The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-07-07

dating 1000 years ago. representing
butchers sharpening their knives on
round bar of metal attached to their
aprons. which, from it's blue color,
it is thought can only be STEEL
From the abundance Of it's ores, oc-
curing rs they do in every geological
formation, and from the ease with
Which rich ores can be reduced to the
metallic state, iron ought to have been
the first metal to attract the attention
of man: but bronze was undoubtedly
the first metal used to the construct
ion Of implements and weapons An
age of bronze succeeded the ston:
age and preceded the iron age. Ng
one has attempted to fix 4 date to the
commencement of the bronze age, but
it has been thought that the trans
ition from bronze to iron took place
about 900 years Il. G.
Flint knives were used for sacri-
fees and other sacred purposes long
after the use of bronze and other
metals. It is thought from the fact
of f1ints being used to strike fire. that
this stone was regarded rs a gift from
heaven, and was reserved: tor relig-
ious services.
In the Vedas of India, some 400
years B. c., are mentioned vessels of
copper, pewter, brass and iron, and
also the tinman, t?e pe&tcrer, the
plumber, the distiller, and all the
classes of working smiths ri gold. sill
yer. copper and iron.
Iron seems to have been in nse hy
the Greci;ns in the time of Homer.
about 5000 years ago. He mentions
the hatchet, the level, the square and.
the plane, and says that mass s:f
iron was one of the prizes given Ivy
Achilles, in honor of Patroclus. show
ing the value attached to it in ancient
times.
'Then hurled the hero, laundering on the ground
mass Of iron, an enormous round,
Whose weight and siZe the circllng Greeks admire,
Rude from the furnace and but shaped 10y fire.
Let him whose might can hurl this bowl, arise,
Who fatherest hurl< it takes it as his prize;
If he be one enriched with large domain,
Of downs for focks, and ara01e for grain.
Small stock Of iron need that man provide:
His hinds and swains whole years shall be sup
From hence, nor ask TIC neighboring city's aid
For pIoughshare, wheels, and all the rural trade"
He also SavS:-
ARMED fees around dreadful circle form,
And kissing javelins rain in iron storm
He says again, in the fine tra11Si:s-
tion by Pope
sSoon as he tade them blow. the bellows turned
Their iron mouths and where the furnace burned
Resounding breathcd; At once the blast expires,
And twenty forge> catch at once the fires
Just rs the God directs-now high, now low
They raise a tempest, or they gently blow,
In Kissing flames huge silver bars are M ,olled',
And stubborn brass, and tin and solid goid."
Hesiod also alludes to irOn:-
''Ther mansions, implements and armor shine
In brass; dark iron slept within the mine.'
At the time of the Trojan war;
ploughs were composed entirely of
wood. Sheep were deprived of their
wool by shears about thfs. time
Brass was then most commonly used,
and there is frequent mention of tin.
The armor was mostly of brass and
the spears were only tipped wftls
iron.
At a very much later period among
the Anglo Saxons, the smith, or
worker of iron, WAS treated rs an otfi<
Ger of the highest rank. In the royal
court of Wales, he sat in the great
hall with the king and queen. next to-
the domestic chaplain, and he was,
entitled to draugllt of every kind of
liquor that was broug Iit into the hall.
His duties were multifallous. Be-
SlueS making llt'lS hht Noloc oho'H,
and tools of various kinds. he em.>
ployed his handcraft on All sorts at
warlike weapons and forged the mail
coats and armors for the knights and
their horses. In Edward Thirds
reign, the kettles. splits, and frying
pans of the royal kitchen were classe,t
among the k!n,'s jewels, so scarce
was iron.
Captain Cook. the famous naviga-
tor. was surprised at the avidity
which WAS displayed by the natives
of the South Sea Islands, for iron. 4
nail would huy Il good sized pig, and
on one occasion he bought about four
hundred pounds Of fish for a few
knives made for the occasion out of
an old hoop.
t>o