Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-02-26
NOTHING NJ EW.
All Things Repeat Themselves Only in New
Forms.

IL
Forms.
We pride ourselves on living in an |
age of discovery and invention and |
pity our ancestors for being born too
soon. Yet much of this is misplaced.
The real truth seems to be that the
ancients knew about everything that
we know. only the knowledge was not
generally diffused.
The learned man two or three thou
sand years ago Was SO far superior TO
the majority that ne was regarded as
a wizard and prudently kept his learn
ing to himself
In our schools at the present day We
use "Euclid's Elements OF Geometry
written by Euclid 1900 years ago.
Euclid also wrote on music and optics,
antedating much which we think we
discovered.
Layard found in the ruins of Nineveh
what Sir David Brewster pronounced
TO be "magnifying glass" and near
ly 1000 years ago the Egyptians and
Assyrians observed the stars through
a sliding tude," which we have rea-
son to believe was a telescope.
We have some very fine razOrs at
the present day, but we cannot make
any finer steel than that contained In
the Damascus swords and knives
which the ano:snts used several thou
sand years ago.
At the same time the people OF Tyre
were such exports in dyeing that the
Tyrian purple remains unexcelled 10
this day. The Egyptians were also
wonderful dyers. and could produce
colors so durable that they may be
called imperishable.
The ancients were wonderful glass
workers and discovered II method Of
making it malleable, which we have
not been able to do. They could spin
glass into garments. dye it in every
shade OF the rainbow and etch it with
ma rvelous skill.
Twenty centuries before the birth Of
Watt, Hero OF Alexandria described
machines whose motive power was
steam. He also invented a double
force pump, used as a fire engine. and
anticipated the modern turbine vince
by machine he named "Neolpile."
Electricity derives its name from
, the Greek word for amber, electron
because Thales, about 900 B. c., dis
covered that amber, when rubbed
attracts light and dry bodies, and il
the twelfth century the scientific
priests of Etruria drew lightning from
the clouds with iron rods.
All the mechanical powers, tn
screw, lever, pulley, incline plane
= wedge, wheel and axle. were know
to the ancients and used in everyda
> life. They were expert builders, a
. existing relics testify.
5 The ancient Gauls used reapin
machine. Hobbs gave his rame to
D lock found in the tombs of Egypt.
v Natural gas conveyed in bambo
r tubes was utilized in China centurie
n ago, and one of the Mongolian author
writes of boxes which repeated tn
Il sound of voices OF men long sine
dead an approximation to the phone
it graph OF Edison.
We may say with truth that muc
Il OF our boasted light and mechanics
2 wisdom is but the match put ono
l again to the old candle of our ances
a ors. The old times were days of We
d and oppression, and the inventor hi
8 his invention for fear OF being robbie,
8 The vast majority had no money
5 buy laboring device, even if the
Y had brains to use it.
n 1t was not a practical age, and IL
Il knowledge, rs we'll as wealth. W,
Il confined to the few. Nowadays an il
s vention OF value spreads over tn
IS world like flash OF gunpowder. al
!. in the light OF modern common sens
y the invention of the common frictiC
u match has doubtless done more f
~ the good Of mankind than all the d
coveries of antiquity. William Ally