Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-22
A GOOD JOKE.

Many are fond of playing Jokes. as hid
ing boys cap, or girls bonnet, at school.
Such things may sometimes be done for
amusement, or to confer pleasure. but
never to anyone's serious inconvenience.
In one OF our colleges, professor who
made himself very social and familiar with
the students, was walking out with an in
teiligent scholar, when they saw an old
man hoeing in corn field. He was adj
vancing slowly with his work towards the
road, by the side of which lay his shoes.
As 1t was near sunset, the student pro-
posed to play the old man Joke. 4 will
hide his shoes, we will conceal ourselves
behind the bushes, and see what he will
DO. No, said the professor, " it would
not be right. You have money enough.
Just put dollar in each of the old mans
shoes, then we will hide behind the
bushes and see what he will do"
The student agreed to the proposal, and
they concealed themselves accordingly.
When the laborer had finished his row of
corn, he came ont of the field to 90 home.
lie put on one shoe, felt something hard,
TOOK 1t Oil and found the dollar. He
looked around him, but saw no one, and
looked up gratefully towards heaven. He
then put ON the other shoe. and found
another dollar. He looked at it and
looked all around him, but saw no one.
lie then knelt upon the ground and re-
turned thanks to God for the BLESSING
which had thus been conferred upon him
The listeners learned from the PRAYER that
the old mans wife and one of his children
were sick, and that they were very poor.
so that the two dollars were q great relief
sent to them from heaven. The old man
now returned home with a cheerful and
gratlhed heart. There" said the pro-
lessor, " how much better this is than to
have hid the old man shoes" The stu
dents eyes filed with tears, and he said he
would never play another joke upon any
one, except In kindness Am. Messenger.
BOY INVENTORS.
Some of the most important Inventions
have been the work of mere bows. The
invention OF the valve motion to the steam
engine was made by a boy. Watt left the
engine IN very incomplete condition.
from the fact that he had no way to open
or close the valves except by means of
levers operated by the hand
He set up large engine at one of the
mines, and boy was hired to work these
valve levers. Although this was not hard
work, yet 1t required his constant attention.
AS he was working these levers he saw that
parts OF the engine moved in the right
direction, and at the exact time that he had
W Nf'NAA va SACoN Lnt valves. Tic procured
a strong cord, and made one end fast to the
proper part OF the engine and the other end
to the valve lever. Then he had the salts
faction OF seeing the engine move off with
perfect regularity of motion
a short time after the foreman came
around and saw the boy playing marbles at
the door. Looking at the engine he soon
saw the ingenuity of the boy, and also the
advantages of so great an invention. Mr..
Watt then carried out the boys inventive
genius IN practical form, and made the
steam engine perfect automatic working
machine
The power loom is the invention of a
farmer boy, who had never seen or heard
of such thing. He cut one out with his
knife, and after he had got it all done he,
with great enthusiasm, showed it to his
lather, who at once kicked it to pieces.
saying be would have no boy about him
who would spend his time on such foolish
things.
The boy was afterwards apprenticed to
blacksmith, and he soon found that his
new master was kind and took a lively
interest in him. He had made a loom OF
what was left of the one his father had
broken up, which he showed to his
master The blacksmith saw that he had
no common boy as an apprentice. and
that the invention was a verv valuable
one. he Immediately had loom con
structed under the supervision of the bov.
1t worked to their perfect satisfaction, and
the blacksmith furnished the means to
manufacture the looms, the boy to receive
one half the profits. In about a year the
blacksmith wrote TO the boys father that
he should visit him and bring with him
wealthy gentleman who was the inventor
OF the celebrated power LOOM You NAV
be able to judge of the establishment at the
old home when his son was presented as
the inventor, who told him that the loom
was the same as the model that he the
father had kicked to pieces but a year be-
fore.
Smeaton, the great mechanic, when
boy, disdained the ordinary playthings of
boyhood He collected the tools of work
men and bothered them with questions.
One day, after having watched some mill
wnghts, he was discovered to the great
distress Of his family, in situation OF ex-
IRENE dan ger, fixing a windmill! on top of
the barn. His father sent him to London
to study law, but he declared that law did
not suit the bent of his genius and adj
dressed memorial to his father to show
his utter incompetency for legal pursuits
his father finally allowed him to do as he
wished, and it was he who built the Eddy
stone Lighthouse in the midst of the
waves Selected