Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-02-06
4 SCIENTIFIC
( \ DISCOVERY
LOriginal.l


The summer had passed, and the stu
dents were returning to college for the
fall term, among them the freshmen,
who, green from the high school, the
grammar school, the farm in some
cases, were unpacking their ward
robes and setting themselves for hard
study. Three upper class men were as
sembled in room of one Of the dormi-
tories, among them a single freshman.
He walked about as If treading on
eggshells, and if there was one thing
he dreaded it was being made game of.
The senior and the junior treated him
as unworthy of any especial notice, the
sophomore as an inferior order Of ami
NAL.
Talking Of surprises" said the jun
Tor, 81 met with one this summer that
knocked me cold"
Lets have it," said the senior.
3You know that was chosen to rep
resent our class in the university eXpe-
dition to the Yellowstone park this
summer"
You? Yellowstone park? Oh, yes!
Now l remember. l had forgotten that
you took every scientific prize last
term" He removed his pipe from his
mouth and glanced significantly at the
freshman.
Everybody knows" the junior went
on, who knows anything, that the gey-
sers out there are impregnated with
calcareous and siliceous matter"
s.Co iii; &c,
good" said the sophomore, with mock
reverence.
Don't interrupt the speaker" inter-
posed the senior severely. This eXpe-
dition has brought about some remark
able discoveries, and we want to hear
about them"
"This calcareous and siliceous mat
ter resumed the narrator, Instantly
incrustates whatever it falls upon. We
found any quantity Of things from
which, when we knocked off the coat
ing, there was the original article, good
as ever. But we found one thing we
hadn't counted on. One of the fellows,
picking up piece of stone about ten
inches long and quite slender, began
to hammer it, and after an extra hard
knock the thing broke up, and off wrig-
gled live lizard"
Il didn't know" said the freshman
in establishment, "that life could exist
inside of stone"
"Shut up, freshman" said the sopho-
more. What do you know about SCI
| ence?
Life may exist inside of ice," said
| the senior by way of explanation.
why not inside of stone as wellY'
sit occurred to me-" the narrator
went on, ''to separate from the rest of
the party and look for other live speci-
mems, SO took my outfit and went on
| up different articles without finding
anything better than a chipmunk and
began to get discouraged. l was stand.
ing one day by one Of the biggest gey.
/ sers, admiring the way it shot up into
| the air, and was so intent upon It that
didn't notice that was gradually be
ing covered with it's spray. 1t occurred
to me that If stood there long enough
would become incrusted and turn out
living statue, SO l moved farther
away. Just above was another geyser
spouting for all it was worth. l went
to it and leaned against stone, sort
of pillar about ten feet high, Over
which the spray was constantly fall
ing. l don't know what put it into m,
head, but began to chop at the thing
with my ak. The first thing l knew
broke off big chunk and laid bare {
piece of gray cloth. Examining it,
found it to be mans coattail."
II can hardly believe that" said thu
freshman, with increasing surprise.
go on" said the senior, with with
ering glance at the doubter.
II went round to the opposite side o
the stone and after hammering awhil,
exposed bit of light summer silk
began to get interested. There wa
terraces they have in the park-besid
the big stone, and, mounting it,
swung the ak over my head, just as
throw the hammer at athletic shows
and, bringing the blade down on tn
top of the stone, cleft it in twain.
"And found said both upper elias
men, with fine show Of interest.
, 81 found" said the speaker impress
lively, "a young man and girl stand
: ing side by side, the mans arm aroun
: the girls waist. They had been ther
since the last party had visited the gey
= sers, week before. thus furnishin
admirable data as to the time a pair c
lovers can spend in that enjoyable pos
ton. They had stood together by tn
geyser. admiring it and each other an
were so intent upon their spooning tina
!. they didn't realize they were becomin
: incrusted till it was too late"
: "You don't mean it," cried the fresi
man. "Pshaw! It's ridiculous"
Freshman" said the senior sternl.
! you are doubling the word of the sc
y entific prodigy Of this college"
+ what did they do?" asked the sopl
h omore
b "Do? The girl blushed rosy red s
u being caught in such a position. ar
. the fellow marched her of. remarkir