The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-02-17
Curious Things.


tention. Among them may be mentioned
the following:
There is still cxtant in the Postofhce De
partment at Washington small folio ledger
of not more than three quires Of paper, up
ON which Franklin, when Postmaster-Gen-
eral, kept all his accounts for two years
At BresIau, the capital of Siberia, the
churches arc exceedingly interesting from
SCULPTURES in alto rclicro which ornament
their walls, and are fine specimens of art.
One at the Kathbaus represents Satan
wheeling his grandmother in a barrow.
There is at Redear, small village in
England, cork model of Lincoln Cathe-
dral, made by plowman, which contains
the extraordinary number Of 100000 old
corks, aud occupied ten years and seven
months in building.
A curious purchase has recently been
made for one of the Paris museums. 1t IS
a confessional of old Florentine carving.
Resides the marvellous work on the panels,
it is surmounted by the head of the Savior,
which, on touching spring, disappears and
gives place to diabolical visage, with horns
and tongues of fire, well calculated to strike
healthy terror into the minds of penitents.
The cathedral church, built in Lubbock
in the years 117O-1314, has curious clock
On the end of the hour hand is little
clock which keeps exact time with the
large one.
In Limerick Cathedral, Ireland, may be
seen the following inscription on a hand
some tablet: "Mementi neort. Here lleth
Little Samuel Darlington, the great Under
Taker of Famous Citi's clock and Chime
Maker; he made his own Time to 60 early
and Later but now he is returned to God
his Creator. The 10Th of November.
Then he seest, And for His Memory this
is PIast, By His Son Ben, 1888"
A lady in Hungary has the distatf used
by Marie Antoinette, in spinning during
her imprisonment. It's of wood and ivory,
inlaid with silver, and still bears the hemp
left upon it by the ill-fated queen on the
eve of her execution.
In 1916 Lord Schworterbury gave 49,
500 francs for tooth of Isaac Newton,
which is now set in a ring and worn by the
eldest branch of that family.
Among the antique articles in possession
of Mr.. Sewall of Maine are a set OF pewter
plates bearing the seal of King Richard,
and supposed to be more than 400 years
old; also, one large silver spoon, which rep
resents all the money received for building
saw and grist-mill- payment having
been made in silver and then cast into the
spoon.
In the South Kensington Museum, at
London, is small watch about one hun
bred years old, representing an apple, the
golden case ornamented with grains pearl.
There is curious clock in Japan. This
clock. in frame three feet high and five
long represents noon landscape OF great
loneliness. In the foreground were plum
and cherry trees and rich plants in full
bloom. in the rear hill gradual in ascent,
from which flowed cascade admirably
initiated in crystal. From this plant
thread-like stream glided along, encircling
in its windings rocks and tiny islands, but
presently losing itself in a far-off stretch OF
woodland In the sky turned golden sun,
indicating as it passed the striking hours,
which were all marked on the scale below,
where slowly creeping tortoise served as
IA hand. A bird of exquisite plumage, rest
ing by its wings, proclaimed the expiration
of each hour When the song ceased a
mouse sprang from grotto near by, and,
running over the hill, hastily disappeared.
Haroun al Raschid, the principal hero Of
The arabian Nights Entertainments, sent
to Charlemagne, in the eighth century,
watercIock. in the dial of which door
opened at each hour, and when at noon the
twelve doors were thrown open, as many
knights on horseback issued forth, paraded
round the dial, and then returning, shut
themselves in again.
Vaucanson, a mechanical genius, made an
automaton fute-player and piper in l73o,
which were the wonders of their time.
The futist was figure five feet high,
standing on pedestal, within which were
nine pairs of bellows, worked by clock
work. The motion of the fingers, lips and
tongue were all initiated by this figure,
which by various arrangements OF valves,
tubes. levers and wheels, is said to have
produced music little inferior to the per-
Torrance of skilled huteplayer. The
miner was constructed much on the same
principle. The bellows of his instrument
required fifty-six pound weight to pro-
duce the highest note As the fatigue OF
playing the pipes usually causes the per-
former, when playing rapidly, to slur over
some of the notes, the mimic piper, imper-
yious alike to WEAKNESS and shortness OF
breath, is accredited with having excelled
living one in the clearness of the notes.
Millardet, Swiss mechanician exhibited
in London in the last century female tig-
ure that played eighteen tunes on the pl-
ano with all the motions of natural life, the
ewes followed the movements of the fingers
on the keys, the pressure of which produc-
ed the notes.
There is in Turin tiny boat formed of
single pearl, which form it assumes in
ur,ou oo5 oonooyi+v Tts sail is of beaten