The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-08-05
MONDAY MORNING, AUGUST s.

perial patrons on its face and duly stamped
and receipted A pretty pantomimic perform
ance ensueo, the journalist trying to impress
upon the official mind that the figures 10 the
account represented his personal me asure-
ments, set down for the purpose of identified
lion; and having succeeded in that, he pointed
trlumpbantly to the stamp and Signature
across it, as irrefragable proof of the official
character 81 the document; and the half salts
he'd, wholly mystifed Spaniard let him go on
his way. showering silent blessings on theitai-
Tors head
An unemployed actor, disinclined to rust In
idleness, to say nothing of starving, determined
to edo the provinces" as an entertainer. The
provinces, however, did not prove the happy
hunting ground he expected, and when he
arrived in a certain small town in the north his
funds and his spirits were equally low The
latter were not raised by the worthy who had
the letting of the ball informing him theatre
cal exhibition would be mae guide at a." there;
but that If he gave lecture on chemistry the
place would be crowded. At this straw our
desperate actor clutched. He would turn SCI
entific lecturer and chance it being discovered
that he knew nothing of his subject The hall
was engaged, the bills distributed, his last cop
pers spent upon red fire, brick dust. iron filings
and some innocent powders; the time came.
and the lecturer stood before crowded audi
CuCc, Wltuuut any CitdT lucd Wudb u6 was W
say or do, save that he was going to perform
the old experiment of producing hydrogen, and
a new one of his own invention, which be
hoped would bring the performance to sudden
end. The friendly hall keeper had borrowed a
pestle and mortar, Leyden jar and two or
three retorts, which with few physic bottles
filled with higt-colored waters, gave the table
quite scientific appearance. The pseudo
savant commenced by reading few pages of a
popular treatise on chemistry, by way of intro
6nCfIOn fha hnn tod IN
impudence to pull him through; and pull him
through it did. He says: 81 explained, with
many mispronounced words, the hydrogen ex-
pertinent, and then it occurred to me to arrange
y little accident which would, perhaps, make
them nervous, and prepare them for what was
to follow. This easily did by thrusting a re-
tort neck downward into the fire; the few drops
of water condensed and burst it with loud re-
port. l then proceeded to explain the danger.
GUS nature of chemicals, dwelt on gun cotton,
sudden death of experimentalists by fumes
ETC., meanwhile filling my mortar with brich
dust, and other harmless Ingredients. HaYne
worked the audience up to the hiehoet pitcn OF
nervousness, dilated on the dangerous and
uncertain pature of tho compound was mix
inc. T spoke of my bad health, and wound up
by saying: Startling and marvellous as the
anpoancement may seem, it is nevertheless
srde, that were l to leave off stirring this mix
ture for one single second the whole of this
building and every one therein would be blow o
into unrecognizabe atoms! In less than two
minutes there was not q soul left in the place
except Mr. Mactaggart and myself, who
pitched the stuff away and cheerfally divided
the profits"