New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-03
CHANCES HERE AND THERE.

is the slotted sewing machine needle, patent ior
which taken cut short time ago by woman
seventy years Of age. II does entirely away win
the old process Of threading by twisting the cru
Of the thread to fine point and hrusting IL NJ INC
needles eye until by chance happens to strike
the mark This invention In domestic economy
has a bevellcd slot in one side Of the eye through
which the thread slips easily as nickel drops
into the slot OF a weighing machine or lung tester
blind old grandmother need not have the slightest
difficulty in sewing now. Nothing could be simpler
than the slotted needle, and all who see 1t wonoer
why 1t was not thought Of years and years ago.
The inventor told the other day that 1t cost
$50, 900 to make the experiments which resulted III
producing precisely the kind Of slot which, wniie
readily admitting the thread TO tho eye, prevents II
OF the same time from slipping out In the opefa"on
Of sewing What boon this Will be TO our motner'
and wives may be easily realized when u IS uhnei
stood that sewing machine company alone ~
New-Jersey turns out every month over Z'ooo'OV0
needles
The progress Of invention IS an extremely in'er
esting subject TO many persons. The number Oh
patents Issued in this country up to date Is over o'
OOO Previous to 1e43 there were not quite S'oVo
Edward N Dickeryon the neted lawyer, has hanging
on the wall Of his study In East Thrty-iour'ns@
grant OF the first patent Issued by the Uhted STATES
Government 1t was for new process OF punnPns
water and was taken out By Mr.. Dickerson's grand
hartford The most prolific living patentce is Thomas
A Edison The first record OF his namo was n'aHe
IN 1872 when he secured thirty-three patents all "
latng 10 teegraphy Since that time TINS rehSiha'
man has averaged about one patent for every hi'oo
working days of his life, nearly all OF them haNnH ="
do With electricity In 1881 he took out sixtynlne-
about one for every FIVE days 1t Is estlnla'eu lna.
thcro are in the United States more than 3o'ooo ns
patentees of new and useful Inventions
new use has been found for gun cotton. 1t Is
now carbonized and substituted for bamboo ana
platinum in incandescent electric lamps
small man with black hair and beard and eyes
nat GLOW like Goals Of fire has come here from St
louis N organize stock company for the purpose OF
extracting aluminium from clay banks HIS name Is
Guyton. For seven years he has devotco hinlson
assiduously TO the discovery OF cheap metnoo Oh
nroducnx tho metal Of the future as ne ca'is IL
and now he sees millions In an electromagnetic pro-"
ess Of extracting 1t from IT'S compounds "n0ho"ef
a man wants money for any enterprise he comes 70
Now York The CITY IS always overrun with schemes
and scbemers Said Mr.. Guyton 10 me yesoeruay
Seventy years ago mnersloglsts didn't Kno" OF to
existence OF such metal as ALUMINIUM yet u 10 nioo
uds.y difuscd through the crust OF the EARN thah
sny other mineral II is to be found IN every clay
hank in America The trouble is IL Is never iounu
alone but always In combination with one OK MORO
NJ 900 other substances, such as corundum ruby,
r. cost its weight in gold costs now about hall us
weight in silver Its chief use is for the production OF
allows II is almost malleabe as gold, IS an excel
lent conductor OF electricity and is not readily acted
upon by any Of the ordinary acids. It's great COST
prevents its use for thousand and one purposes LOT
which It is better adapted than any other Known
metal Tho sources from which It may be derived
are so abundant and the uses to which 1t can be APP
ped are so numerous that It is destined 10 become
the most important OF all metals-superseding iron
itself Aluminium is the metal Of the fnture.'
aTbe LOTTERY OF Love- does not begin at Days
until 45 but the Wife OF Socrates usually CROWDS
the theatre before E rs. Among those who arrived
in time TO see Justin McCarthys classical study on
Saturday evening last was a prominent architect
from Boston, who occupied aisle seat near the
middle Of the house. al always visit Days when
come 10 New York. he said 10 his companion,
evidently a New-Yorker al like the company be-
cause there friction. Its members harmonic as
perfectly as OIL and water Each retains distinct
Individuality yet all work together as smoothly as
carefully adjusted and wel-oed machine I seldom
see much 10 criticise In tho mounting, but tonight
I am going 10 pick flaw. Mr. Days plays are
usually put with correctness, precision OF oe-
tail that is seen in few theatres, but let me call
your attention 10 those columns in the portico OF
socrates's house. You they are intended 10 De-
long 10 the Doric order. pure Dorc column
and socra.e. would have ceuntsnancsd nothing de
bassd-can have neither more nor less than twenty
futngs. These have twenty-four the number found
in the columns OF the pure Ionic order. Yet you
viii observe that there is absolutely nothing Ionic
I'm this house Of Socrates scarcely understand the
meaning Of that high wainscoting, either, which sp-
pears TO be carried arounn mo Columns az VOL d.
the interior wall"
Oh that's easily enough accounted for said the
New-Yorker Xantlppe is a terrific shrew, don't
you know and the old man put up the wainscot
to keep her from cracking his skull against the
columns"
The Board OF Ordnance and Fertilization, of the
Army which has been session for several weeks at
Washington has completed It's revision Of the adver-
sements and specifications for the million and
half dollars worth of steel forgngs authorized by the
last Congress Lieutenants Hobbs and Crozier have
been selected TO 20 TO Europe special errands which
VIII keep them there for several months The former
who, perhaps. has more thorough knowledge on the
subject Of steeLmakng than any other officer OF his
CORPS Will devote himself 10 study OF the manu-
facture Of steel at the principal works Of various
countries Lieutenant Crozler Will give his attention
10 obtaining the fullest information which be OBJ
talned as to the Improvements and making OF gun
carriages.
Il notice that Collector Maeone and his retinue at
tho Custom House determined 20 utilize every
thing within their reach,' said business man yes
eriay You probably recall the Magone McClel-
land Davis combination which engineered the I'M
cercmonlous and unwarrantable removal Of Joseph
Trcloar the Chief Clerk Of the Correspondence Bureau
some time ago, to make place for Deputy Collector
Charles p McClelland The Office was left vacant
in hopes that Congress would pass the bill urged by
the combination for the appointment Of an Assistant
Collector when McCleIand was to get this, and the
Collector was 20 make Deputy william Peters, whom
| ne brought down from Ogdensburg, succeed McClel
land Congress did not pass the bill, and as Cleve-
land was defeated, McCelland has been appointed to
Treloars place. with increase Of salary for him OF
from 80 600 10 Is 900 year No man In the Custom
House has onefourh Of the knowledge OF the revenue
laws that Teloar had at his fingers ends but 1t sat
Isles in part the aspirations Of the combination, and
petsrs win probaby get the office of Chief of the Law
.u.aLo. a racancx for snIne nther Dom