Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-08-19
THE TOOLS THEY USED.
simple Means by which Great Things
Have Been Done.


DIR. William Wollaston rendered
many services to science. He was the
first to detect the Fraunhofer lines in
the SOAR spectrum and to demonstrate
the identity OF galvanism and fractional
electricity.
One day visitor from foreign eoun-
try called upon the doctor and asked
to be shown the laboratory where SO
many valuable discoveries had been
made. The doctor conducted his visitor
to a small room in which there was no
furniture except table; on the table
was an old tea tray containing a small
balance. blowpipe. some test papers
and few watch glasses
This room,' said Dr. WolIaston, lis
my laboratory, and on that tea tray are
ali of my work tools.
Everybody knows that Benjamin
Franklin. the eminent American states
man and philosopher. robbed the thun-
der cloud of itslightning by means of
kite and silk handkerchief.
4 celebrated English engfaver, Thorn
as Bewick. drew his fret Sketch with
common chalk upon the walls of the
little cottage in which he lived. The
farfamed chemist. Julius Stoekhar6t,
learned the art of combining colors by
closely studying the wings of many
butterflies.
DR.. Joseph Black, chemist of note,
discovered latent heat by using as tools
a pan of water and two Thermometers
Sir David Wilkie, the renowned painter,
for his first work made use of barn
door and a charred stick for want of
canvas and pencil.
John Opie was called "the Cornish
wonder" because of his great skill in
portraiture. He was asked, one day
by what wonderful process he mixed
his colors.
Il mix them with my brains" an
swered the painter.
Benjamin West. a well-known Amer
lean painter, manufactured his first
brush out of cats tail. Sir Isaac New
ton unfolded the composition of light
and origin of color by means OF a sheet
of pasteboard, prism and lens. Out
of an anatomist's syringe, which by
accident came into his possession. Watt,
the great British engineer and mechan-
zeal inventor, constructed his first mod
el of the condensing steam engine.
Demosthenes resolved to become an
orator. and in order to carry out his re-
solve 1T was necessary for him to over
come some serious obstacles. His man
ners were awkward, his breath short.
and his voice stammeriGg and indis-
tinct- He did not attend a school of
Oratory, nor did he have private
tutor; but we are told that he first
shaved one side of his head only, so
as to make it impossible for him to go
into society. and thus divert himself
from his purpose.
Then. TO overcome the defect in his
speech, he adopted the practice of
speaking with pebbles in his mouth;
and that he might be able to make him
self heard in the tumult of popular as
sembEes. he acclaimed hour after hour
upon the seashore; to observe and cor
rect his awkward gestures. he spent
much time practicing before mirror.
Thus. by patience and perseverance, he
became the greatest orator of antiquity.
Bernard Palissy, the French potter.
chemist and enameler had but little
indeed to work with when making his
first experiments. But in spite of pow
erty, religious persecution and many
other impediments, he pursued with
untiring energy the art OF pottery.
glass-painting and enameling, and be-
came one of the first artists of the
French renaissance.
To these names scores of others might
be added of persons that have climbed
high on the ladder of fame by making
n right use of whatever tools or means
were within their reach, by healthful,
praiseworthy desire to excel and by
keeping evcriastingly at it."-Phila-
delphia Times.