Amador ledger., 1906-10-26

A Vision of Wealth. The Safest
Safes. : A Hum bug Ology.- The
Coming Museum. = A New Ast1o-
nomlcal Science. = Rapid Picture
PRINTING A botanical Puzzle. =
Brittle Nails.
The eletrolytic recovery of gold
from seawater Is still a dream of
many European chemists. A. Nodon
proposes to use as electrodes sheets
ef copper and lead or lead and cast
iron, each about one twenty fifth of
an inch in thickness, and to surround
these plates with porous canvas bags
for collecting the gold that fails 10
adhere. The baths, within reach of
the tide, would have depth of two
meters and a width of ten meters
(about 80 feet). With cement patti
lions every 40 meters, a battery of
100 s1ch baths could be run together,
and it is calculated that this would
furnish $50 grams of gold per day of
twelve hours. In this time, 5000
cubic meters of water would be treat
ed, current of $1,000 amperes at .. 5
volts being required. The annual
cost Is estimated at 81, 900, and the
profit is figured at $40, GOO on a capital
of $40,
British safes, We are told, would
have prevented great loss at San Fran
cisco. where the contents of large
proportion of so-called tireproof safes
and vaults were destroyed. The
American plan of insulating with
filling of infusoriai earth or asbestos
is condemned as sure to fail in severe
test, and it is affirmed that not fire.
proof, but a steam generating and
moisture evolving Gemposition-dry-
ing to on-eouducting materials
needed to keep the inside cool for the
longest possible time. English
makers alIege that this difference
gives superiority to their safes.
IGraphology has been proven by
Alfred Binet to be utterly without
scientific value. Experts failed to
distinguish between the hand writing
of man and that OF woman, of an
old man and OF q youth, and Of a
sf nE
mapship of a brutal murderer was
pronounced that of a young girl of
great moderation.
In Americas evolution. the uni
versity and the public library have
been added to the little red school
house, and the public laboratory and
the industrial museum may reasonably
be expected soon. The Importance
of the last is urged by Alfred Sang in
The Engineering Magazine. This
would be a great educator of the en- i.
tire public, would stimulate inven !.
ton, and would safeguard ing ell ious
mechanics against many mistak es and
much repetition. As the best exist
ing example is cited the Conservative
des Arts and Meters of Paris, which
was established during the Revo luton
for the free teaching of the applied
sciences. 1t provides evening courses
in % subjects, has extensive testing
laboratories, museum of $4,000
models aud pieces of apparatus. an in
dustrial library of 40, 600 volumes,
and eading room containing period
icals, but it is now years behind the
times: One of its Interesting exhibits
is Scott graphophone, which gave
tin-foiI record and reproduction of a
cornet solo before Edison was born.
The ideal museum would have a Sec
ton or alcove for each industry,
which would be under the supervision
of an expert, and would show up-to-
date processes, with models of pro-
posed apparatus and of ideas that have
proven failures. also raw materials
and the literature of the subject, and
all would be easily accessible.
Planetology, the new science pro-
posed by Prof. E. S. NJ orse, would
study the conditions of distant planets
by applying geology, meteoroIogy,
physical geography, geodesy and other
terrestrial sciences. 1t confirms the
idea tnat Mars is Inhabited. The
reality OF the maIkings-or canals"
and their seasonal variation has
been proven by the most careful
observers, including Prof. Morse
himself, and our earth knowledge
strongly suggests that as the scant
MartIan water supply is released from
its winter locking up in the polar ice
caps, the systematic irrigation works
conduct it to the most suitable spots,
where it creates GASES of vegetation.
Black walnut now comes chiefly
from southwestern Missouri, Arkansas,
Oklahoma and Indian Territory. The
annual production is about 80, 600, 600
feet, most of which gees to Germany.
The new process of illustration
brought out by Sir Joseph Swan IS
described as a combination of photo
gravuIe haif-tone and collotype. 1t
makes possible the printing from the
plate of several hundred Impressions
per hour and it is adapted for plain,
smooth paper, which is much more
agreeable to the eye than the usual
Ol0seu curFooo frbo ~, Iod ~ lose coroan