Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-07-17

gave him a coup de grace behind ths
ear.-Outing.
CRYSTALS IN DROPS OF INK.
When You Write Letter You scattez
diamonds and Rubies On the Paper.
Do you know that when you dip your
pen In ink and write 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 n lead pencil.
These crystals appear whether yo,
write poem or simply sign your name
to a check, and there are as many crys.
tails In the signature Of John Garvey.
the AStOr tramp, as in that Of Russell
Sage.
You must let the ink dry. Then II yoL
look ut it through powerful micro
scope magnifying some three hundred
diameters you will see all sorts of beau
tiful forms. These appear in endless
variety. but with all the symmetry OF
frost crystals or of those chemicals
which precipitate into flowers and geo.
mctricd forms before your eyes.
DR.. T.. Trouessart, a French savant
has recently investigated this interest
ing branch Of science and has produced
some exquisite examples Of what no
calls "feurs de rencre." 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 crystallization.
The inks Of commerce vary some
what in composition. but all inks hav.
Ing Il base Of solution Of gallnuts and
sulpha te 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 1t 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 an
white in color. This. together with the
fact of the peculiar shapes Of some of
the groups, seems to indicate that iron
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.
lndelible inks, on the other hand, show
few Of the crystals.
You may write your name severa.
times, using the same pen, ink and pa
per, and yet the crystals when observed
are seen to be totally different in each
case. Thus they will not be available rs
Of Identification in forged will
cases or when the signatures to checks
are in dispute.
There are no crystals In the ink. a,
it 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
Of the savant who has inves- |
tigated this subject large crystals ap-
peared In an instant while the ink was
drying, making geometrical forms Mt |
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 gridirons. 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 a gor-
geous display that rivaled that of a
Jewelers. case Of precious stones, throw
Ing off rays Of every color. Looked ut
from one point there were diamonds,
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 |,
mother point they seemed like garnets,
and bits Of amber gently /
playing with the shafts Of light under
the eyes Of the observer.
Who knew before that ink could bs
50 Brilliant The dullest man now can
write dazzling thoughts. It will not
even be necessary for the ambitious
author to find a publisher. His gor-
yeous word-painting will astonish the
beholder when put under the magnify. |
ing glass.
Rejected manuscripts are thus equal. .
y as brilliant as those that are accept.
ID. and, after the latter are printed,
more SO, for printers ink, 1t has been
'ound, Is a thick and muggy substance
which shows none Of the exquisite geo
Metric figures Of the aniline inks. There
ire millions of embryo crystals in every
,ottle Of ink. which Is q veritable Jew.
.ler's shop in what 1t may show to de.
light the eye.-New York World.