 teach it the
positive philosophy"
Out of the bewildering confusion Of his
effects Rivarol produced two pipes and
filed them. He handed one to me.
''And here" he said. 81 live. and am
comfortable. When my coat
wears out at the elbows seek the tailor
md am measured for another. When I
I'm hungry promenade myself to the
butchers and bring home pound or SO
If steak, which l cook very nicely in three
seconds by this Oxy-hydroSen flame.
Thirsty, perhaps, I send for carioy of
lquafortis. But have it charged. all
charged. My spirit is above any small
transaction. ! ioathe your
lirty greenbacks. and never handle what
hey call scrip"
.iBu. are YOU never pes.ered with
,ills?" ] asked. Don't the creditors
worry your life OUT"
''Creditors!,' gaspei Eiyarol. Il have
earned no such word IN your very ad.
nirable language. He who will allow his
oul to be vexed by creditors IS relic of
n imperfect civilization. OF what use is
cience if It can not avail a man who has
ccounts crrrenti Listen. The moment
OF or any one else enters the outside
DOR this little electric bell sounds me
'arnfng. Every successive step on Mrs.
staircase is spy and intormer
igilant for my benefit. The first step is
rod upon. That trusty frs: step imme-
lately telegraphs your weight. Nothing
ould be simpler. It is exactly like my
latform scale. The weight is registered
p here upon this dial. The second step
scords the size Of my visitors feet. The
lird his height. the fourth his com.
lexfon. and SO on. BY the tina he
caches the top of the first flight have
retty accurate description OF him right
ere at my elbow. and quite q margin of
me for deliberation and action. Do you
'llov me? 1t is plain enough. Only the
B G OF my science"
81 see ali that" said. ''but don't see !
ow it helps yo1i any. The knowledge
lat creditor is coming won't pay his
Ill. You can't escape unless you jump !
IT Of the window"
Rivarol laughed softly. II viii tell you. |
on shall see what becomes of any poor !
evil who goes to demand money OF me
a man ofscience. Ha! ha! 1t pleasss
e. was seven weeks perfecting my !
Did you know" he whis-
3red exultingly, 'that there is hole
rough the earth's centre3 Physicists
I'VE long suspected it; was the first to
Id it. You have read how Rhuygens,
q Dutch navigator. discovered in Ker.
lellan's Land an abysmal pit which 400
thoms of plumb-line failed to sound.
err Tom, that hole has no bottom. 1t
MS from one surface OF the earth Ia the
tipodal surface. It Is iiametric. But
acre is the antipodal spot? You stand
ION it. I learned this by the merest
ance. was deep digging in Mrs.
'imler's cellar, to bury poor cat had
criticed in a galvanic experiment, when
e earth under the spade crumbled, caved
and wonder-stricken, l stood upon the
ink of yawning shaft. l dropped d
al-hod in. 1t went down. down, down,
unding and reboundlng. In two hours
d . quarter that coal-hod came up
ain. l caught it and restored it to the
cry Grimler. Just think u minute.
le eoal-hod went down. faster and
ter, till it reached the centre of the
tn. There it would stop, w.re it not
acquired momentum. Beyond the
ltre it's journey was relatively upward,
ward the opposite surface Of the
'be. So, losing velocity. it wen: slower
d slower till it reached that surface.
re it came to rest for a second and
III fell back again, 5000 odd miles. into
!, hands. Had rot interfered with it. ,
would have repeated its Journey. time