Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-04-29
wrusn fer the osfori D,mcsrsi.
OPTICIANS AND OPTICAL iNSrRu
AENTS

thfuWu bf Nfif- bloI' WV 'urtth
era. Ia sculpture sDd psinilng ths
Assyrlan. had made great progress.
Their Jcuclry wa- elegant, their drink
log cup. v.f- ~ solid gold aud silver,
their drr.se. IL sllk inierwo,en With
THREADS ~ gold. Their engraving on
PIE, l0us stone. has never bccu cNcylled,
and illey hal learned Ia make steel from
irun. The As.yrian. srfc astronomers,
and the magniiylng leus-. w.rr doubt
les ussi fur astronomical aud other OPP
teal purposes. a. they mssi. observation
Ion ccllp.cs before ~. commencement ~
written history.
III. Chlnca calculated eclipse. 800 u,
4. ani claim to have uscd lep.es Tor OF
tical purIo..s NJ q very early date. Their
sllil aud industry I. shown in cutting
anI following az harl material a. ro,k
~ .ial Into perfect battles 1T two inci'c.
in length, a.. opcnlng In th" nccks l"-'
tllan one fourth ~ an Inch Ia diim,i'r,
sni engraving on the ln.lds minute char
a,t,r. a. b. read through the tian'piieni
substance surely such artist. could
make lcnsr. II the same material. The
hlns.. inNrui.,i printing, the compost
ton ~ gunpoNdsr, and the mign"iic
compass.
~. undI.pu,ablc ih,t the Egyp,Ian'
arfr acquainted With the manufacture
~ glt.. one thousand four hundred snd
niniy YEAR isforr the christian era.
| Eg,pt Ia early times sNvelle,i all othsr
nations W. q know lclge ~ the arts, an'i
N 4. due ~ thsm that the Hebrews were
able to ornamcni the temple at Jcrusa-
lem.
\ Roman historian mention. that Nero
| who Nas probably hypcrnetroplcl made
use ~ a l.n- while viewing hls gladlaior..
lIc could not have bsyn myOplc, 90 TIL.
l. comparatively q mo'lern dlseasr.
About the year \. u. 100 the Anb-
tan. had learned the use ~ magniiyin
gli..".. bat u l. not proved that tbct
Nsrr worn la pair. until the year lyn.
o. fiof,nc- may be .e"n tomh.tone
sllh thl. inscfip,ioni
"Auhs poniiss ifl'
iIsfv wsts ~sltina Afmats.
ihsshiaf .fsI.e ues."
~ about this time Alexander ~ Spina,
. Ilor,nilne Monk, aud Roger Blcou,
w.r- able to make spectacle. Bacon
made the oIitisa,l bu.iBr.. q special study
mi even .ucc~~ir,l In grinding mignify-
| Ing glas.e. hlmsslf. lie wasa professor
Il oxford, England, aud being ahead Of
hl. time In .cicncr, was misapprrbendei
snd I,er.ccuie,i. a. happened Ia Calico
and other men ~ gculns.
IN l~ls q celebrated occulist was accu-
.,,l of having -nii that by cutting few
il,er. ~ the muscle. ~ the eyes strabls-
mus might IT, cured thi. he was fpfv-,i
~ dsuy. bat nov TIL, operation u prac-
tIrs,l al over the civilized world. Before
the Invention ~ printing only lev
spectacle. we're worn. splnnIa, Who
lls,l la iGs5, va. an optician, and made
. pair of .peCtacle- for ~. German phil
osophcr l.sibniif.
The Optical trade I. divided Into sever
II branrh... som" devote their whole
attention Ca astronomical lnstrument.
other. To- philosophical aud maihamai-
lcal: othcrs Ia optical appliances; and
30 aTr "uptlcian.'. Tor ID. same reason
hat oculi.i., surgeons, pathologis,s an'l
lcnti.t. AZ, rallri doctors"
In is5. there Nas q lens factory IN
london, England. The hrt optical
hnu.e c.tabli.h~i Ia TIL. country w..
that ot MrAili.ier a brother 20 lhilidsl-
phla Who Imported their spectacle. from
| hngland, the optical instrument business
e.iahli.hcd one-half century ago in
iniltd.lphla by Mr.. Jane. ". Queen
Who had previously b-cn connected for
mari than . quarter of century, With
the McNlli.tcr.) !. nov the lsrgr.i and
meet comprehensive establishment 20 the
knh not only In the United states, hut In
/ the world.
Prom PHILADELPHIA the OPTICAL bu.i-
me-. soon spread Ia every city Va tie
United states. The flr.t establishment
IL the Kind IN Main. Va. that 81 Oliver
.srrish. Who did baslnr.s Ia Portland
for m0rr than half q century.
The flr.t optlcisn la Oxford county
va. simeon Walton, Who purchasssi his
good. ~ aud pcci,~i instruction frum
Mr.. ssrri.h. Mr.. Walton VA. good
nptlrian, ani dh buslnc.. Ia the old
| Hathaway block In Norway village for
mor- than q quarter oi century, aud
Understood al that WAS tbeu known
about the business, bat Zine" that time
cylindrical len.e. have been invented
Tor correcting unequal rciractlon of the
eve.
Much credit I. due Ia European scien.
/ ti.t. Who hsNe aided the opticians by
their rrscar,lie. AMI Instructions. >clen-
title Instrument. have rrccntly becn IN
vented by the W. ~ which the rcfrsctlon
II light entering the eye can be- acrurai's-
| Ia measured, and the proper len. indicat-
81. These Instruments are too heavy tn
te carried about, aud II the people ~
oxford county would consult their own
Interests, the occupation of ap"ciscle
p.,ldlci. ould b. gone. thousand. oil
dollar. have been paid to ihe.. .vindl.-
Who charge eNOfbitsni price. for their
Inferior glasse.. Ihe.. spectacle. arr
often brought Ia "a. for repairs, ani We
ha,. a good chance 90 learn the prize.
paid and have heard many complaint. oi
the tricks played by spectacle pe'idlers.
have only space 10 mention two 81
them.
4 few year. ago celebrated "occull.t
and optIrlan" frum the backwoo,is of
New Hampshire called on q South Pari-
Lady Ia scll her pair 81 glasses. she
had a good pair ani Was satisfied With
them, hat the professor" wished a.
examine them aud .he allowed him Ia do
go. lie then selected q pair from hl.
.tock aud handed them Ia her for trial.
She could see very we'll aud be- then re-
turned her. saying, "Now see the differ
ence" .he could .e- better With hl. specs,
and gave him four dollars Tor them aud be
departed. The lady wondering Why ber
gls..e. failed 80 suddenly. held them uI
10 the light and discovered that the
professor had .mearei them With some
Thing. After cleaning the lenses .he
could see a. well with one pair as the
other.
Another trick that has been employed
with great success u this: the travelling
"profe..or'' take. from bis pocket quiz
liny gla.. aud proceed. 10 make a special
examination of the eve. peering through
the gla.. he make. great discovery, =
cataract l. Just beginning Ia form. Hut
a bottle of hi. eye water will cure u. aud
two pairs of his -pectsclc- Will give
perfect sight
An act has lately been passed by ouf
state legislature requiring peddler- "a
nav nfty dollar. annually for a state "
cense. II doe. not take long to swindls
thi. amount out of the public. Hut ped
der. are not licensed Ia enter your house
without 40 Invitation.
n 4. mistake 10 think that travellers
,tyllng themselves ''professor." Know
ANYTHING more than the average country
IcweIer, aud when IL IL known that
practical opticl,ns are located 10. every
..liy and ,illsge, where they can b. found
at any time, there can BE- NO reasonable
excuse for patronlring travellers. u i
an old hat true saying that "hone.t men
can live at home but rogues have "a