The Penn's Grove record., 1895-07-12
CRYSTALS IN DROPS OF INK.
When You Write a Letter You Seattle
Diamonds and Rubies on the Paper.

When You Write a Letter You Scatter
diamonds and Rubies on the Paper.
Do you know that when you dip your
pen In Ink and write a letter you make
brilliant crystals all over the paper!
The poet has been described as putting
down his burning thoughts" but now
1t seems they freeze unless he happens
to write with a lead pencil.
These crystals appear whether 20,
write a poem or simply sign your name
to a check, and there are as many crys.
tails in the signature Of John Carney,
the Astor tramp, as in that of Russell
Sage.
You must let the ink dry. Then II yoL
look at it through o powerful micro
scope magnifying some three hundred
diameters you will see all sorts of beau.
uiful forms. These appear in endless
variety, but with all the symmetry Of
frost crystals or Of those chemicals
which precipitate into flowers and geo.
metrical forms before your eyes.
DR.. e. Trouessart, a French savant
has recently Investigated this interest.
ing branch Of science and has produced
some exquisite examples of what he
calls "feurs de l'encre." The method
employed is very simple. A drop of
Ink is allowed to dry on a slip of glass
and, when observed under a micro.
scope. shows the capitalization.
The inks of commerce vary some
what In composition, but all Inks hav-
ing L base of solution Of gallnuts and
sulphste Of iron show the crystals, The
salt OF the inks which thus crystallizes
has not yet been Identified, and DR..
Trouessart has hesitated to give It o
name.
He has found that the ink crystals are
chiefly of the cubical form, and this
suggests that they are magnetic oxide
of iron.
Strange to say, these Ink crystals al,
white in color. This, together with the
fact of the peculiar shapes of some of
the groups, seems to indicate that iron
disulphide or marcasite Is the substance
In question. In red and purple inks the
crystals are Of a totally different shape
from those to be found in black inks.
1ndelible inks, on the other hand, show
few Of the crystals.
You may write your name several
times. using the same pen, ink and pa
per, and yet the crystals when observed
are e to be totally different in each
a Thus they will not be available as
methods of Identification in forged will
cases or when the signatures to checks
are in dispute.
There are no crystals in the ink. a,
1t smoothly glides from the point Of
your pen to the paper. but they rapidly
begin to appear as the ink dries. form
Ing In exquisite fashion as on water
that is quickly freezing. Under the
microscope of the savant who has inves-
tisated this subject large crystals ap-
peared In an instant while the ink was
drying, making geometrical forms at
the bidding of some mysterious force.
Squares and crosses were numerous
There were forms that looked like tele-
graph poles and others that seemed
like %gridlrons- Facetted gems radiat-
ing light suddenly sprang into existence
under the astonished eyes Of the man
Of science.
Being In aniline ink, they took all the
colors of the rainbow. making q gor-
geous display that riyaled that Of a
jewelers. case of precious stones, throw
ing OFF rays Of every color. Looked at
from one point there were diamonds,
emeralds and rubies in the collection
Of ink crystals, then a slight inclination
of the paper turned them into sap
phires, amethysts and opals, while from
another point they seemed like garnets.
tourmalines and bits Of amber gently
playing with the shafts Of light under
the eyes of the observer.
Who knew before that ink could b.
so BRILLIANT The dullest oar now can
write dazzling thoughts 1t will not
even be necessary for the ambitious
author to find a publisher. His COR
geous word-painting will astonish the
beholder when put under the magnify
ing glass.
Rejected manuscripts are thus equal
iy as brilliant as those that are accept
ed, and. after the latter are printed,
more so, for printers ink, 1t has been
found, is a thick and muggy substance
which shows none of the exquisite geo
metric figures Of the aniline inks. There
are millions OF embryo crystals in every
bottle Of ink. which is a veritable Jew.
eler's shop in what It may show to de-
light the eye.-New York World.