The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-07-11

the consumption of metalloids in the
atmosphere, it became Kissing mass
of vapor and steam The rapid con-
densation, or rather annihilation, of
the aqueous elements in the atmos-
phere, however, had effect only in their
prolongation accelerating the, conse-
quential, drop in temperature and per-
mitting the water to penetrate to
depth where its vapors no longer Kissed,
but sent back detonations that no hu-
man ear could possibly Withstand.
Violent commissions, accompanied by
terrific crashes of electrical phenome-
nor, resulted in gigantic upheavals
and immense depressions, following
upon each other spasmodically, and re-
linquishing their fury as volume upon
volume of water descended on the rap
idly cooling surface of the globe. In
the eaily Laurentian period the earth
was, according to geology, completely
inundated and in quiescent state but,
as yet, no life existed. Subjected, for
thousands of years. to the burning
rays of the sun, the water became
stagnant and its corrosive action on
the underlying stratum produced many
chemical changes, depositing vast
quantities Of carbon, phosphorus, boron,
CELEBRATES, sodium aud nitrogen. l may
state, in parenthesis, that nitrogen
comprises four-fifths of the atmosphere;
that it exists in the upper crust of the
earth's surface and is absolutely essen
tial to life in all its forms. At the
time OF which I write its deposits were
infinitely greater than now, account
ing for the countless genera of animal
and plant life in the four epochs fol-
lowing-especially the enormous pro-
portionsof reptiles and mammals of
the Mesolithic and C@nollthic epochs.
That it's quantities have diminished
since the later Pliocene period is evil
denced by the bsrrenness of soil, ct
that time fourishing with vegetation,
while the worlds deserts are instances
of it's total absence.
In the meantime, the terrific momen-
tum of the planets in the solar system,
held in definite courses by the electro
magnetic attraction of the sun and the
physico-electric phenomenon generated
by their own velocity, surcharged inf
mite space with living, seething, par
ticles, of dynamic energy. The chief
properties of these individual particles
or electrons, like the corpuscle, is in
ertia; they either remain at rest or
rage with speed beyond all human
imagination, depending on the inten-
sity of perturbations caused by electro.
dynamic attraction and electr0static
repulsion. Previous to the earth's
quiescent state the tiny concentrated
masses of these bodies reached the
; surface in the form of lightning only;
: but as the chemical properties in the
water increased electolytic attraction
became greater and in the later Lau.
rentian period we find them coalescine
with the nitrogen, carbon and sodium
} chloride, metamorphosing the origina
elements into an albuminous plassor
| or primitive slime. Such was the
/ origin of the primordial bdthybius, 6
creature without nucleus; without al
organ of any description, yet living, anG
> capable of issiparous reproduction fol
every little platidule, of its plasson
: possessed individuality and the voltait
properties essential to sustain life. Il
: was an entity in itself. With the ad
D vent of this creature new chemica
D elements were added to natures III
Q creasing store, and during the Cam
] brian period the moneron evolved
: from the primitive slime. PHYSICAL!
}. similar to its progenitor this homoge
Q neous mass of protoplasm exhibited
Q the first change in the process of evo
luton that was destined to bring fortl
: man. 1t had mechanical control of it
= self and crawled over the oceans bet
by jutting forth protuberances from
its jelly-like body and contracting
o while it's method Of reproduction, phys
+ ically characteristic of the bathybius
8 brought forth only two individuals.
: It may be here stated that the none
q rula, of the human and mammalian
b embryo, receives its name from thes
y creatures; in fact, the first structure
8. stage of development, after fertiliza
4 tion, Is nothing more than mass o
q protoplasm physically and chemicall