The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1889-06-22
LITTLE WONDERS.
The Great Things of This World
Not Always Bulky. ,
Perfect Engines Weighing Three Grazing
A Coach Driven by Fleas-The Bible
Written Eight Times Within
-. Square Inch.

- = Square Inch -.
Pliny, the Elder, who wrote during
the first century of the Christian era,
mentions the fact that there existed,
even at that early date, a copy of
Homer's "Iliad' small enough to be
completely hidden in the she'll of a
hens egg. Prof. Schrieber, a German
inventor of a stereographic process, in
order to offset the wonder vouched for
by Pliny, translated both the "Iliad''
and the "Odyssey' in so small a COM
pass that the volume containing both
books complete could be with ease
hidden in the shell of an English
walnut. We do not rely on the word
of an ancient historian for the vertical
ton and substantiation of the claim of
Schrieber, as the work is still in exist
ence, as is also it's author, unless he
has died within the past year.
In the year 1881 the Chicago Inter
Ocean made mention of gentleman
who had written the entire first
chapter of the gospel of St. John on
the back side of a postal card.
That little notice, innocent as it was,
caused the editor several sleepless
nights. Within the next three DAYS
postal cards and slips of paper with
minute specimens of penmanship be-
gan to pour in from all directions.
Among the hundreds of specimens
submitted for inspection the editor
acknowledged that the greatest Curl
osity was a postal card from John j.
Taylor, of Streator, ILL.,, upon which
was written 400 words in legible
characters, the whole embracing the
first, second and third chapters of St.
John and 10 verses of the fourth chap
ter of the same, and also the sixth and
seventh chapters of St. Mathew, be-
sides having nine words in which mis-
takes occurred crossed out. All of
this wonderful production, which the
EDITOR acknowledges would make three
columns of his paper set in minion
typo: could be plainly read with the
naked eye. A Laced@monian once
wrote in letters of gold a poem of eight
lines, the whole of which he inclosed
within 81 grain of allspice and sent as
present to the Shah of Persia; an act
which tho untutored monarch did not
seem to appreciate, ,inasmuch as he
ordered the penman thrown into pris-
Oh, where he languished several
months until at last set free through
the influence of the American consul.
In 1888, a Jewish penman at Vienna,
Austria, wrote 400 letters on common
sized grain of wheat. 1t seems that
the Emperor had failed to sign bill
allowing the Jew to become a clerk in
some of the royal departments, giving
US n reason that it was absolutely nee
essary to have an uncommon good PEN
man in that department.. After finish
ing the cereal wonder and dispatching
II to his majesty, he picked up COM
mon visiting card and wrote prayer
Tor the imperial family on its edge.
This was also sent to the Emperor. It
is needless to add that the dextrous
Hebrew was Installed at the head of a.
department the next day.
These wonderful feats with the pen.
which are all true to the letter, have
been completely overshadowed by the
ircomprehcnsible achievements of
William Webb, of London, Eng. In
1886 Mr.. Webb invented machine
which is composed of exquisitely grad
uatod wheels, running tiny diamond
point at the end of an almost equally
tiny arm, whereby he was able to write
upon glass the whole of the Lords
prayer within a space which measured
tho two hundred and ninety-fourth of
an inch in length by the four hundred
and fortioth of an inch in breadth, or
about the measurement of dot over
tho letter 'l' in common print. With
that machine Mr.. Webb. or any one
else who understood operating it, could
write the whole 3, 566, 4sO letters of Old
and New Testament ight times over in
the space of one inch square.
When this wonderful microscopic
writing was enlarged by photography
every letter and point were perfect and
could be plainly seen.
In museum of curiosities at Salem,
Mass, there is preserved a common
cherry seed or stone, followed and
fashioned like a basket. Within the
basket are twelve tiny silver spoons,
Inc shape and finish of which can not
he distinguished with the naked eye.
IAe name OF the artist who constructed
this little wonder has been lost, but the
ealssence of the thing itself will not be
Questioned by any one from the old
witch headquarters of the Bay State,
Dr.. Peter Oliver, who was born in
Fog land somewhere about the begin.
n:~. Of the eighteenth century, tells us
Df snoing q carved cherry stone that
tHo.sid be a wonder even in this era OF
tine tooas and fine workmanship. The
stone was from a common cherry, upon