The Republican journal., 1875-07-29
Light rs n Motive Power

Prof. VIM. Croo ,cs, Of London. has
made what is acknowledged rs a new
discovery III regard TO the properties of
light By series OF vet ! curious expert
ments he shows that this mponderabC
agent has force enough to turn Il wheel
and it IS possible he mas hit upon solu-
planets in the vacuum of infinite ether
His experiments are thus described:
He thoroughly eNhausts tube with a
bulb at the end, and in this bulb he mount,
upon delicate pivot one of his little vane>
constructed of glass or straw cross-pieces
with q disc OF pith at each OF the four eX-
tremities One face Of each disc is black
cned. and the fail MILL though not weigh
ING 50 much as a gossamer, rests quiet
enough While in the dark He moves it
into the light 50 that the ordinalr rays OF
day may fall upon the blackened faces,
and obedient TO some mysterious impulse.
the arms begin 70 turn. Ii the sun breaks
out and shines upon the apparatus, the
fairy mill Whirls round with such energy
that the eye can hardly follow its elra
tons; and this effect is very little altered
if an alum-plate be interposcd, so that Nc
heat-rays pass along with the light Tc
see these. Nanes racing round inside the
glass, from no visible cause, is one Of the
most extraordinary surprises which science
has afforded; and she has puzzled herself
This time, for no one can yet tell why the
phenomenon occurs. Since blackened sur
faces absorb light and whitened ones re-
fleet all the rays, one would have imagin-
ed that, however the light may act, ii
must ,"pel the white and not the black
Sides OF the discs; Yet the contrary is the
case. Faster and faster spins the tiny mill
in its vacuum, till sometimes it actually
Whirls Itself of the pivot altogether, tum-
bling over with its intensely excited speed
and uncommon deXteritv is required to re-
place the capslzed Vane upon its centre
Tut hat over the magical machinery
and it stops-only to rccommence its CIR
cular dance as soon rs the light catches
the dark side OF the pith again. Hold up
the ALAN screen which Sits out all heat
rays, and the dance is somewhat slacken-
ed; but green OF blue glass Gains down
the excited little machine to a more sober
revelation, and yellow on red glass quick
ems it again to a more lively waltz If a
cloud passes over the face Of the sun while
it is spinning in full daylight, the invisible
twists the machine velS lazily but let the
cloud 90 by, and the bright beam glitter
again, and forthwith in an instant the
mysterious power is all alive, the discs TO-
tate faster and iaster the eve can hardly
catch sight OF them as they lily round, and
if the sunlight lass, the hilarious little
miller tumbes himself of his perch alto
gether, with his ecstacy OF speed.
Either 4 man must be content with pov-
erty all his life. or else be willing to DENY
himself some luXuries, and save, to Law
the base Of Independence in the future
But if Il man dtiics the future and spends
dollar or ten dollars every day,) let him
look for lean and hungry want at some
future time-for it will surely come, no
matter what he thinks. TO save is abso-
lntely the only way to get q solid fortune 4;
ihefe IS no other certain mode. Those
VINO smut their eyes and ears to these plain
lacls Will be forever poor, and tor their
obstinate rejection Of the truth mayhap
VIII one IN rags and filth. Let them so
dle anu thank themselves. But no They
lake sort OF recompense in cursing for
tune. treat waste OF breath They might
as well curse mountains and eternal hills
For ! can tell them fortune does not give
away her real and substantial goods. She
sells them to the highest bidder, to the
hardest, wisest worker for the boon. Men
never make SO fatal mistake as when
they think themselves creatures of fate !:
it's the shcerest folly in the world Every
man may make or mar his'life, whichever
he may choose Fortune is for those who
by diligence, honesty and frugality. place
themselves in position to grasp hold of
fortune when it appears in view. The
best evidence of honesty is both diligence
and frugality.