Daily Republican., 1883-08-24
Evolution,

As wandered out on the banks Of al
ancient gulch I observed at the bottom
the remains of an old machine
Through the erosion of the water it wa
entirely denuded Of earth. 1t had on
wheel and two legs, and two handles
In fact 1t looke.i very much like ;
whcelbarrow. AZ proceeded pres
emily came OH the remains Of another
and much larger machine. II had tive
wheels, and two shafts, as if it nigh
have employed some animal TO facilitate
its locO,nOtiOn Now here was a mani
fest improvement. The machine hat
seen the advantage Of having tw'
wheels, giving two points of support
and dividing the weight between then
and had developed itself accordingly.
As l strolled further down the gulct
| was rewarded by the discovery of {
still higher development OF the whee
system. The machine had evidently
considered that If two points OF snppor
were better than one, four wOald bt
better still. And 80, by an internal ef
for: of strong desire, it had evolved
two more wheels. The back wheel.
were large and attached to the bed; the
front ones smaller and were secured tt
u tongue. This tongue was endowed
with the power OF torsi,n, which in
wolves the principle of the fifth wheel
1t was squite plain that this machine
might have employed number of ami.
mails to assist In it's journeyings, but al
lad disappeared down the course OF
time. These wheels had all well defined
points of resemblance to each other,
showing a common origin. They con
sisted Of a hub and radiating spokes,
and rim, sone.i mes bound with iron.
Just as the vertebrate show much anal
ogy in their formation, consisting of a
spine and articula'ed extremeties.
AS unused, strayed still further
and suddenly came to where the ra vine
was spanned with All arch: and as
climbed up the bank ! came upon a
well constructed road with iron rails,
and on looking around behsld the wreck
OF a huge machine. IL was made en-.
tirely OF iron and had eight wheels.
Here was al astonishing developm mt.
There was pile Of stone coal near by
and a water tank.
As | examined closely into the str,lct-
IRE of the machine 1t was evident that
il had progressed so far as 10 dispense
with the aid of animal power and de-
vo,lred stone coal and drank water.
II must have been we'll skilled in
tomakr itself all of iron and
exhibited mathematical judgment in
using eight points ofsupport.
Itdoubtless constructed the iron road
in order to sustain it's great weight, and
it was clear that it might have attained
4 high rate OF speed.
did not see al once how the idea of
The arch had been evolved, hut when
thar the arch Is halfOf wheel
The difficulty seem Ad TO vanish.
IL occurred to me that if | continued
iown the gulch might fin. 4 machine
" it'll sixteen wheels, but DETECTED my
course to the seashorc, and there strand.
ri upon the sandy beach, was II mighty
monster of the deep 1t wa, fully 100
yards in length, and made entirely of
ror. 1t had two immense wheels, fully
thirty feet in diameter These wheels,
however, differed from those that had
hitherto seen in being furnished with
II is highly probable that
he machine has devised that arrange.
nent as better suited to the liquid ele-
nent in which il moved, therefore " there
$ every reason to believe that 1t had
It once evolved these wheels out of its
nner consciousness.
just as the waterfowl, "by taking
hought had evolved it's webbed feet,
md also made its oily plumage to shed
he water,
did not know that even Agassiz had
poken OF the inhabitants of the great
leep rs having wheels but the water
vas 40 damp as to preclude further
esearch. SCIEN AMAIEKITE
WILMISGToN, July %, 1883.