The Van Buren press., 1896-12-19
FINEST WRITING ExfaNT.
Contents of Twenty nihlea Written Legis
bly, on "A Thumbs Breaafh.

The widest dream Of me postal card
writing fails TO be OF INTEREST," when COM
pared with what has been written on
glass with diamond point. So mar
velously fine are the marks that have
been traced on glass that when, by
means of powerful microscope. We
clearly read the words covered by a
speek when seen with the naked eye il is
difficult to realize the fuliness Of the
faet presented.
Think Of legible writing SO fine that
. copies of the entire Bible can be
written in the narrow space Of one
square inch. Yet such there is in ex-
istenee and can be produced without
any great difficulty.
Particular attention was called to
this strange fact By Mr.. Stephen Helm,
member of the New York MicroscOp-
ical society, and fellow Of the Royal
Society of London.
The Herald's account Of the wonder
fully fine writing produced by Mr..
Charles s. Monnier on postal card is
very interesting" said Mr.. Helm, as he
sat by his microscope. With a bit of
glass in his hand that showed 4 black
ring in its center about the size Of
silver threc-cent piece. Ills aeeomp-
lishment is quite wonderful. but il is
nothing compared with what is on this
glass
took the glass. but could see nothing
within the little black ring, hut with
the use OF n small hand lens a spcclx be-
came apparent.
THAT IS the Lords Prayer said Mr..
Helm. at contains CT letters and is
written within the iiye-hnndredth part
Of a square inch. In other words, the
space 1t covers is one-tgentieth by one
twenty-ffth OF an inch. and five hum
dred OF such spaces are contained
within the bounds Of a single square
inch. which nj the same rate would con-
tain 1ts, 500 letters. Look ct il and read
the words"
The bit OF glass was adjusted under
the microscope. and there. in good.
plain writing, was the Lords Prayer,
rs easily read as the words IN this para
graph. As read the lines a single
speck of dust floated unohserved before
our eyes settled on the glass slide and
ohseured the entire prayer.
This writing is not regarded by
mieroscopists familiar with minute
forms rs anything wonderful, said Mr..
Helm, but the postal-eard story makes
it of general public interest. Now,
| look at this slide"
The glass slide referred 10 was sim
/ liar TO the other. and within the little
black circle marked on il there was no
| mark to DO seen with the naked eye or
with the strongest hand magnifying
glass.
"You can see nothing there" con-
1 tinued Mr.. Helm, neither can You
under an ordinary microscope, but ths
same prayer is written there as on the
other glass only, ms compared with the
other, the space is a New York city lot
compared with Duchess county
farm. Look at It under the strongest
power my microscope IS capable Of"
There it was, the Lords Prayer, in the
same handwriting as the other-both
being done by Prof. Webb, Of the Royal
Microscopieal society-hut ever 50
much smaller,
''Thc larger writing, as | told YOU"
/ said Mr.. Helm. "covers O space meas.
ured by one-tweutieth Of an inch ono
way and one-twenty-ifth the other.
This one covers a space measured by
one-fve-hundredth part of an inch in
one direction. and one siX-hundrcd
and ffty-third part OF en- inch in the
! ether direction. In other words. 1t
sneans that with writing Of that size
T4.li5,50O letters can be placed in q
single square inch. The force of this
is easier comprehendcd when we re-
member that the Bible contains $780,
$50 letters, which means that the entire
Christian Scriptures can be written
legibly, 20 times repeated, within the
space Of n single square inch. and have
considerable vacant space left"
This wonderful minute writing.
which requires a microscope magnify
ing GOO diameters TO make 1t readable,
is not produced by the use Of amy mag
nifying power, but by moving the hand
and forming the letters rs in ordinary
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 10 be written on.
These levers are so adjusted that the
motion OF the end nearest the glass
slide is much less than thatof the other
end. so that the amount of motion Is
lessened as it travels aiong the sue
eessive levers, until, when il reaches
the delicate end armed with 4 minute
diamond that rests on the glass surface,
il is reduced TO the requisite fineness.
Thus. while the hand of The operator
is covering with writing a sheet Of pa
per six by nine inches in size, the let
tiers he forms are duplicated on the
glass by the cutting diamond within
the space of one-fve-hundredth part
of a square inch.-N. y Herald.
Her Tax one Cent
Some Of the individual taxes in this
city are interesting. The figures show
the existence in Savannah OF a number
r f.,.4 . II. ~