The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-24
HON. S. S. COX'S LECTURE.
"THE TENTH MUSE, OR THE POETRY
OF MECHANISM.
A Large Audience Greets the Distin-
guished Orator-Introduced by the
Hon. Casey Young The Mail Carriers
Remember Him.

last night with select AUDIENCE 10 near
the lecture Of the Hon. s. S. Cox, OF New
York, who is on tour Of the South. The
stage was handsomely decorated. and Mr.
Cox appeared to bein excellent health and
spirits.
About $50 o'clock pm. the Hon. Casey
Young arose, and introducing Mr.. Cox,
eulogized him as being one OF the most
eminent statesmen, one OF the most gifted
orators, one Of the most profound thinkers
and scholarly gentlemen of the nation, and
one who was and should be particularly
dear to the people Of the South. For twen-
ty-fve years, during days OF darkness and
depression, he stood boldly and bravely up
for the rights of the South, and when this
section was assailed by enemies, there was
always one ready TO raise his voice in de-
Tense Of this people. Mr.. Young concluded
the introduction by asking those present
to do as he had done long ago, take
the distinguished visitor to their hearts.
Mr. Cox's subject was ''The Tenth
Muse, or the Poetry of Mechanism"
Grand, lofty and ennobling as was the
theme; eloquently. learnedly and with
marked ability as II was handled, the diff
fculties and perplexities which surround
SO peculiar q subject were not at all times
concealed beneath the speakers wealth OF
flowery language.
Mr.. Cox described with scientific accu-
racy and almost tedious detail the various
forces OF nature. The original forces ana
those which man had modified. He pic
tured everything in the universe as being
in harmony, and stated that this universal
dance has continued and must continue
until the end OF time. The various me-
chanical inventions were numbered and
all incident or corollary facts thrown in.
Napoleon Numbered at the scared inventor
OF the fishing net because he tied knot
in straight string, something God AL
mighty could not do" the inventor OF the
loom revolrtionized clothes making, and
his invention was as grand an epic as ever
was written; Newton was 80 small when
born that his mother put him In pint
cup, and yet he grew TO manhood
and unraveled the mysteries OF the
universe, and the triumphs OF Edison, who
bad obtained mastery over electricity,
who could record with his photograph ar
ticulate speech or wait il 10 a distant list
ener with faithful accuracy, mightIyet inn
prove the telephone until by Its aid con-
siituents could hear their Congressman
taking their morning drink in Washing
ton. Trumpets were 30 constructed at
present that conversation could be carried
on miles and miles apart, at sea or on land;
photography and natural Gas were other
factors in the progress OF the world, and
the telegraph carried submarine messages
10 all parts OF the earth. kilograms from
New York 10 London could be answered
the same day, and the discovery OF para
sites in the human frame had changed
tho theory OF medicine and medi-
cal teaching. The greatest poetry
did not belong 10 the dead past, but
10 the living present There was more
poetry, more grandeur, more inspiration
In the process Of manufacturing Bcssemer
steel than ever could be extracted from
all the hammers Of Cyclops under Mount
Ktna. While crossing the Atlantic, some
years ago, the shaft OF the vessels steering
apparatus broke, and the ships officers
told him that the cause OF tho breaking
was that the steel In the shaft was too
perfect, too we'll made; that II was 80 per-
feet that II would not hold together, and,
In this, was like some people he knew,
who, the more perfect you make them,
the less use they we're TO humanity.
lie told OF the Kaiser who, when visit
ing Herr Krupp's foundry, was astonished
10 see an enormous hammer descend upon
the crystal Of his watch without breaking
II and OF the workman who handled the
machine wearing of the royal chronome-
ter as a trophy OF his skill. But grand as
has been the results Of science the poetry
OF the highest mechanism had not been
reached. This unattainable end was per-
petual motion.
The flies Of Egypt we're humorously al.
luded 10. as was the speakers visit 10 tie
grave OF Hannibal, who was popularity be-
lieyed TO have committed suicide and left
forty mourning relicts. The feasibility Of
Harvesting ali the flies Of Egypt and con-
yerting their aggregate force Into power
for the accomplishment Of some great OBJ
ject was sug sested humorously; also tho
speakers visit 10 Pharaoh's grave. Tho
possibility OF utilizing as n force the waves
Of the ocean, the winds of heaven. the
falls OF Niagara, the switching OF tails Of
various animals in fly time, the rays Of the
sun, etc, was iilicitously dwelt upon, and
also the amount Of handshaking which
President Harrison had 10 perform before
getting around the 10000. 900 people
The independent energy OF iron was
elaboraiely explained. Before iron was
utilized barbarism prevailed, and in far-of
Samoa-a country somewhere bounded ON
one side by Aurora Borcalis and on tho
other by "Sunsct'-ihe inhabitants hang
around American ships for days 10 get
chance 20 steal a nail to use In mending
their nets. Only few hundred years ago
each guest used 10 carry his own knife
and MILESTONE, and so rare was iron that
the kings pots aud pans were counted
among the royal jewels. Ills culogy OF the
blacksmith and the Smith family goner-
ally he explained by saying that In New
York there were 1000 Smiths, all
good voters, and he will never
say anything against 80 largo and
respectable iamily The human form,
the motion Of the BARRIERS hand, the dis
lance travelled by BARRIERS Jaw and
several other standard gags" were re-
hcarsed, aud the fact that In the blood OF
twenty.iour men there was iron enough 10
make a plowshare was announced. Tho
wonders Of the microscope, Of the mechan.
ism OF chemistry, were touched upon, aud
the venerable chestnut about the grand
eloquent language which scientists would
use II called upon 10 solcmnize a marriage
was told without an apparent twingc Of
conscience.
There were n few sentences toward tho
close OF the lecture truly magnificent.
There Is lyric gush in hydrosiatios AZ can
be seen by the revolutions OF the water
wheel sparkling In the sunlight, and all
nature Is filed with rythmical cadcnccs.
Photography had revealed stars never dis
covered by the microscope. The phono-
graph recorded speeches in Washington,
which were laler on around out and copied