The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-01-27

Every now and then il is discovered
that some extremely modern inven-
ton is in reality exceedingly old. For
example, the safety pin, far from be-
ing a. novelty, or even of recent orig
in, is decidedly ancient-a a. made
certain by the finding of a great many
such pins, fashioned exactly like those
Of today, in old Roman and Etruscan
tombs, dating back to a period a good
deal earlier than the, birth of Christ.
The safety pin was an article Of
common use in Italy long before the
Roman empire attained the height of
it's glory. Some of them were exactly
like those of today, utilizing the famil-
lar principle of coiled spring N catch;
but the material of which they were
made seems always to have been
bronze. They took on a development,
however, far more remarkable than our
modern safety pins, many of them be-
ing quite large affairs, ten inches or
so in length and hollow, as If designed
to be attached to the gown in front
and possibly to contain flowers. Not
infrequently they were ornamented
Win gems says AhS ANSN AOAh AhtSAA-
can.
Another ancient invention wal the
collar stud. 1t is true that the ancient
Romans did not use buttons to fasten
their garments, but for this very rea-
son safety pins were more urgently
required, and the latter seems to have
been supplemented by studs of bronze,
which were in shape exactly like those
Of today. OF course, people in those
days wore no collars, but the little
continuance in question was utilized
in other ways. Probably-and, indeed,
the assumption is not a rash one-it
had in that early epoch the same habit
as now of rolling under a piece of
furniture on slight provocation, for
the purpose Of eluding observation and
pursuit, with the usual peryersity Of
inanimate objects.
OF all modern inventions, none
seems to belong more typically to the
present day than the so-caIled McGill
paper fastener-the small brass con-
trivance used to fasten a number of
sheets of paper together. Yet Though
it has been ~patented), II was well
known more than 1000 years ago, be-
ing used by soldiers of Rome as an
incidental of their costume. The belt
Of thin copper worn by the ancient
legionary was fastened to a strip Of
cloth, for lining, with a series OF little
bronze clamps exactly like the paper
fastener in question.
The Smithsonian institution at
Washington has got together a very
interesting collection of such ancient
inventions-one Of the specimens
shown being the belt of an ancient
Roman soldier, which exhibits the APP
plication of the continuance described.
Among other objects belonging to the
same category are thimbles $500 years
old. They are bronze, and their outer
surfaces show the familiar indenta-
tions for engaging the head of the
needle. Indeed, these thimbles are
much like modern ones, barring the
fact that they have no tops to cover
the end Of the finger. For that mat
ter, however, many thimbles Of today
are topless.
The women in those days had bronze
bodkins, made just like those in use
now, and for toilet purposes they en-
! ployed small tweezers OF a pattern
that has not been altered in 1000
years. To hold their hair IN place
they had not hit upon the notion OF
bending a wire double; but they twist
ed for that purpose straight bronze
pins, made exactly like modern hat
pins with big spherical heads. It is
from this early type Of hairpin, in
truth, that the hatpin Of today is de-
rived. Mayhap the ancient Roman
virago, when aroused t. rage, plucked
an ~improvised dagger from her back