The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-03


execution. Some genius of good luck
seemed to control my action, for avery
few hours sufficed to form quite a good
imitation of the yolk Of an ordinary
egg, even thesthin membrane surround
ing it had formed from some of the
precipitate adhering to the mixture in
the bottom of the test tube, which yes
sci served to shake it into a globular
form.
Seeing this, thought would try to
place the Eplk into the albumen and
observe whether it would retain it's in
tegrity. ! looked about me for a suit
able vessel and Immediately noticed a
peculiar shaped retort I had had made
Tor former experiment, the bowl of
which was identical in shape and size
with an ordinary hens egg, the only
olIerence being that the date of its
manufacture was blown in it's side.
1t TOOK but moment to remove the
stem, leaving an orifice of sufficient
size to permit my yolk to enter, but
fearing might burst it during the op-
GRAFTON, I first poured the vessel half
full of albumen, into which I carefully
placed the yolk.
1t floated exactly in the center of my
improvised eggshell, and upon filling
the vessel entirely with albu1nen I had
as perfect an egg as ever hen cackled
over.
A few minutes work sufficed to close
the opening with a. quick hardening
solution of waterglass ard by decreas-
nf "a
until a hole about the size of a pins
head remained, was enabled to fill the
receptacle entirely with albumen, and
in another moment had the thing her.
matically sealed.
1t was really a beautiful object, for
through the translucent albumen the
golden color Of the yolk was plainly APP
parent, and I held 1t up to the light
and examined it with great satisfac-
ton.
Now, tremendous thought entered
my mind, and in pursuance thereof I
had delivered to my laboratory on the
following day a setting hen for which
Immediately improvised a nest in an
unoccupied corner Of my laboratory.
! In order that the hen might not occupy
her time uselessly gave her u ordi-
nary eggs and added my own to make
up the traditional setting.
The reader can doubtless imagine
with what interest watched that hen,
how stole to her nest day after day
while she took her daily exercise in the
| apartment, then imagine my joy as
| actually perceived the contents Of my
| wonderful egg undergo a change and
| scarcely crediting my senses saw it
| day by day unfold into definite shape.
until on the 21st morning when I arose
l. found it, in common with 10 ordinary
chicks, chirping under the hen.
| My exultatlon simply knew no boundsi
Could my simple landlady only dream
what her oversight had wrought no
doubt she would consider herself a
veritable benefactor to science, which,
| indeed, she was, for there stood the evil
| dence that chemistry under proper con-
| ditions could actually create life.
1 noticed this difference between my
| chick and the others--its movements
seemed more mechanical and it did not
seem to wish the same diet, in fact
|
it's food, inasmuch as it seemed to pre-
fer inorganic to organic matter, a taste
which accounted for on the ground CT
it's descent.
My chick grew into healthy pullet,
reached maturity, and yet had never
said a word about it. Who would be-
iieve me were l to declare myself? Did
it not look almost like the others? Only
my own eye detected the peculiarities
which existed, and even were / to point
these out to my fellow scientists how
could they be expected to believe that
they arose from the peculiar circum-
stances of its origin? On the whole,
l decided to say nothing.
AT last one morning I noticed that
my young brood had begun to lay.
must explain here that had, of course,
provided suitable quarters for them inn
mediately adjacent to the laboratory.
Attracted by the cackling of the young
hens thus announcing the successful
accomplishment OF the feat Of laying
an egg, I entered my hen house and at
once noticed my laboratory hen, which
had grown into a very respectable fowl,
engaged in some peculiar movements
as if she were scratching in the sand
for something. Judge of my surprise
when 1 found upon approaching that
she had actually scratched in the sand
forming the bottom of her quarters the
very formula I had written out just
before I proceeded to the manufacture
of my egg. What prenatal influence
I am utterly unable to state. Then
with deliberation she walked to the
nearest nest and in due time departed.
leaving behind her an egg, which, when
I took 1t UP in establishment and Won
der, was absolutely identical with the
one I myself had constructed glass
shell and all But wonder Of wonders,
I mentioned that the glass retort I he'd
| used had the date blown into it's side.