St. Landry democrat., 1883-07-28

and the means of discovering benefac-
lions for the human race. Shrewd
minds have otter turned to practical
advantage accidental observations
Once the great philosopher, Calico Ga
lelel, was in the cathedral at Pisa
watching the oscillations of a lamp that
hung from the roof. He noticed that
| the swings, or vibrations, were all per-
formed in equal times whether the arc
OF the swing was large OF small, and
whether the lamp had just begun to
swing or was nearly ready to cease its
oscillations. Returning home, he made
pendulums OF various lengths, to which
he attached weights, and he soon found
| that the time OF oscillation for each
pendulum bore a certain ratio to the
| length of the string. From this acct
dental occurrence came the application
OF the pendulum as regulator of
clocks.
Blue-tinted writing paper was discov-
cred by an accident. Mrs. East, the
wife of an English paper-maker. going
among the vats while the paper-makers
were at dinner, she let blue-bag fall
into one of them, and, Mortified at the
mischief she had done. said nothing
about it to any one. The spoiled paper
was hidden away in the warehouse for
four years, then sent to his London
agent to sell for what it would fetch. The
novelty found favor in the London mar
ket, and the agent closed out the blue
tinted paper at an advance, and or
dered more. Mrs. East now came for
ward and claimed a new cloak as the
reward for her accidental piece of care
lessness, and her husband fer a time
reaped rich reward by the exclusive
sale of his blue paper.
Envelopes, now so essential in the
transmission of every letter. were dis
discovered by accident. A Brighton
stationer used to ornament his shop win
dow with piles of writing paper in pyra-
midal form, rising from the largest size
to the smallest in use, and, in order to
finish them off nicely he cut cards to
bring them to a point. The ladies
thought these cards were diminutive |
sheets of note-paper, and great was the
demand for 'ssome of that dear little
papers" SO that the stationer found it |
profitable to cut some of it in that pat
tern. But there was no space for adj I
dressing the notelets when they were
folded, and, after much brain worry,
he invented the envelope, which he cut
with the aid of metal plates made for
the purpose.
The stocking loom was brought into
use by an accident, which is commem-
GRATED in a picture belonging to the
Framework Knitters' Company. Near
~ two hundred years ago William Lee.
student of Cambridge University, was,
expelled for marrying, contrary to tht
college His wife was poor and helped
him by knitting stockings. Sitting
watching the motion of her fingers, the
idea struck him of some device to facili-
tate her work, and the ingenious stock
was the resultof his thoughts.
In handwriting polished ste needles or
wires are used to link threadpo.H1s,g in
a series of loops closely resembling those
in tambouring. In framework knit
ting one person can manage a large
of needles at once Bill Lees
led to the circular rotary
hosiery machine, which is to-day such
a power in manufacture.
A girl eombing her hair led to the
discovery of a combing-m machine for
cotton. Joshua Holman
was cotton manufacturer at Mulhouse,
in Alsace, and for a number of years
ne studied to invent machine for card
ing long-staple cotton. He spent a
great deal of money in models and
making experiments, and at last was
one day watching his daughters comb !,
their hair, and noticed how they drew !
he long tresses between their fingers
alternately without drawing the comb
through them. Why could he not
invent a machine which combined
his two-fold action, SO as to comb out
ong fibers of cotton and drive back the
shorter by reversing the action Of theI
'omb? This new idea he at once set
o work upon, and soon was enabled to
'omb cheap cotton into moderately fine
arm more easily and economically than
lad heretofore been done.
The accident of a game of whist raised
n English Lord into royal favor. Lord
Suite once wanted to 90 to cricket T
match at Mousley, and a city apothe- T.
airy offered to drive him. Frederick,
he Prince of Wales, was a spectator,
nd to amuse him while the players J,
Tere waiting for the rain to cease y
ubber OF whist was proposed. Noble =
zen We're scarce, but finally some one =
to have seen Lord Butte on !.
ne ground. He was found and asked 7
? join the royal partYss and, having
layed his cards so well, when the game :,
-as ended the Prince invited him to Z
,ew. The acquaintance ripened into L
and ere long the Scotch Earl
as chief adviser at Leicester ho&se and
irector of the education of the heir to :,
he throne. When George ILL., acceded .
} the throne Lord Bute's advancement
as rapid from Priyy Counselor to Sec
,tary OF State, thence on to Prime Min al
ter -ATha nll1clu Scotsman owed II [ is