Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-05

Sound is one Of the simplest
things in the world, and yet to many
persons, young and old. it is one of
the most mysterious. Tell them. for
example, that the fall of tree in
forest makes no sound in itself. and
they smile incredulously; or. if they
believe you. they confess that they
cannot understand it. When you say
that the presence of some person or
some thing with ears is absolutely es-
sential to the production of sound they
seem unable to grasp the idea, and
contend that the fall of the tree does
make, and cannot help making. a
noise, which is there. all the same,
whether there be anybody to hear it
or not.
But they are wrong, of course. for
there is no sound except in the ear. In
the making of sound there are three
essential conditions. Let us take this
illustration of the tree in the forest.
1t falls and strikes the ground. That is
the first condition. Its striking the
ground sets the air around it into
violent agitation. That is the second
condition; but there is no sound yet,
only series of vibrations through the
air, spreading out in every direction
from the fallen tree. These vibrations,
it must be remembered, are not sound.
They are only the factors that produce
it, and they cannot produce it until the
third condition is supplied, which is
the tympanium, or drum. of some
body's ear, against which they strike,
and thus makes sound.
Sound, therefore, IS nothing but the
striking of air vibrations against the
drum of the ear; it exists only in the
ear, and cannot exist out of it. The
conditions that produce it exist out
of the ear but the ear is absolute
ly necessary to complete it.
City in which There Are No Horses.
What American boy or girl ever
saw city that did not have more
horses in it than one would like to
count? Horses of all kinds and sizes,
from the pretty little Shetland pony,
the pride of his young owners heart,
up to the strong, heavy horses that
pull the great rumbling loaded down
wagons through the streets of the
busy city.
Why, there are so many horses no
one thinks anything about them. You
cannot walk down the street or even
look out of your window without see-
ing some of them. But there is a city
in far-away Italy, across the wide At
lantic, where there is only one horse,
and this horse is considered such a
curiosity that it is kept in the public
gardens. People there visit the gar
dens to see this horse just as you, per-
haps, visit the zoo in Lincoln Park to
see the lions and bears.
But how do the people in this city
get along without any horses? Well,
the city is Venice. and. as you no
doubt know, this city is very won
derful one in some respects, for it is
built upon many small islands, and
its streets are the canals between the
islands. Water here takes the place
of streets of earth and stone, and boats
take the place of horses. How funny
it would seem to go to school in a gon-
dola, as they call their boats therel
Venice seems like fairyland at night,
when the principal streets or canals
are lighted up and the dancing waters
reflect the many coiored lights of the
pretty gondolas that dart over the
waters. Some of the buildings are
tall and beautiful, and as you look at
them from distance they seem to
rise right out Of the water. II you ever
go to Venice be sure to call to see its
one and only horse, for that is a noted
parsonage there, and one not to be
slighted. And you may be allowed to
ride around on its back. as children in
New York City and Chicago ride on
the backs Of the elephants and camels
In the parks.-Chicago Record Herald