Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-10-24
American Zine Au~

Lhl IfL-L ttff ftW vvar- s-U.
tie enlightened states - Europe
sti-t4aiizsd tie Amen. "A People -
lawns, that thew vtr, a.; nation e
tie tastes All cTtsr.-,l. and above
al. that TIE talent fuT tLe cons;r4r-
tlyeUess hal 1T - "a. male IL az
Isara1ce an L. our Mo-t skilled an
-. Az the IreeeLi iay. that charge
ha- 10 foundation uYon which TO rest.
Darns few ytar> !as', Anne ncaD
genius and ingenuity have success
fully measured their strength with
the highest excellence Of European
skill IN producing some Of the finest
specimens II art handlwurk to b.
found IN the world The first prin-
cipal step forward was the manufae-
tuTe Of clocks and watches for the
common purposes of life, such things
As Astronomical clocks aud chIonom-
eters being thought to require a far
too refined application OF constructive
skill to lie produced by rude Ameri-
cans. This reIrcach, however, has
no longer either local habitation
or n name on this side of tue Allan
tic. Since the founding of our
National Obse,va;u'y at Washing
ton, and tie lt .,Llng of longitude
from that ! U.Lt, American chronom-
sters and other nautical instruments
are guiding, not only Cur own ships,
but the ships of all nations through
every sea ard ocean on the globe.
1t is the manufacturing and sending
abroad of these specimens of our
skill that most sensibly excites the
jealousy and envy of our neighbors
across the waters.
In optical instruments, too, Amer
lean artists ale acknowledged to be
taking the lead. The largest refrac-
ting telescope in the world is at the
National Observatory. Tho glass
for the object lens, it is true, was
produced at the works of Messrs.
Chance & Co., Birmingham, Eng
land but the two disks were imported
in rough state. The nice work of
grinding and polishing them was
done by our countrymen, Alvan
Clark q Son, Cambridge, Mass. In
the department of compound micro
scopes, the Boston Optical works
have produced instruments that
elicit the unqualified appreciation of
connoisseurs and amateurs through
out the scientific world. 1t is need
less to refer to the achievements of
our experts in many other depart
ments of abstruse research and re-
fined mechanism within the last half
decade. The liberality of our patent
laws have, doubtless, much to do
with working out these brilliant re-
suits. In the field of invention, true
merit, alone, should win the day.
By the working of our system of
obtaining letters patent, it is believed
that this principle is Us nearly car
ried out to the letter, in the United
States Us is any country where legal
protection to genius exists in any
well-defned enactments. The world
from abroad is beginning to shade
its eyes before the flashing corusca-
tons of our electric light, now in
a fair way of being brought to
comparative perfection. England,
France and Germany have, for
years, been looked upon as the
cradle of all modern refinement as
regards the invention and maniac
ture of those nice and delicate appli-
ances which alone can aid the scien-
fist in his theoretical and experiment
tai labors.
But much to the credit of our
national reputation, such a state of
affairs exists no longer. The tables
are essentially turning and the al
ready fair name of American think
ers and workers is daily growing
more and more resplendent.
The wine room in the Mechanics
Fair, in Portland, has been abol-
ished. Although this action was