The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-29
DIR. SEYMOUR TALKS ABOUT GLASSES
Care Taken in Fitting Glasses 10 the Eyes
Not to Strain Those Delicate Organs.
DIFFERENT STORIES AS TO THEIR ORIGIN
Numerous Manufacturers of spcctn-
Gle Frames Turn Ont work fnr
superior to Europeans - Gold
Filled Rims-lcrapcc Leads
In the Production of
Lenses.

How did spectacles ever come into use2
Who was the first 10 discover this artificial
Gid 20 sight, and to whom arc we that
wear glasses to be thankful for this indie
scribablc blessing, which we that are near
sighted feel that wo could not possibly do
without? There must have been II time
when spectacles we're entirely unknown
TO the civilized world. and our best au-
thorities tell us that defective oyesight
hae, In all probabilities. existed all through
the ages. The writer, although taking
more than usual interest in this line of
work. is not authority on the question AZ
to the origin OF spectaclcs. but because tho
following version Is quite plausible. only
quotes it as a story that has been told TO
him:
There was once king, or ancient
ruler who, although conscious of the fact
that he could not discern distant objects
as other people did, yet knew Of no way of
curing his defect although he had con-
siiltel the wisest men of his time and tried
numerous experiments when one day ne
happened TO be in the shop OF one of his
subjects. and quite by chance picked mp
q small piece OF crystal. or glass, which
II seems must have been, through some ac-
cident broken or formed in the shape of
concaye lens for. upon placing 1t to his
eye, he discovered that he could see OBJ
jects quite distinct at a distance that he
was wholly unable to see without the
glass This little instance so Interested
him that he Immediately began an inves-
tigation and by being able to furnish all
the means necessary for experimenting.
and by the help of the wisest men OF his
time, he eventually succeeded in procuring
n ne nf which although hey M nat
have been very crude at best, were Of
countless value to him."
They. must have made tho world seem
like n different place, for how often do we
hear the remark made today by our friends
and acquaintance who are subject TO what
seems TO them a great cross. that TO part
with their glasses would be equal TO part
Ing with one-half of their happiness.
WONDERFUL PROGRESS.
This little story naturally leads to the
inquiry as to What has been accomplished
IN this line in the present generation. 1
VIII venture to say thai In the past ten
years more has been done In this matter
of sight than In all the years that have
gone before since the king produced the
first pair of spectacles. Not alone in the
misunderstanding OF glasses, but in the way
they are adapted to different eyes Com
paratively few people know that there are
but two kinds of glass that can be carried
b. IN BLOCK HS dTttCieb Oh merchandise III our
general stores This consists of piece
OF glass so shaped that IL is thick in the
center and thin the outside edge, and
is commonly called magnifying glass.
You are doubtless familiar with the
formation OF what Is commonly called a
reading glass, which may be any size, ac-
cording to the amount of glass used. These
magnfying spectacles are made In exact
ly the same way. The cheaper kinds Of
window glass spectacles, as they arc
commonly called, are made by running
molten glass into little mods, such as
niight be casr by pressing the ball ot the
thumb into piece Of clay, and when IL
hardens this piece OF glass would magnify
even though II were of poor quality e
glass, full OF bubbles and imperfections.
MAGNIFYING GLASSES.
This. in general way, describes The
magpifying glasses. which are one kind
OF the above mentioned. These, OF course.
can he made in greater or less curvaturcs
which make the strength of the glass. and
are necessary TO give he different num-
bers used by people with different de-
grecs of trouble ana answer In general
way for all people who have what Is COM
monty called old sight" or need some
assistance for reading, and Is all that could
be had in this line by the average person
nf average means, until the present gen
GRAFTON.
The same can be said of the second kind
OF glass, only in the shape OF the mould
fusWhich II Is run. II Is commonly known
as a c0Icaye or near sighted glass and Ia
this case the outer edge OF the glass. o.
lAns, is much thicker than II Is In the ccn-
ter The glass having the appearance,
xbc1 made N, strong numbers. AZ heinz
sccopnd out or OF miniature sauoe 1'sh
perhaps plain on one side and followed out
Oi, the other, These glasses are not as
common as the magnlfyIng glass. becali.so
they are only required for people who arc
ncnf sighted.
These few facts regarding the cheaper
glqsses are about all the average person
Knows OF spectacles, for one OF these m
fpriori lenses. II we'll polished, viii look 10
an, Inexperienced eye to be as bright rs a
rerfectIy vol made lens, hut there ia al
ways thia difference. that cheap lenses. al
though they may seem to answer the pur-
p0Ve, can be substituted with perfectly
msde lens whirt will give much more
byjlIiancc ana distinctness oven though it
bee not tho magnifying power that tue
cheaper one has. But these facts 10 not
Explain the b C's OF what the optic,en
or today must know before he is comre-
tent 70 adjust any lens TO such delicate
thing as the human sight. Yet how many
rsfsons Are there who will take this matter
entirely A their own hands and, in the
a1anr phrase. wear amy old thing which
~ eome n their way. But rest assured
~ qspertlon Is made on good grou',i
~ thso> people pay the penalty sooner
pETTIR GRADE or GLASSES.
< NM listen to few facts about how Tho
4 h1(6e Eirqo4s of the present dsy are made,
a ~ 4ret stsps Of Importance was