The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-11-05
FINEST WRITING EXTANT.
Contents of Twenty Bibles Written
Legibly on n Thumbs
New York Herald

The widest dream of fine postal card
writing fails to be of interest when COM
pared with has been written on glass
with q diamond point. So marVelouSly fine
are the marks that have been traced on
glass that when, by means of a powerful
microscope, we clearly read the words COW
eye 1t is difficult to realize the tullness of
the fact presented.
Think OF legible writing so fine that twen-
ty copies OF the entire Bible can be written
in the narrow space of one square inch. Yet
such there is in existence and can be pro-
duced without any great difficulty.
Particular attention was called to this
strange fact by Mr.. Stephen Helm, Of No.
6S Columbus avenue, a member of the New
York Microscopical Society and a fellow Of
the Royal Society Of London.
1.-The Herald's account of the wonderfully
fine writing produced by Mr.. Charles S.
Monnier on a postal card is very interest
microscope, with a bit of glass in his hand
that showed a black ring in it's center about
the size of a silver Scent piece; His ac-
nothing compared with what Is on this
glass"
1 took the glass, but could see nothing
within the little black ring, but with the
use of a small hand lens a speck became
That is the Lords Prayer" said Mr..
Helm. at contains 227 letters and is writ
ten within the fve-hundredth part of a
square inch. In other words, the space il
covers is one-twentieth by one-twenty-fifth
of an inch. and five hundred OF SUCH spaces
are contained within the bounds of a, single
square inch. which at the same rate would
contain IL, $500 letters. Look at it and read
the words"
The bit of glass was adjusted under the
microscope. and there. in good. plain writ
as the words in this paragraph. AS I read
the lines a single speck of dust that ioated
unobserved before our eyes settled on the
glass slide and obscured the entire prayer.
This writing is not regarded by micro
scopists familiar with minute forms as any,
thing wonderful" said Mr.. Helm. but the
poStal-card story makes II of general pub
lie interest. Now, look at this Slide
The glass slide referred TO was similar to
the other. and within the little black circle
marked on II there was no mark to be seen
with the naked eye or with the strongest
nand magnifying glass.
Mr.. Helm. neither can you under an or
binary microscope. but the same prayer is
written there as on the other glass. only. as
compared with the other, the space is a
ess county farm. Look at II under the
strongest power my microscope is capable
Of"
There it was. the Lords Prayer. I'm the
same handwriting as the other-both being
done by Professor Webb. of the Royal Mi
croscopical Society-but ever so much
'The larger writing. as I told YOU" said
Mr.. Helm. covers a space measured by
t~wenty-ffth the other. This one covers a
space measured by one~-five-hundredth part
of an inch in one OlrectlOn, and one six
hundred and fifty-third part of an inch
in the other direction. In other words. ii
means that with writing of that size "A. 115.-
500 letters can be placed in n single square
inch. The force of this is easier compre-
hended when we remember that the Bible
contains 1855. 4S0 letters. which means that
the entire Christian Scriptures can be writ
ten legibly. twenty times repeated, within
the space of a single square inch, and have
considerabIeNvacant space left"
This wonderfully minute writing. which
requires a microscope magnlfying 600 DAM
eters to make IL readable. is not produced
by the use of any magnifying power. but
by moving the hand and forming the let
tiers as in culinary very fine writing. The
pen that is used is connected with n series
OF levers that reach a distance of six feet.
where is placed the glass slide to be writ
ten on. These levers are so adjusted that
the motion of the end nearest the glass
slide is much less than that of the other
end. so that the amount of motion is less
ened as IL travels along the successive lev
ers. until. when Ii reaches the delicate end
armed with n minute diamond that rests
on the glass surface. 1t Is reduced to the
requisite fineness.
Thus. while the hand OF the operator is
covering with writing a sheet Of paper six
by nine inches In size. the letters he forms
are duplicated on the glass by the cutting
diamond within the space Of one-five-hun-
dredth part Of q square inch.