The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-06-11
TIMELY TOPICS.

A patent has been issued to Miss Har-
riet G.. Hosmer by the United States
patent Office for her process of making
artificial marble, regarding which so
much has been said. The claims set
forth that limestone, or other like sub
stance including alabaster stone, may be
given the appearance and uniform hard
ness throughout of natural marble in its
various colors by { le application of moist
heat or heat in the form of steam. in
combination with bath of alum and
water, or with various baths composed
ofvarious chemicals and coloring matter.
In an article on External Parasites ="
the Rural NeU Yorker gives this curious
information "Th"re are three species
of lice that disturb the peace and quiet
of the human family. The head louise
is the most common. 1t is said that in
olden times it was thought no disgrace,
but fashionable and desirable, to harbor
and nourish the crawling pigmies of the
head; now they are onlycommon among
such people as neglect personal neatness.
The most cleanly person may be so un-
fortunate as to possess specimens not
pinned in an chronological cabinet, but
he will soon Danish them according to
the fashion well understood in all civ
ilized society"
At the annual meeting of the Pennsyl-
vania State Medical Society, which
opened at Chester, report was received
from DR.. p. d. Keyser, surgeon of the
Wills Hospital of Philadelphia, detail
ing the results of an examination as to
color blindness of train men employed on
railroads converging in Philadelphia.
He found that of those examined three
and one-half per cent. mistook colors one
for the other, their defects being of such
character as to make them really incapa-
BILE and unsafe to fill the positions they
occupy. Then there were eight and one
half per cent. additional who, although
able to distinguish colors, were unable
to tell the shades nf cOlors, thus making
twelve per cent. of those examined who
and distinguishing colors and shades
We have been apt to consider China
as heather country, and such it is from
the Christian standpoint, but it is far
from an ignorant land. 1t has, without
doubt, according to Barnes Educational
Monthly, over 100000, 900 of people, of
which vast number there is scarcely one
who cannot read and write. 1t has 1000
colleges, and their libraries outnumber
ours ten to one There are in that land
of pig-tailed Mongols 1900, 600 highly
educated men. while there is hardly u
woman who is educated of all the vast
number of its people, and not one who is
thought to have a soul. Education is
principally a discipline of the memory,
and their schools are based upon an en-
tirely different idea from ours. A live
Yankee schoolmaster would find little
employment in China, even though he
understood the Chinese language and
literature perfectly.
The sin of cruelty to animals is ag-
gravated by two circumstances. First,
the obligation under which we lie to
the dumb creation, which are our ser
wants. We owe so much to the horse,
the mule, the cow, the faithful watch
dog, and we ought to treat them kindly,
nay, gratefully. The want of these and
other animals would be felt calamity.
But we want to remember that the sin
is aggravated by their silence. They are
dumb. If you are ill-used, you can cry
for aid, and secure it. Ifyou are hungry
you can cry for bread, and get it; but
the poor dumb beast cannot ask for food,
nor appeal for protection to the officer
of law court Hence the crime of n
man who ill-uses his beast is aggravated
by the most contemplate cowardice. If
the bully or blusterer, in fit of passion,
strikes his equal, he may receive blow
in return, or he may be severely chas-
tised for his temper; or ifhis antagonist,
through self-respect, only sees fit to ad-
minister dignified rebuke, he still gets
the worst of the encounter; but the ill
used beast cannot thus retaliate, there
fore the cruel monster who mercilessly
abuses the beast he drives or rides is the
meanest of all towards.