The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1883-09-19
Amber.

Amber is the beautiful name of 4
beaUtifm substance, tbG,origiu of which.
though long involved al mystery, hss
now been completely selucidated and
made ''as clear as ambCr' itself Some
Prusssu botanists have been eNaminiq. U
the fOrplations on Che Baltic share
whence this fossil gum is obtained. a1{1
not only have they distinguished the
trees frCal which it once oozad bot
they have referred each of the different
varieties Of the mineral to the indi-
viduSl species Of pine or fir that oriei-
nally produced it. From their rs
sear6hesiut would appeui that CnceupoB-
n time the land which ir now the Baltic
Sea was q, a,superb forest Of conifers, sowes
of them L,hose giant trtas that. are to-
day the pride of Califor ia, others the
cedaEs which still tower supreme in the
East, together with the frs, spruce amt.
cypress of oar own islandE ConvulsioHa
of nsture, earthquakes aand deluges.j
volcanic caGastrophes hare long ace.
sundered continent from continent. ana,
thus tbe trees which once all grew to-
gethcr upon what is now 9he Baltic SEES
are now as widely separated rs the red
wood pine that OverloOkE the Pacific
slope, and tkz cedars tka. darken Le-
banon blythe Levant, as tka Scotch fir.
the glory Of the Highlands and the
badge OF the clans, and the African
nrbor-vTt@ thSb gives the Hcttentott his
tirewoo& end the dwarf BOaieman the
wood f0E his bow.
Yet, thoughtihus scattere6mow. tbesa
plants once kept stately company to-
gether on fhe wind blown ri&pes OF the
northern hills in Nidheim. 'ithe land
of eternal winter, - in the DAYS before
Asgard was, ami while as yetdhere was
no hammer in the hand of Thor There
and then. Ia age of gloom anti in the
midst Of the terrific processes by which
nature was preparing the w0tld for
coming races OF cOnquering men, those
grand old tnees We're piling up about
Uheir roots, tUe the Enystery and delight
Jt the futUUs, che golden gum which
we call amber Wherever the storm
mad wrenched of the bough, or bird or
animal or insect hGtlWounded the bark.
there distilled from the hurt, trfekEnG
d0wh the boleor dripping out on to the
gn0uBd beneath, Che beautiful salEiipO
6alsau that men for ages puzzled oveT'
calling it the tears Of the sea-bir1e y
or '4se ez-glass. " .isBeeinum, " "the oum-
stone, or "electron.'' a gift from tie
sun, But, whatever name they gave
1t, all the nations Of antiquity delighted
IN it. wOHdering at its beauty, and inn
agining 10 it strange mystical proper
ties. Nor in modern times, though we
have found out the secret of the exquis-
lte object, has admiration lessened.
Indeed, the researches into its origip
have revealed new beauties in it; and.
while displacing the tender supersti.
tons Of the aneients, have invested thi-
fascinating and suggestive antiquity
with higher claims to a more rational
interest 1t is no longer the tears
which the Electrides, transformed rs
p0plars upon the banks of Eridamus.
shed for the fate of their brother Phm- |
ton, but it is legacy of great value
and surprising beauty. bequeathed to |
these latter days by the splendid forests |
Of perished continent London TeIe-
graph.