Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-08-30

parent, out not brittle. lie further
states that the Romans obtained their
chemistry from the Arabians. and that
they brought it into Spain eight centur-
| les ago. In the book of that age there
is kind OF glass spoken Of that, IL
supported by one end, by its own
weight in DAYS time would dwindlc
down TO fine line. SO that it could bc
curved around ones wrist like barce-
let The art OF luminous painting was
known to the Japanese 900 years ago,
! and an extract from one of their own
writers has been translated as follows:
Zone Sug Ngoh many years ago had
picture OF an OK. Every day the OK
left the picture frame TO Craze and re-
turned TO sleep within it at night. This
picture came into the possession OF the
Emperor Tai Tsung, of the Sung
dynasty CA. ID. 976-99S. who showed il
TO his countries and asked them for an
explanation. which none of them, how
ever. could give. At last "a certain
Buddhist priest said that the japanese
within the flesh OF certain
kind of oysters they picked
up when the rocks were barred at low
tide, and that they ground this into
color material and then painted pict-
ures with it which were invisible by
day and luminous by night" The
secret simply was that during the day
the figure of the OK was invisible, and
it was therefore said that it left the
frame TO go grazing. Many instances
OF remarkable mechanical ingenuity
are related by various ancient authors.
In the year 1873. the twentieth OF
Queen Elizabeth's reign, one Mark
Scallot, blacksmith made lock con-
sisting of eleven pieces OF iron, steel
and brass, with a hollow Key TO it. that
altogether weighed but one grain of
gold. He also made gold chain COM
posed of forty-three links. which he
fastened to the lock and key. In the
presence of the queen he put the chain
about the neck of flea. which drew it
with case, after which he put the lock
and key, flea anu chain, into pair of
scales. and they together weighed but
one grain and half. This almost In
credible story is vOuched for by an old
writer. Myrmecides. an ancient carv-
err was also SO proficient in microscop-
ic mechanism that he made an ivory
chariot with four wheels and as many
harnessed horses, in so small c0ro-
pass that fly might have hidden them
all under its wings. The same artisan
made a ship, with all her decks. masts.
yards, rigging and sails, which took I'd
scarcely more room than the chariot
An artiticer named Cornelius van Drrb-
BILE once made an instrument like an
organ, that, being set 10 the open all,
under warm sun, would play airs OF
itself without the keys being touched.
but would not play in the shade For
this reason 1t is supposed that it was
inclosed air, raretied by the sun. tnat
caused the harmony. The Damascus
blades as marvels of perfect steel have
long been famous, and even those used
in the crusades are as perfect to-day
as they were eight centuries ago. One
on exhibition in London could be put
into scabbard almost as crooked
as a corkscrew, and bent every way
without breaking. The point of this
sword could be nude TO touch the tilt.
The poets have celebrated the per-
lection OF the Oriental steel. and many
famous writer's have sung its praises.
Scott, in his 1T llisman," describes a
meeting between Richard C9ur de
Lion and Saladin. Saladin asks
Richard TO show him the wonderful
strength for which he is noted. and the
Norman monarch responds by sever
ing bar OF iron which lies on the
floor OF the tent. Saladin saws, II
cannot do that" but he takes an elder
down pillow from couch. and draw
ing his keen blade across it. it falls in
two pieces. At this fe t Richard says:
This Is the black art-it is magic:
YOU cannot cut that which has no
resistance. Saladin, to show him that
such is not the case, takes his scarf
from his shoulders, which is so light
that it almost floats in the air. and.
tossing ii up, sewers it before it can
descend. That SCOTS story is not an
exaggeration is proved by traveller
who once saw Il man in Calcutta throw
a handful of floss silk into the air and
a Hindoo sever it into pieces with a
saber. -Pittsburg Dispatch