The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1886-09-17
rmE AGE OF INVENTIONS.

| When the world was younger, a
single discovery sufIiced 10 satlate
the curiosity OF a generation, and peo-
pie we're slow 10 believe that others
wero impending. The Roman Hor.
ace celebrated as something extraor,
dInary the crude attempts 1T navlga.
tlon made In his day, aud I, was even
thought impious for man 10 send bis
ships over the lonely ocean, with
VIII ch the Creator In his wisdom had
divided iaud from land. There
might have been giants Ia ancient
times, but there were neither clip
pers nor steamers. The discovery Of
western continent, of the power OF
the magnet and the art OF prlatIng,
gave an impulse 10 art and the world;
yet two centuries ago, when the Mar
quls OF Worcester published his "Cen.
tury Of Inventions" his problems
were scotfed at by his own contem-
poraries, and the question II he was
Inspired or insane has not yet beeu
solved. The excellent Invention, Sir
Humphrey Davy's lantern. as'onish-
ed an entire age. But in the pro-
gress cf years, ingenious devices have
multiplied, and the poets remark,
years ago. .fThis Il the patent age Of
new inventions,n has heen proved
true by experience ever since. The
crowning glorIes Of our time are the
steam engine, the railroad aud the
electric telegraph. These sublime
discoveries were reached by success
slve steps, which the curious may
trace. They were nursed and de-
veloped with patient, unwesrylng
diligence and care. The first origin |
ators Of the Ideas stimuli The In
vention ofothers, tIll the work, after
passing through the hands OF snc-
cessive masters, was at length CON-
plete. We remember, before seeing |
the announcement of the daguerro-
type, seeing an Ingenious ehenI.I
elaborate the Idea by successive pro-
cesses aud experiments. FROM an
outline on prepared paper he arrived
al the production of failhfUl copy
OF aD engraving bv the solar rays,
when his lsbors were checked by The |
publication Of the French phiIcsph.
er's perfected system. The first In
ceptIon Of The telegraph was also his;
and the idea msy have been bora In
the mind of many, who reqdired bui
time 10 bFirg II into complete opera
iI0n. Meanwhile another genius
was beforehand with them and bore
away III" pslm ~ -ucc. :.
The results, which would have
astonished the orIginal auihoF- II the
discoveries, have been obtained hy
the inventive power vi h tnec' snical
adaptation. F"r Instance, he man
ufaciure OF The Transatlantic cshie,
Involved the necessity 10 new inven-
tions, Of those ''wondrpus machfnes
that have of IAte been spinning al
Blrkenhead and Greenwich" TIE
c c,nceplipos of genius are enbodied
by the mechanical science, and new
ideas thus shoot iGto proportions so
gigantic as 10 encircle the glohe. THIS
locomotive scours along The lIaiu,ihe
paddle aud screw trace fun0w@ IN
the sea, and the submarine ca1le,
conceaIing It's folds amid the f1un-
taIns Of the great deep, sends is
sileni speech around ab,ut tfe EARN
Ia second OF time. 81 will i'm
provements upon the sugge -tions of
others continue 10 60 ON, aud new
designs will be embodied. It is hard
Iy probable that any Of our Inventions
will be suffered 10 remain without
being built up for still more farfeach-
Ing discoveries. 1t Is not iVrationai
e. suppose that the next half century
will be less fruitful in these than the
past, The vast materials OF nature
are not exhausted we have but just
begun to find out how t'.ey may be
made availabie.-Er.