The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-09

What was the eAftNlelN HlrN 'lANtN' ~
man 20 enable him to commemorate events
the old records do not mention; but we 40
know that fourteen hundred years before the
Christian era Moses gave 20 bis people the
first five books of the Bible, and that I'VE
hundred years before Christ the prophet
Ezekiel. being tremendously informed of the
siege OF Jerusalem by the Chaldeans, COM
munieated the news 20 his fellow exiles 10y
writing ON tiles Bits Of crockery and
broken pots covered with hierogyphics are
still found among the ruins Of eastern cities
notably ON the Niie. On one of these speci'
mems. The fragment OF an old vase is scrio-
bleI soldiers leave Of absence Before the
time of Mohammed the Arabs used TO carve
their annals ON the shoulder blades Of sheep.
After while sleeps bones gave place 70
sbeepskins. from which followed in the course
Of time the manufacture Of parchment
Skins OF fishes. intossines Of serpents, backs
of tortoises and the inner bark OF trees were
also used for writing.
The first tool employed for recording his
tory on stone. wood and metal was the chi'ei
In our TRANSACTIONS of the Old and New Iesta-
menis the word pen refers either to an iron
STYLUS used with wax tablets or TO a reed split
and shaped 70 point, and, as the latter is wen
adanied 20 the Arabic character, Dc IS stiii IN
vogue Tho writer IN old times was com
peiiel 10 burden himself with enough Access
series 10 fil "a gripsack Tie carried sponge,
knife and pumice stone, c0mpasses for meas
uring, scissors for cutting, apuncheon 20 point
ont the beginning and end of each line, rule
TO draw and divide the lines into columns, q
Glass containing sand and another for holding
the writing nuil. Tho latter was character
i2ei bv great pcrmanency, its basis beng
finely divided charcoal mixed with some mu-
cilaeinous or adhesive material. Indian or
China ink Is of this quality, and for centuries
has been applied in those countries with a
brush.
The ancient manuscripts We're written on
parchment or ON paper, the Egyptian paper
being prepared from the papyrus shrub and
If we could dcciDher the inscriptions ON some
of the OLD mummies weshould probably know
more of their family gossip than we do now.
The mixture Of cotton and silk in paper was
invented in the east about the year zoo, and
used until the introduction Of linen paper,
which took place i'm the first half Of the Ihir-
teenth century. These manuscripts were Of
ten Illuminated I'm the most brilliant manner,
and are scarcely excelied by The best work Of
our modern typographical artists.
Paper was made by the Chinese from old
rags. silk, hemp and cotton as early as the
Second century, but English manuscripts on
linen paper were not known anterior'to 1910
Paper produced on an endless web was first
made in England in 1901.
Quilts, except among a few old fashioned
scriveners on both sides Of the water, have
become nearly obsolete. They were known
as early as the Sixth century, the principal
supply being from the geese swans aud
crows Of Russia, Poland and Germany. Grow
Quills are sometimes still employed in fine
efchings. on account Of the fine point TO
which they can be brought Before steel
pens became common, a number Of pens
were cut out of the barrel of a quill just as
they are now cut out of sheet steel.
The first notice of a steel pen for writing IS
found in 1903 For years the little instru-
ment was a costly luxury. but with the im-
pr0gements of tho age it has become a cheap
necessity OF ifs various forms and uses the
name is legion Now. 10 is q giant with a
barrel attachment: again, 10 is liliputian
that in the dainty hands of milady makes a
stroke as delicate as the fairy like lines Of a
c0bweb and gross would scarcely I'm a nut
shell. In 1881 an oblique pen was brought
out, ia which the slit was inclined 40 an an