The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1881-12-08
THE ROYHOOD OF SIR ISAAC NEW
TON.

Sir Isaac Newton is the greatest OF
modern philosophers and mechanics.
When he was born, December Is. 1912.
three months after his fathers death
he was so small and feeble that no one
supposed he would live a day; but the
weak infant grew to be a. healthy. ro-
Dust man, who lived until he was
eighty-four years old. He began to in
vent or contrive machines and to show
his taste for mechanics in early child
hood. He inherited some property
from his father, and his mother, who
had married q second time, sent him 60
the best schools, and to the University
OF Cambridge. At school he soon
showed his natural taste; he amused
himself with little saws, hatchets. ham,
mers and different tools, and when his
companions were at play spent his time
IN making machines and toys. He
made wooden clock when he was
twelve years old, and the model of a
windmill, and in his mill he put q
mouse, which he called his miller. and
which turned the wheels by running
around its cage. He made q water.
clock four feet high, and a cart with
four wheels, not unlike velocipede. in
which he could drive himself by turn
ing windlass. s
His love of mechanics often inter-
rupted his studies at school, and he was
sometimes making clocks and carriages
when he ought to have been constituting
Latin and Greek. But his mind was SO
active that he easily caught up again
with his fellow-scholars, and was al
ways fond Of every kind Of knowledge.
He taught the school boys how to make
paper kites; he made paper lanterns by
which to go to school in the dark winter
mornings; and sometimes at night he
would alarm the whole country round
by raising his kites in the air with a
paper lantern attached to the tail: thew
would shine like meteors in the dis.
lance, and the country people, at that
time very ignorant, would fancy them
omens of evil, and celestial lights.
lie was never idle for moment He
learned to draw and sketch; he made |
little tables and sideboards for the chill
dren to play with; he watched the MO.
tons OF the sun by means of pegs he |
had fixed in the wall of the house whore
he lived, and marked every hour.
~ 1oSS WiiCA ue Wa ABOUT sixteen.
his mother placed him in charge Of q |
farm, and every Saturday be went with |
2 servant to Grantham market to sell I
his corn and vegetables. But the af- |
fairs OF the farm did not prosper; the
young philosopher hid himself away in /
room in a garnet which he hired. |
studying mechanics and inventinp 4
water-wheel or new model, while The /
sheep wandered away in the field. and
The cattle deyoured his corn,
Next he went to Cambridge Uniyersi.
y, and became a famous scholar. At
'he age or twenty-four he began his
study OF the spectrum, as philosophers
,ail that brilliant picture OF the colors
u the rainbow, which is shown by the
'un's rays shining through q three
lded piece of glass. called a prism. It
one OF the most beautiful objects in
science or nature, and Newton's studv
4 It's splendid colors led to his greatest
discoveries in optics, or the science of
be sight In our own time the use Of
he prism and its spectrum has shown
IS OF what the sun and moon are com
,osed. 800
One day, as Newton sat musino in
us garden at his retired country home.
n apple Tell from a tree to the ground
great idea at once arose in bis mind,