Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-05-11
WHAT IS NICKEL :

.7.'.1 |4No. l. ..
WHAT is NICKEL3
Since the convenient flve-cent coin, which
in common talk is called "a nickel, has come
into general circulation, the question above is
asked, either mentally or orally, hundreds of
times every day, and but few get an intelligent
answer In China and India a white copper,
called pack tong, has long been known, and
has been extensively used, both there and In
Europe, for counterfeiting silver coin. About
the year l70O peculiar, ore was discovered in
appearance of being very rich, but in smelling
it yielded no copper, and the miners called it
kupfer-nickel, or false copper. In 1854 Con-
stadt announced the discovery of new metal
in kupfer-nickel, to which he gave the name
of nickel. It was in combination with arse
mic, from which he could relieve it only in
parts. The alloy of nickel and arsenic which
he obtained was white, brittle and hard, and
had a melting point nearly as high as cast
iron. It was not not until 1923 that pure
nickel was obtained by analysis of German
silver, which had for a number of years been
produced at Suhl, in Saxony. Its composition
was ascertained to be copper 10 parts, zinc 8
and nickel 4. If more nickel be used the al
|
very high polish, but becomes too brittle and
hard to be hammered or rolled, and can be
worked only by casting. Pure nickel is a
white metal which furnishes readily in the
air. Unlike silver, it is not acted on by the
vapor Of sulphur, and even the strong mineral
acids attract it but slightly. Nickel has the
hardness of iron, and, like it, has strong mag
netic properties, but cannot be welded and is
soIdered with difficulty. Pure nickel has
heretofore been used chiefly for plating, for
which purpose it's hardness and power to re-
sist atmospheric influence admirably adapt it.
The French have succeeded in rolling the
metal into plates, from which spoons and
other table furniture may be pressed Nickel
and nickel, with little tin, may be cast into
Yery delicate forms, and is susceptible of
polish. Mines Of nickle are worked at Chat
ham, c., and Lancaster, Pa, and it is said
to be found at Mine LIE Motto, Mo-, and at
several points in Colorado and New Mexico,
where but little attention is paid to it. 1t is
extensively mined in SaxOny and In Sweden,
but the late discovery Of new ore Ia silicate
Of nickel) in New Caledonia will probably
suspend the use Of the arsenical ores, and yet
bring nickel into common use. Switzerland,
in the year 1852, made coin Of German sill
yer, which is identical in composition with
our nickel coin. The United States made
nickel cents in 1856, and then eight years
later coined the cent pieces. Belgium adop-
ted nickel coinage in 1850, and Germany in
1878. England has lately coined pennies for
Jamaica, but at home she and France adhere
to clumsy copper small change. H."l
PERPETUAL MOTION.-In looking back and
watching the way in which the human race
has blundered and struggled into the present
condition af knowledge, there are some things
which tend to give rise to feeling rather akin
to evaporation. There are 50 many times in
which we see it running deeper and deeper into
false theory, and getting so mixed up with
fallacies, that we often get vexed, as it were,
at seeing SO much energy misdirected, and
wish we had been on the spot to have ar
gued the ancients out Of their false positions,
and into following some better theory. They
used to labor on, however, and eventually ex-
tricate themselves from maze of inconsisten-
cies and anomalies by adopting some fresh hy-.
pothesis as basis Of action. Chemistry in
particular, furnishes us with examples Of this
kind What centuries Of scrambling there
were for the philosophers stone and the elirir
vitp: And, in more recent times, how anima-
ted controversy was over such forgotten things
as cakes, philogiston, &c. Chemistry, howev-
er, has quite lived through these phases in its
development, and the merest tyro in the science
never seems to be fascinated with desire to
effect the transmutation Of vessels. These
considerations strengthen us in the hope that,
at some time, not very far in the future, the
last effort at perpetual motion will be record
ed, and it will be possible to write history of
the origin, progress and end of the search for
self-moving power, with no more fear OF the
subject being added to than if it were histo-
oq fbo M
must be confessed, though, that we are some
distance from such consummation yet. In
the face of the fact that during the present
century, something like two hundred applica-
tions for patents ts-which, more or less openly,
are for perpetual motion-have been received,
at the English Patent Office alone, and that
they continue to be received, it would be rash
to speak of the subject as completely disposed
Of and as not requiring discussion.
ical Herald. 1#. ha- f.a'r.t $751;.
Gas LITTLE CH1LEREN.''-To the mother
these words come home with peculiar signifi-
canoe, wonderful beauty. She looks into
her baby's eyes, and reading there it's perfect
innocence, the desire wakes in her spirit, or
deepens and strengthens, for purity OF heart
and thought and life-purity before Cod
Other children come in, and the little one
holds out his tiny hands, laughs and COOS
welcome. She watches them in their gentle,
happy play, notes the easily contented spirit,
the little kindness the perfect sincerity, the
giving-up, the shared apple or gingerbread,
the love for pussy and Rover, and bunny, and
finds in all lesson to herself-"Peace and
Goodwill" t5..-.5a.t f.a= ,j...E...l
AS her child grows older-if she is faithful
governing by love, blending frmness, gentle
ness and consideration, she obtains an IN
questioning, cheerful. obedience. And, too,
the gratitude for every trifling gift, and elias
tic hopefulness, the ready forgiveness, of a
child's nature, are all Headings" toward the
Kingdom of Heaven. ~ .aa..-
Angels are very close to these little ones;
and it has been truly said that "She who holds
babe to her bosom and holds it lovingly,
comes within the sphere of angelic influence"
Have we not felt it soothing our restless, anx-
ious spirits, quieting passion, melting hope,
baptizing us in the very blessedness of love?
Blessed, indeed, is the heart that has not
outgroWn it's childhood. Blessed the mother
whose soul is young enough to- take part in
her children's joys and SORROWS; and who is
led Of the little ones till she becomes like
them, and so enters more and more into the
kingdom.-Arth,sr's Magazine. -. ....
- .....
HOURS AND MINUTEs.-Why is one hour
divided into 60 minutes and each minute into
60 seconds Why not divide our time as we
do our money, by tens, counting ten, fifty, or