Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-02-12
TIMELY TOPICS.

Mr.. A. S. Fuller, of Ridgewood. N. J.
whose chronological cabinet IL said TO
contain 900 species of beetles alone"
is credited with the declaration that of
the hundred thousand species Of insects
In the United States, there is "nbt one
hundred whose true history is well
known" So he reminds active young
men that there is little room still left
for them in this line of study, and mem
tions for their encouragement that one
person bug hunting in florida :" found
under dead palmetto fan hundreds of
bugs that were previously rated at s75
apiece"
Many of our greatest discoveries have
been the result of accident, rather than
fixed and definite purpose. "It is
curious to note" says the Chicago Iri-
6u'1e, " how nearly every invention that
has proved TO be a service and blessing
TO mankind has been the result of what
is popularity termed an accident. 1t is
well known that many great discoveries
in the arts, in science, and in mechanics
have come to the knowledge of expert
menters in line quite different from the
one in which they were operating, and
what they called blunder at the time
led the way TO the most important re-
suits. 1t is said that the Goodyear pro-
cess of utilizing rubber was purely an
accidental discovery, and now it is
claimed that Mr.. Edison by a fortunate
accident discovered that carbonized
paper, instead OF platinum, was what he
was after"
The reigning Gar possesses in full
MI hn r. lr Nf k.t
at great fires, which his younger brother,
the Grand Duke Nicholas, is enabled to
crafty at will by hiI position as head of
the st. Petersburg fire brigade. On one
occasion this passion for running with
the machine" all but proved fatal TO
both. When the German Lutheran
church, on the Moika canal, took fire
n the middle of the night, the Gar and
his brother were among the first to reach
the spot, and, while directing the opera
tions of the fireman. incautiously ap-
preached TOO near the burning build
ing, the belfry of which was already be-
ginning to totter. Suddenly a huge
beam, at least twelve feet in len 9Th, fell
blazing from the roof, and struck the
ground with a tremendous crash close
to the spot where they stood, injuring
several Of the crowd with its flying
splinters. General Trepoff, then minis
ter of police, at once stepped forward,
and succeeded in persuading the Gar
to withdraw. but the Grand Duke
Nicholas ,maiped TO the end, and saved
the greater part of the building.
If Mexican robbers, who have always
been one OF the many curses of ill
governed, distracted Mexico, were dealt
with ne xupra tho Tnhhoru Saar Guana
juato, according to a recent account,
we should hear of fewer depredations
there upon travellers. Thirty highway
men, having attacked mail coach with
Winchester rifles, were put to fight,
five of their number killed and several
wounded by two young Americans, only
one OF whom was hurt. So the account
reads, and it might seem to be gross
exaggeration, considering tue disparity
OF numbers, were not most professional
| lawbreakers, especially those in Mexico,
arrant towards. who never take the
offensive unless backed by greatly su-
perior strength. One might imagine
that the Americans had been armed
with Gatling guns from the destruction
they wrought. but their most effective
weapons were, no doubt, coolness. cour-
age and resolution. AS one of them,
George Green, is from Texas, and the
other, Frank Senter, is from Massa-
chusetts, the honors of intrepidity are,
as respects section, equally divided.
They are obviously of the right ma
terial; just such citizens are wanted
there, and many of them. A hundred
brave. firm fellows Of their stamp would
be more effective than 10000 pronuncia-
mentos in favor of honest government
and strict administration of justice.
The education of the two Americans has
unquestionably been of the kind most
needed there. Their parents have, very
plainly, in their case taught the young
idea how to shoot.