The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1897-10-07
THE TOOLS THEY USED.
The SimIIe Means ny Which Great Things
Have Ecen Done.

Have Ecen Done.
Dr.. William II. N'CllaGton render
ed many services to science. lie
was tie first to detect the Fraun-
hofer lines in the solar spectrum
and to demonstrate the identity of
ealvanism ard flicticnal electricity.
One day visitor from a foreign
country called ulOn the doctor ard
asked to lie shown tie lal oratoTy
where so many valuable discoveries
had been made. The doctor con-
Quoted his visitor to small room
in which there was no furniture e&-
cept table. On the table was an
old tea tray containing n small bal
ance, blowpipe, some test papers
and few watch glasses.
This room" said Or. WollastCn,
"is my laboratory, ard cn that tea
tray are all of ny work tools. "
Everybody knows that Benjamin
Franklin, the eminent American
statesman and philosopher, robbed
the thundercloud of its lightning
by N cans of kite and a silk hand.
kerchief.
A celebrated English engraver,
Thomas Rewick, drew his first
sketches with common chalk uEon
the walls of the little cottage in
which he lived. The far famed
chemist julius Stockhardt learned
the art of mbinirg colors by close
ly studying the wings of many but
terflies.
Dr.. Joseph Black, a chemist OF
note, discovered latent heat by using
as tools a pan of water and two
thermometers. Sir David Wilkie,
the renowned FAINTER. fo1 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 rortraiture. He was asked one
day by what wonderful process he
mixed his colors.
II mix them with my brains, :"
answered the painter.
Benjamin West, well known
American painter, manufactured his
first brush out of cats tail. Sir
Isaac. Newton unfolded the compost
tion of light and the origin of color
by means of sheet of pasteboard,
a prism and lens. Out Of an anat-
cmist's syringe. which by accident
came into his possession, Watt. the
great British engineer and mechan-
ical inventor. constructed his first
model of the condensing steam en-
gine.
Demosthenea resolved to become
an orator. and in order to carry out
his resolve it was necessary for him
to overcome some serious obstacles.
His manners were awkward, his
breath short and his voice stammer-
ing and ipdistinct. He did not attend
school of oratory, nor did he havea
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 60 into society, and thus d.
vert 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
himself heord in the tumult of pop
uIar assemblies he declaimed hour
after hour upon the seashore. To
observe and correct his awkward
gestures he spent much time prac-
ticing before a mirror. Thus, by
patience and perseverance, he be-
came the greatest orator of antiqui-
ty.
Bernard Palissy. the French pot
ter, chemist and enameler, had but
little indeed to work with when
making his first experiments, but
in spite of poverty, religious perse-
cution and many other impediments
he pursued with untiring energy tue
art of pottery, glass painting and
enameling and became one of the
first artists of the French renais-
sance.
To these names scores Of others
might be added of persons that have
climbed high on the ladder of fame
by making a right use Of whatever
tools or means were within their
reach, by healthful, rraiseworthy
desire to excel and by keep ::
everlastingly at it. "-Philadelphla
Times.
Vitality OF Cats.
It's an old saying that "a cat has