The Evening critic., 1881-06-17
The Power of Wire.

British sea captain said to a gentleman
returning to New York: You are going to
have the most notwithstanding city on the
globe, because you are multiplying those
enormously high buildings which raise your
city into the air and make it look gigantic
from the surrounding shores and waters"
Yes" said the American, 'and it is all
owing to the elevators. Before they came
in use high buildings were uninhabitable
above the third or fourth story. COnse-
quently the beautiful is here a direct off
spring of the practical, just as a mountain
is the result of the hole through it, where
the volcano sp0uted or certain beautiful
shells the mere shafts through which the
animal assembled and descended"
Cor the Irishman's cannon" said l.,
standing by, (which he said consisted of
taking a round hole and wrapping brass
around it."
"After ALL" said the sea captain, 1T is
one of the triumphs of wire cordagc, with
out which you could not raise your Gle.
yators, and it is but little over three hun
bred years since England learned from the
Germans of Nuremberg the art Of drawing
wire which is itself, like the elevator,
pulled through series of openings till the
proper thinncss is obtained"
Eyes" said the American "blessed be
Ludolph, of Nuremberg, the inventor of
wirc-pulling everywhere, except in politics +!
MILongfellOw did not enumeate him with
Albert Durer and Hans Sachs, but he was n
greater artist and saved the shoes of Sachs
and takes many Durer to his celestial
studio. Blessed be John ROebling, too, who
began the greater manufacture of wire
cordagc in our country"
"DO you know" said the captain, that
q fathom of steel wire rope, little thicker
than your cane and weighing half pound
q foot, will pull as much as n hemp rope
half foot thick and weighing pound and
half "a foot ?"
I" | have known piece of wire, cap said
I, no thicker than n straw, to draw man
weighing two hundred pounds the whole
length of Broadway"
ooh, come now !" exclaimed the obtuse
Briton.
Yes, siry-it was hair pin."-Johm,
Bouquet.
"a POUND OF FLEsH'-An interesting
surgical operation was, Harforrned by DIR
Hogden OH Friday last at ~. .rivatc house in
st. Louis, the subject being well-known
real estate agent; pound Of adiposc tissue
being taken from the back Of his neck. The
patient is very largo man, whose weight il
now two hundred and forty-nine pounds. The
fat had begun to gather in such heavy fold
about his neck Us to become n source of con
slant annoyance, the head having beer
crowded forward and held in an unbecom
ing position. The skin was divided a
right angles, so that the wound made sor
of cross, from beneath which all the under
lying fat was taken. The piece of flesh \
said to have weighed exactly one pound
The patient took nothing to sustain him II
the trial, and did not appear to suffer much
even when the parts were being cauterize'
to prevent formation of new tissue. Tn
wound being closed up and bandaged, h
lighted cigar, ordered the pound of ilesl
to be cast into the sewer, and sat quietl,
down to read the paper. Only a fcw drop
of blood were lost, and no serious conse
ouences are expected. In fact, the patien
may be seen taking his customary walki
and appears to enjoy life as much us ever
He expects to be able to attend to bushes
this week as usual, the principal care bein
taken not to catch cold--S Louis Republican
VILLAGE postmaster to his wife: Here
a postal card to Mr.. Jones, saying that hi
brother and five children will be here o
Saturday. Now, keep that card back ii
then, and | will be at the depot, and whe
they find no one to meet them | will TAX
them all over for 3d."