The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-10-10


space, even if they send us no light.
Heat in minute quantities will reveal
them. The inventions of the phono-
graph, telephone and megaphone hint
at possibilities in the way of analyzing
the minute constitution of bodies by
means of the sounds which they emit
revelations apparently destined to be
still more marvellous than those of the
spectroscope. If every body, substance,
molecule and atom in the universe has
its own characteristic color, why may
not every body, substance, molecule and
atom in the universe have its own pecu-
liar sound, its fundamental note, by
which its presence~can always be detect
ed? The music of the spheres may be-
come reality, through Edison's inven-
tions.
The refuse of the furnace and the mine
is examined by the spectroscope, and
new metals like thallium and urbidium
discovered. In organic chemistry won-
derful syntheses have been made. The
old coloring matters of the world, most
ly vegetable products, are almost sup
planted by chemical products. And the
result is a revolution in dyeing. Every
where invention is following discover
les. What is discovered for the sake of
adding to our knowledge is applied so
as to increase our comforts and aggran-
die mans eonquests over nature.
The past of the globe is studied. The
bowels of the earth have been dug into
quite as much to reveal its history as to
search for mineral wealth. The result
has been the complete overthrow of the
old opinions about the age of the earth
and even. as to the length Of time that
man has existed on the surface of the
globe. The poems, the traditions, the
monuments, the buried and forgotten
habitations of man have been exam
ined minutely, collected, photographed,
translated, commented upon, ransacked,
all for the purpose of increasing our
knowledge-of throwing light upon the
origin and development of man and So
ciety. The harvest has been large, but
it is not all gathered. Much remains to
be done, but much has been accom-
plished.
Men are even now preparing to navi-
gate the air. The application of steam
to sea carriage and land carriage, mar
velous as it has been, is not enough for
them. They want to navigate the air
and they will very likely accomplish the
task. The ends of the earth are explor-
ed. Central Africa and the North Pole
are compelled or are being compelled
to give up their secrets. Man, who is
compelling the depths of space to reveal
its mysteries-who has compelled the
sun and the stars to reveal part, at
least, of the mystery of their constitu-
tion-will not be baffled by the paltry
obstacles offered by the heats of torrid
Africa and the barriers of ice that sur
round the Pole. He is going in to win.
| In consequence of all this activity,
books, the great reservoirs of the intel
lectual wealth of the world, have multi
piled in way to astonish even the most
careless. Even the specialist can hard
ly keep run of the publications in his
own particular line. A great deal has
been done to distribute the wealth that
we have been increasing so rapidly, but
it has been impossible for distribution
to keep up with production. Digests,
and primers, and compendiums, and
text books have been written to popu-
larize knowledge, but hitherto with far
from complete success. The reason
of the failure lies in the
sharp advances of knowledge. Moth
ing is settled. All in movement. The
alignment can not be kept perfect when
the line of battle is constantly pushing
on. 1t is becoming for US serious
question what we are to do with our
facts and with our knowledge. More is
now known about the world in which we
live and the bodies that surround us than
it would be possible for any man in the
longest lifetime to learn. 1t tseems as il
a wise fergetfulness was as necessary in
dealing with the great stores of intellect
ual richness open for us all as sound
memory. The problem of education is
becoming hopelessly complex, because
there is so much to be taught and be-
cause there does not seem to be any
principle of selection of what is the bes1
worth teaching. The relative worth Of
knowledges-to use an old words 8
study demanding attention. The prob
lem of the distribution of the intellect
ual wealth of which we have such al
unwieldy mass in store, is certain to give
great deal of trouble before it is finally
4 and successfully solved. We now know
how to increase our knowledge, but dt
we know how to put it where it will d.
the most goodp- Graphic.
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Hay water is great sweeteHer of tin
wooden and iron ware In Irish dai