Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-28

the meeting Of the academy was q thin
slice of light colored stone. He used II for
a blotter and 1t absorbed ink better than
any bibulous paper. 1t was a piece Of the
new mineral plotting stone. The stun Ii a
formation composed OF sediment deposited
by certain hot springs. It has been
accommodating for ages IN the locality
mentioned. and Is available In mex
haustible quantities. Highly porous, 1t
will take up a surprising quantity of ink.
The merchant will employ II incidentally
as paper weight and occasionally the
otice boy win scrape 1t on with a knife-an
easy task, the substance being very soft
making 1t as good as new.
Speaking OF btbuious stone, q new kind of
white by 2rophane has been found in Colo
RADIO which La remarkable for its power of
absorbing liquids. When water Is dropped
slowly upon 1t 1t becomes chalky and then
by degrees perfectly transparent 1t has
been named the magic stone" and Is COM
Ing Into use by jewelers. for lockets, to
conceal photographs or other objects which
the wearer may wish only to reveal at
pleasure. Not less curious. though compar-
atively common. Is the flexible sandstone,
slice Of which is as easily bent as timber
stick. The alkaline substance having been
dissolved out of II, the clayey matter n
left. the grains of which are not hold to-
gether firmly. This stuff Is the matrix Of
diamonds in Brazil
One of the strangest Of mineral sub
y,
form of hornblende rock. which has q
fbrous consistency, so that the material
may actually be woven. Towels are made
Of 1t nowadays. They are quite economical
for when they are dirty It is only necessary
to throw them into the fire, and, on being
withdrawn from the flames a few minutes
later, they are as good as new and quite
clean. The stuff Is used for paper stock,
gloves for handling red-hot iron. 1t was
well known to the ancients. who employed
1t for napkins and lamp wicks, and also for
wrapping bodies that were burned. to keep
the ashes from being lost
Nature MS n Manufacturer.
1t IS odd to see nature playing the role Of
glass maker. Volcanoes in all ages have
been great producers Of glass. which saw
ages have utilized freely for making cutting
tools and weapons. Another agent en-
ployed in this work IS lightning. When
Humboldt visited Mexico his interest was
excited by the extraordinary shining in the
sun of the highest peak of the lofty Nevada
de Toluca. At the risk of his life he
climbed the mountain. and found at the top
large areas of the rock covered with a thin
coating of greenish glass. Lightning bolts
had melted the silica in the rock, causing 1t
to flow in the shape Of glass. Similarly,
bolts OF lightning entering beds of sand
form tubes Of glass, sometimes thirty feet
and more in length.
Oile u the most interesting SCleulluC men
In this country, Prof. Henry A. Ward of
Rochester, earned his living when q young
ster by gathering and selling minerals and
fossils. He frequented quarries, picking out
OF blasted rocks fossil sea urchins, which he
sold for shilling apiece. From railway
diggings and seaside cliffs he obtained fos-
sill shells, while basalt workings for, stone
posts yielded corals. AS fast as he got to-
gether a collection he would sell 1t, and the
money thus obtained he would squander in
studying. On one occasion he visited the
famous vineyard of Veuve Cliouot, where Ia
found an outcropping of the great geologi-
cal basin OF Paris-a formation full Of fos-
sils
He asked permission to dig, but the super
intendent of the vineyards would not allow
injured. However. the officer in charge
marked a place on the side Of q bank, and
told Mr.. Ward that he could tunnel as deep
as he liked The collector employed two
men at 40 cents a day, and soon struck a
mine OF fossil ceritheum giganteum shells
the largest upivalve that ever existed. He
sold great quantity Of them for several
dollars apiece.
On another occasion Prof Ward was trav-
cling through rural Japan, wheel he spied
what looked like row of metal currant
bushes in front Of a house. On inspection
he discovered that the currant bushes were
crystals Of bright antimony, otherwise
known as "stibnfte"-a very rare and pre-
cious form Of the substance In fact, only
a very few bits of IL were possessed at the
time by museums and collectors He bought
the whole of the stuff for S15 afterward
selling one-hah Of II for enough to pay all
the expenses OF a years tour through odd
corners of the world.