Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1906-02-04
GIFT FROM THE GODS
AMBER. SO THE LEGEND GOES. IS
THE TEARS OF THE HFLiADES

The AneientA Highly Priced Thts
fonsii Gun-A Museum OF inAeets
and FIowers-iss VIrtaes and ns
! Ussh-some OF the Prize Lumps.
| Few events In history have left a
more lasting Impression OH the earth
Than The disastrous attempt of Phae
thOn Ia guide the chariot Of The sun.
| Driving too near the earth, he set the
mountains OH fire dried up seas. made
! Lydia Il desert and blackcned the faces
still burning dried up seas are testified
10y geology. the great African desert
Iei exists. The Ethiopian has not been
able to change his skin. As Jack Cade
would say. they ARE alive 10 this day
10 testify H."
And l'hacthOn'S own sad fate Is com
mcmoratcd by monument more last
IN. than brass. For when he was hurl-
ed down To the river Eridanus-thc
modern Poly wraIhful Jupiter his
sisters. the SIN daughters. or lleliadeS.
wcpt bitter tears. And so the kindly
gods in pity changed them into poplar
The tears of The HcIiadcS are pre-
ciouS indeed to Tie student of The life
of In" pasi. for in them are preserved
iu the most perfect state insects Of
many species. Amber * natures en-
balmcr Onre buried in lis prcsery ing
mairiX an organic body is preserved
forcv"r-harring accidents. Here is one
Of natures numerous hints tO invent
orS. Even those grand Old embalmers,
| the Egyptians. could not "mbalm like
the IlcliadcS with their amber tears.
| Within the mass of amber may he
found iics and beetles in the most per
| feet state OF preservation
A student III one OF our great univcr-
stiles once stated. on the authority Of
! the specimens in the university mu-
! scum that an insect usually had three
or four legs and never more than five.
! But the insects in amber have their
| proper complement Of six. The Vein
! ings of their wings and their delicate
! antcnnae are also beautifully preserv-
! ed
Dragon flies pursuing the smaller
winged dcnizens of the air were them
| stiNtS 'ililIpltN anu preserved LOT TIE
| inspection of The curious of future
ages: the centiped exercising ills many
legs in tree climbing reached the out
yelling tear and stuck fast; the spider
hunting The fly touched The sticky Sc
erection and could not tear Itself away.
\ vcritablc museum of insects and
other small crea lures is the The amber
dug on from the rocky strata of the
earth. II is also II museum of flowers
I'll prcscrver of those delicate parts
of the plant not often found otherwise
Here are the petals, the stamcns. even
the grains of pollen. Here. again. are
the catkins OF several species OF oak
and numbers Of miscroscopical fungi.
! Amber occurs In greatest abundance
along the Baltic coast, especially be-
tween Pillau and GrosZ Ilubencken.
g Some 1000 persons are said To he en-
1 ployed there in the search for amber.
! and in favorable seasons they will
! gather from 1000 tn 1000 hundred
weight y storm is Il great boon to The
amber guthcrcrs. for il washes the anu
her out of the cliffs and s1rews il along
| The shore. In England amber Is picket!
up along the coasts Of Norfolk and Es-
| sex.
To the ancicntS amber was something
or u mystery. which enhanced its fasci-
| nation. The name of the philosopher
who first observed its electrical prop.
erty IS not known, but this was de.
scrbcd by Tllalcs OF Milctus. Amber
was known in the time OF Homer. fol
among the jewels offered by Phoeni
elan traders to the queen Of SYRIA was
gold NECKLACE hung with bits of am
her, In Rome in the time of Pliny II
was OF such rcpute that this writer
sarcaStically observes that the price oil
small amber figure. however diminu
! i've. exceeds that OF II healthy slave
BuI besides It's value as an ornament
personal Or otherwise. various peculiar
virtues We're attributed To amber. T.,
!, quote again that diligent collector oi
The corn AMI chnf OF the knowledge ol
his lime. True il is that collar OF
amber beads worn about the necks oi
Young infants is Il singular preserva
live 10 them against secret poison ana
q countercharm for wiichcraft an,
Sorceries. Ii WAS also. the same M
thority informs us. colorcd to imitat,
various precious stones
And il is interesting to note that til,
TURKS, who use amber largely rs
monthpiece for their pipes. believe tina
ii prevents the spread OF infection
Amber is also highly esteemed from
religious point Of view by the follow
ers of Mohammed. and large quantitic,
are purchased by the pilgrims bound
for The holy city of Mecca.
Amber has played its part as civ