Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1875-09-04

strict economy that put myself IN
the position of feeling that my wife
and children would not be beggars at
my death. And such, say, is the
duty of every man who can obtain
policy. 1t appears to me to be a
plain violation of the laws of Christi
anitv and humanity for people to live
in the indulgence of Injuries, and,
when God in His providence takes
them away leave their wives and chill
dren little better than beggars.'
POLISHING WOOD WITH CHAR
COAL.
We extract from the Cu6ind MoEcr
the following description of the method
of polishing wood with charcoal, now
much employed by French cabinet
makers:
All the world now knows of those,
articles of furniture of a beautiful dead
black color, with sharp, clear cut
edges, and a smooth surface, the wood
Of which seems to have the density of
ebony; viewing them side by side with
furniture rendered black by paint an4s
varnish, the difference is so sensible
that the considerable margin of price
separating the two kinds explains it.
self without any need of commentary.
The operations are much longer and
much more minute in this mode of
charcoal polishing, which respects
every detail Of the carving, while paint
and varnish would clog up the holes
and widen the ridges. In the first
process they e4aaloy only carefully Sc
Iected woods of q close and compact
grain; they cover them with coat of
camphor dissolved in alcohol, and al
most Immediately ly afterwards with an
other coat composed chiefly of sulphate
of IRON and nutgall. The two compo-
sitlons in blending penetrate thewood
and give it an indelible tinge, and at
the same time render it impervious to
the attacks Of insects.
When these two coats are sufli-
clcntly dry, they rub the surface of the
wood at first with a very hard brush
of couch-grass (chicndcnO and then.
with harcoal of substances as light
and friable as possible, because if a
single hard gram. remained in the
charcoal this alone would scratch the,
surface, which they wish, on the CON
trary, to render perfectly smooth. The
flat parts are rubbed with natural
stick charcoal, the indcnted portions
and crevices with charcoal powder.
At once, almost simultaneously, and
alternately with the charcoal, the
worlllnan also rubs his piece of furn-
ture with flannel soaked in linseed ok
and the essence of turpentinc. These
pouncings, repeated several tunes.
cause the charcoal powcer and the oil
to penetrate into the wood, giving the
article of furniture beautiful color.
and perfect polish, which has none of
tho flaws or ordinary varnish. Black
wood, polished with charcoal, is COM
ing day by day to be in greater de
mand it rs most serviceable it does
not tarnish like gliding, nor grow yell
low like whitewood, and in furnishing
a drawlng-room it agyees very happily
with gilt bronzcs and rich stuHs. fn,
the dining room, too, it is thoroughly
IN It's place to show off the plate to the
greatest advantage, and in the library
it supplies :, capital framework for
handsomely bound books"
THE British ship Challenger"
which is abroad on a scientific expedi-
ton around the world, on the 25th of
March last sounded the sea with i'm
proved apparatus at point about
ninety miles north Of the Island of st.
Thomas, and only found the bottom at
the stupendous depth Of 3,S75 faith
oms, or nearly four and half miles.
EVERY promise in the Bible is a pearl
of great price. Faith makes chain
of pearls out of the promises, by which
she graces her neck and secures her
armor; but activity is thread of sill
Yer running through the chain Of
pearls,
In testing the strength of sson and
steel rails, experiments made by Mr.
klraldy showed that IRON rails, sup
ported on bearings five feet apart, bore
$4,000 pounds. applied at the centre.
Steel rails, not less than $4,000 pounds,
and the tensile strength Of steel rails
$4,000 pounds per square inch; ircn