The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-01-20

A. 'NAEgb Lbh SAfh| PaNI ASN Ho v Nbs~kbfAeat
masterpiece, but d a model to be fol
lowed and copied IN all the materials
supplied by threepenny bit, and the
986 feet Of Effel tower neither fills his
breast with awe nor horror, but IL re-
garded az q choice subject to be con-
structed In miniature out Of bent pen
and the shell of a walnut
OF the medieval mechanicians John
Muller, better known in the trade as
Regiomontanus, which one must admit
sounds we'll for one of his craft, who
lived In the fifteenth century, was with
out doubt the Maskelyne and Cook Of
the period, or at all events be had as
biographer writer of greater magma
ton than the other less fortunate genii
Of that era. Peter Ramus, the writer in
question, not only credits John Muller
with fashioning wooden eagle, which
on the occasion of the Emperor Max
imilian visiting Nuremberg flew out to
meet him, saluted him in due form
however that may have been-and then
turned round and accompanied the pro-
cession to the city gates, but further as
serts that tho same individual turned
out all iron fly
Which, having flown perfect roundabout,
With weary wings returned unto her master.
We are inclined to think, all things
considered, that Peter Ramus had the
markings Of very fine creator Of excit-
ing fiction in him and that it was a sad
pity he allowed his gift to be wasted in
compiling biography of 100 years
deceased automatic artificer in place of
forestalling the friend of our youth, M.
Jules Verne.
The cherry stone has been favorite
subject for the worker in miniature
since Hadrianus Junlus saw at Mechlin
"a cherry stone cut into the form of
basket, in which were ID pairs Of dice
distinct, the spots and numbers of which
were easily to be discerned with good
eye" A museum in Massachusetts has
among its other possessions cherry
stone containing dozen silver spoons.
AS the stone is Of the ordinary size the
spoons arc so small that their shape can
only 10 admired by the aid Of u micro
scope. Other remarkable cherry stones
are the ones carved all over with l24
heads, mostly of popes and potentates,
and tho one fashioned by I. topmuker at
Nuremberg, which contains plan Of
Sevastopol, q railway station and the
"Messiah" of klopstock, is indeed null
tum in parvo.
A tiny vessel has been made Of late
years by an Italian jeweler who came
into possession Of pearl that nature
had caused TO take upon itself the shape
and contour Of q boat. A sail Of beaten
gold studded with diamonds, pinnacle
light of ruby and emerald, and rud-
der Of ivory complete tho structure,
which weighs less than an ounce all
told. We recently saw it stated that the
smallest steam engine in the world is
one Of an upright pattern, made of sill
yer ard gold and resting on rs cent
goldpieco. The diameter of the cylinder
is one forty eighth part of an inch;
stroke, one thirty second of an inch;
weight, one eighth Of a grain; bore Of
cylinder, 1915 Of square inch. The
engine can be worked either by steam
Or compressed air, and-oh, shade Of
Peter Ramus-the balance wheel Of
one-third of an inch diameter is said to
make l,7G0 revolutions per minute.
In 1916 knife was made at Messrs.
Travis G. Sons, Manchester, containing
three blades, buttonhook, saw, punch,
screwdriver, box, corkscrew, hook and
gimlet, two phlemens, a species of Ian
Get, picker and two more lancets with
ring at the head. The knife. we learn,
was only even-siXteenths Of an inch
long and weighed l heavyweight IA
grains At this end Of the century
Sheffield can boast of a dozen pairs Of
shears, each so minute that they alto
gether weigh less than half grain. if
report speaks true.
Of examples of microscope writing
there is no end, but one of the most IA
nous is mentioned by Pliny, who said
that Cicero had once seen Homer's
"Iliad'' in a nutshell. In order to prove
the truth of this French writer named
Huet experimental in the presence Of
the dauphin, whose tutor he was in
1870. He first showed that piece of
sheepskin 10 by 8 inches can be folded
up to fit the shell Of a walnut, and then
proceeded to prove that he could get $50
stanzas of 80 verses to stanza on each
side of the paper, or $500 verses on
each side. OF the paintings in minia-
ture Carel van Mander, the sixteenth
century painter and historian, quotes
the landscape painted by Lucas van.
Here's wife. This work Of art repre-
sented mill with sails bent, the mil
Ter appearing as if mounting the stairs
loaded with a sack. A cart and horse
were seen upon the terrace upon which
the mill was fixed, and on the road sew.
eral peasants were discerned. The whole
was perfectly distinct and accurately
finished, and yet SO minute that it could
be covered with one grain Of corn.
Surely that most microscopic artist, NJ.
Ian van Beers must be descended from
he fair painter of that extraordinary
work of art. london Standard.