The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-11-20

M lN[.s The thing that /
y. ( ta.ee1 - hath been shall be. /
l>zA.1J sssl,iI1 and that which Is
\ ISkD done is that which I
.aJ1T/ shall be done. and
~ there IL no new
thing under the
sun Had patents been invent
ed at the time Solomon wrote
the descendants Of some Of his
contemporaries might now be bring
ing suits Tor infringement. says the
Louisville CourieF-Journal Something
similar TO the telephone was used In
China 1900 years ago. Ancient Egypt
boosted the proud possession OF a
nickel In the slot machine. Babylon
the Great went fishing 1900 years be
fore the Christian era with hooks IKE
those IN use today. and studied the
stars through a telescope Thim0les
have been found In prehistoric mounds
with every evidence OF having been
made by machinery similar 10 our own.
Hatpins with glass heads and safety
pins with a little coiled spring AZ one
end and a catch at the other were IN
use In Pompeli 1000 years ago. Combs
and haIrnlns have lived Tor twenty
centuries and the housewife Of the
bronze age. 5000 years ago put patches
on the apparel Of her lord and master
with needles and thread. Locks sim
liar 20 those In use today, which could
only be opened by the knowledge Of a
certain combination OF numbers. were
known 10 the Chinese centuries aeo.
And 30 instances might be- indefinitely
multiplied In view Of the recent won
dcrful advances In electrical science by
Dr. Bose sig. Marconi and Tesla,
whereby the possibility Of conveying
messages 10 distant poin4s through
ether by electric waves. without the
ala Of wires. has become a certainty,
the following extract from the writ
ings Of Joseph Addison. who lived ai
the beginning Of the last century. may
be Of interest. "strada. In one Of his
prolusions. gives an account OF a cor
rcspondence between two friends by the
help Of a certain loadstono which hat
such a virtue In II that II touched by
several needles. when one OF thes'
needles 80 touched began 10 move th'
other. though az ever 30 much Erea
a distance. moved az the same tim'
and In the same manner. Tie tells "a
that two friends. being each Of then
/ possessed 81 these needles. made q kin,
OF dial plate lnsoriblng Il with twenty
four letters In the sane manner as IN
hours Of the day are marked upon IN
ordinary dial plate. They then hxe'
one % the needles on each Of thes
plates In such a manner that Il coul
move around without impediment. .
as 10 point to any Of the twenty fou
letters. Upon their separating fror
one another into distinct countries
they agreed 10 withdraw themselve
punctually into their closets az a eei
tain hour Of the day and 10 eonvers
with one another by this their inver
ton. Accordingly. when they wer
some hundreds OF miles asunder. eac
OF them shut himself up In his Gloss
Al the time appointed and lmmediatel
cast his eye upon the dial plate. n
had a mind 10 write anything 10 HI
friend. he directed hls needle 20 ever
letter that formed the words that
had occasion for. making a little pau,
AZ the end Of every word or senten,
20 avoid confusion. The friend in n
meanwhile saw his own sympathet
needle moving OF itself TO every lett
which that Of his correspondent poln
ed out. ny this means they talked q
gether across a whole continent a.
conveyed their thoughts TO each 9TH
In an instant over cities or mountain
seas or deserts n any writer Of =
nance" continues Addison. had 4
troduced necromancer. who Is &c
orally In the train OF a knight erraI
making a present 10 two lovers
those aforementioned needles. Il
reader would have been not llti
pleased 10 have seen them eorrespon
ing with one another. when they We
guarded by spies and watchers. or %
araied by castles and adventures.
the meanwhile. II ever this lnventl
should be revived or put In praeti,
I would suggest that on the love
dial plate there should be written. n
only the twenty-four letters. but ss
erai entire words. which have alwa
place In passionate opistles-
flames. darts. die. language. absent
Cupid. heart. eyes. hang. drown a
9he like. This would very mu
abrldge the lovers pains In this "
Z Of writing letter, ~ Il would enal
him 20 express the most useful a
. significant words with a single turn
, the needle" Addison considered Il
invention TO be an utterly chlmerl
idea. born In the brain Of Strada.
> how sirlkingly Il foreshadoWs the
. cent work Of Bose and Marconl. a
is Il not possible that the invent
was really made At that early day. 8
never given 10 the worlds
The semitic satire Of Addison regs
Ing o. usefulness 70 dlsconsolate
prosecuted lovers may also yet be u
ircd. The suggestion is worthy Of n
attention.
NJ. sr.f.tt... ~