The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-06-29
Happy Accidents.


5eidom 90 men sit down with steady re-
s1iVe, a determined purpose, to discover some
| new principle or invent some new process.
| When they 10 80, there is a lurking idea Of The
| KIND OF thing they want, a dim perception of
the uirectloh IN which success may most rea-
soilaoiy pe sought. Generally speaking, some
tnlhS Is concerned which, for want of Il better
term, we call accident" An appearance pre-
sents Itself, or au effect is produced, which the
observer nelther designed nor expected; an ac-
cidcht, certainly, so lar as he Is personally con-
cerned. Ii may be manifestation, until then
unknown, OF some natural force or property; :;
or 1t may be an action of one substance or an
other, susceptible OF useful practical applica-
ton This Is briefly expressed. the distinction
between d(scote2y and an incention. But the
important point to notice is, that the value of
Inc accident depends on the kind of man, or
kind of mind, by whom or by which it is first
observed. If the soil is not sufficiently pre-
pared, the seed Will not grow. Thousands of
ai'm nav seen :snt IenecIeu IRON olstaiit VIII
tho a'' D III 'l'e 'sh. aIGoiuihs 70
snu an5'e " leiltctoh nul Well-prepared
l'iilio III m oh one occasion suddeny drew from inns
ln,.nlg l'aono,ighon ah iutt Wnlcn eslaolisned the
!i'ui aeienet y. llG IolariZaeioil Vi LSIt.
l. 10 Pie:''1nI ~ lt'u vi liie iiitiilef ia Whlch
~ lhliius ila,c 1ulheu aii accloehtai oosef
'",roi' nr' % ~ pi aotlc'l @ aue e'htaSe.
thc . iellectus .1iPal''us iol lighthouses arose
o,' W "t . N1sel tit iicts are CORRECTLY record
et' a. ,"ii,,n 'l'il iire nun eh.H!t ago, among
I'ie ,iraiiotis " sliiii ~ sclentllc society IN
nnd t , ",,J it ~ "',Sel ti''. nc Mouu
light Of tarthns candle placed ten yards or
h .ontod 40 az nf ""Srl 1'er'I aeVgl.G'
~ coated tne INSIDE OF wooden board with
pieces vi i'ohihS-Siass. forming rough substi-
tHtt lor Il GohcaNe mirror; placlhg small
Of li"ht were reflected. and converoed to :. fnrus
fen Yards on rhc other side of tho candle md
M .he liSHl AZ that locus was sullcieht 10 enable
tho cApefiiiehtef 10 read Il neWspapcr Ot
colilse the distance oi ,ne candie from the mr.
Ioi WAS mage aepehtehI on 'he curvature OF me
ihlEIor lSeli. An oDsefNnt prac'lca man, dock
master OF Liverpool, was present The idea
il;tshed upon hih'' mat II the nght OF iarthins
Ganale couiu III 'hls way pe thrown our TO
instance me l'gnt OF iar-e lamp coud similar
y nc prolec,eu 10 hlle OF nliiGs away: Inc
l.iea grew INTO lorih' ana resulted IN the lnVen-
llon OF me fehectlhs lighthouse or rather the
rejecting apparatus lof llSh'hooSes.
One day, Lundyfoot. Il snuff manufacturer,
was drying some snuff. Il necessary process in
its preparation. Through little neglect the
snuff was allowed to be oyerheaed. till if be-
came chared, scorched, OF burned. In the view
OF prosy Jo9-trot trade>man, The commodity
would nave peeh thrown away as spoiled; but
lhe hl;'iit'lacturcf holiclh@ lhe pun@ehl charac-
yer OF lhe shuii' anu now IL tckleu the nose,
aii" showing th'et some men Ike 10 nave the
nose Ilckled more 1hih o,nerS. rrSoVPh 10 Try
INTO FAVOR. III hot only d!d so, but proved
source OF wealth to hn Any man may burn
coiiiiliod,ty ny caieieSsheSs; IL IS the obserV-
ant men VINO ln@entouSly turns the accident to
@oou account.
The writer has seen IL piece of printed calico
or muslin that exemplitiet the wav in which an
accident led. not exactly to an invention per-
manently useful and profitable, but to a pattern
that had 4 great success in one particular YEAR
A piece of cotton being printed at one of the
Il 1. l
tie displaced. While travelling upwards from
the printing cylinder. II portion of the cloth
shifted into some dSarrungemen, and was
printed It second time. but in a different direc-
ton from the first The effect was very Slnoll-
lar The original pattern was a sinl,lc one:
but the diagonal repetition produced forked-
lightning effect OF kind which 4 designer
would not have been likely to hit upon The
master-prn.er took n hint from the accident
he suggested the engraving OF Il design in which
the forlled Lightning effect should be utilized,
1t proved to be one Of the most successful pat
terms ever introduced bv the firm. The reader
may form some idea of the way in which this |
fortunate mshap occurred: for one corner of Il |
newspaper sometimes accidentally gets printed
a second time but at different angie. A nltidIr
it makes when the impress consists of words
and sentences: but when it consists of ueomc- |
trica lines or fancy arabeSqucs the product
may be Il fortunate one to a man who has his |
wits about him.
the Sta1ordshire pottery manufacture was the |
discovery of n che;lp durable .raz,. annli,abIe
alike to .hroyn. ware and white ware. and |
cies'ns 'eii useiu'n's' ,rit " "'nn5 n5
.ne sl'll't lLllel 5 lous 10 az ng "t>tpn
els, aecoluliS 10 ollM' e'e Ito,l'h - .iial
Iuu'itS , ~ " 'a uus !" .te f
icy rarhl' sltuate' le" i",es llon ! p ul:'tH
lno" lnc Ntls centre VI lut o.tgll ~
II li'io-str'ailt was one '''s netiiS II oHS So
Iutlph " common sall' 70 oc u>tu ~ rulnI
Pofh. nuIii,9 hei temporary "1schVe lloil the |
hllcne"' 'hG liqulu ppiieo over ntts III an tli
@lazeu earthcn Nessei, lhe solution, spreading
over the OUTSIDE rfodllced Gheihica ACTON
Whlch she lltlie uhuersIood' ana "hlen oiu h9t
compensate her lor lhe stoionS :l1e received;
some OF the clements OF me liq1lld c9mhlned
WIN some oi tAose o. llle lii?ny lleatcu Drown
claV surface 10 produce i 'l.elous coating OF
chame', when diu hot peei Oh Wheh the NtSscl
was coz: Inc humDle pfoWh,Ware Vesscl ;'e-
CURED historical celebrity y bufslcm potter,
learning what hi!i taken place. saw lhat S'aHed
ware might possibly MT the taste OF the pubic;
he introduced the system OF glazing hy means
OF common salt, system at once cheap, easy
durable; ana England mas made many hiliiioh
sterling by the discovery.
One of the pleasantest anecdotes illustrative |