The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-11-18
THE BOYHOOD OF SIR ISAAC NEW.
TON.

Sir Isaac Newton Is the SredCcSI VI
modern philosophers and mechanics.
When he was born, December %, 1642,
three months after his fathers death,
he was so small and feeble that no one
supposed he would live day; but the
weak infant grew to be healthy. ro-
bust 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 a second time, sent him To
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. de
made a wooden clock when he was
twelve wears old, and the model of a
windmill, and in his mill he put .
mouse, which he called his miller. and
which turned the wheels by running
around it's 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.
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 80
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 howto make
paper Kites; he made paper lanterns by
which to 20 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
naper lantern attached TO the tail; they
wouid 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.
He was never idle for moment. de
learned to draw and sketch; he made
little tables and sidebOards for the chill
dren to play with; he watched the mo-
tions of the sun by means OF pegs hi
had fixed in the wall of the house where
he lived, and marked every hour:
At last, when he was about sixteen
his mother placed him in charge of
farm, and every Saturday he went witt
a servant to Grantham market to sci
. his corn and vegetables. But the al
fairs of the farm did not prosper; tn
young philosopher hid himself away j,
4 room in q garnet which he hired
studying mechanics and inventlng
water-wheel or q new model, while tn
. sheep wandered away in the field. an
: the cattle devoured his corn.
Next he went to Cambridge Universi
. ty. and became . famous scholar. A
the age OF twenty-toul he began hi
!, study of the spectrum. as philosopher
! call that brilliant picture of the color
: of the rainbow. which is shown BY tn
! SUMS rays shining through q three
y sided piece of glass. called . prism.
}, is one of the most beautiful objects
science or nature, and Newton's stud
= of its splendid colors led to his creates
discoveries in optics. or the science
9 the sight. In our own time the use
= the prism and its spectrum has show
q US OF what the sun and moon are con
:. posed.
- One day. as Newton sat musing
o his garden at his retired country home
Is an apple fell from tree to the groun'
n A great idea at once arose IN his MINI