Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-16
An Ingenious Production.

IT is astonishing how patient industry
may be misapplied. The Lords Prayer
or the Declaration Of Independence writ
ten upon very small space; or a clock
work automaton which may have re-
quired many years-perhaps lifetime
10 complete, are among some OF the ac-
complishments ofthat kind ofwasted talent.
One OF the most recent cases Of that charac-
ter Is that of William Wiggin, of Upton,
Cedar County, Iowa. 1t is "a case In which
the labor and time devoted to the work came
nearer being iustifiable, perhaps, than
usual in the list of misspent energies, as
Mr.. Wiggin for many years was Kept
close in his room nursing an Invalid wife
and amused himself meanwhile making
figures Of wood representing the processes
Of manufacturing wooden cloth. This OF
itself was not difficult task, but the as
tonishing feature Is that the work is in
closed in large glass bottle, and 1t re
wives the perplexing query of the good
old King who could not understand how
the apple ever got into the dumping.
The first " floor" of the wooden mill con-
tains the following figures: A man shear
ing sheep, woman carding wool ana
second woman spinning, and man going
upstairs. On the second floor are oper-
atives at work, including woman reel
ing yarn and a woman weaving There
Is also a man standing up as ii addressing
an audience; in his hand is placard
labeled: "To Congress; we ask that the
table of tariffs be SO adjusted as to pro
tect home manufacturing interests" He
Is evidently high tariff politician, and
will be heard from vet If he ever gets TO
Washington. In various parts OF the mills
are other pieces, as rolls OF yarn and
cloth, etc The entire work Is very firm
ly secured in the bottle and the first
question that naturally arises Is how
these figures were ever got into the
bottle, placed in position and so
firmly secured as to permit the bottle to be
handled in any manner without injury to
the contents A still more pulling ques-
ton is the mode of closing the mouth OF
the bottle. The cork Is a wooden stop
per, which, after being pressed down, has
cross.bar mortised into 1t and extending
across the top Of the bottle, inside, etfectu-
ally fastening the cork in place, but Is IL
self fastened by another and smaller cross
piece at right angles to il. II is difficult
to account for the seeming impossibility
accomplished in this curious and ingen-
ious piece OF work. Ii would be impos-
sible TO blow the bottle around the figures,
as is frequently suggested by parties in
speeding it, and to meet this supposition
Mr.. Wiggin has filled another bottle with
vinegar and put in similar cork, know
ing very well that even the most credu.
lous would not entertain the idea that
liquid body could be isclosed in the
process OF making the bottle. That
would be too much like Paddy's idea of
making the cannon: aye takes hole
and poars some brass around it!'
Mr.. Wiggin passed through Burlington
few weeks ago, and while detained at
the Union depot for several hours await
ing the arrival Of train he got into
conversation with Mr.. Cleghorn, the Union
depot Ticket Agent, who finally bought
the two bottles and placed them on exhi-
bition at Fix Il Conner's jewelry store,
where they have attracted considerable at
tention rs a curious, ingenious. but use
less, piece of mechanism. burlington
Et,a