I have been running my train to the best of my ability. Never looked
at the matter in this light before. Never thought I was doing anything
wrong. I have done nothing more than other conductors; tried to earn
my salary and get it, and think I've succeeded. I don't know that I
owe the Company anything. If you think I do, why, there's a little
difference of opinion, and I don't want any trouble over it. I have a
nice family, nice father and mother; relatives all of good standing;
they would feel bad to have me arrested and charged with dishonesty. It
would kill my wife. She has every confidence in me, and the idea that I
would take a penny that did not belong to me would break her heart. I
don't care anything for the matter myself; but on account of my family
and relatives, if you won't say anything more about it, I'll give you
say--a dollar!'
THE MONTH:
SCIENCE AND ARTS.
Mr Charles Barry, President of the Royal Institute of British
Architects, in his opening address, mentioned that with a view to
facilitate the studies of young men, the library of the Institute is
open from ten in the morning till nine at night, to members of the
Architectural Association, to the architectural classes of the Royal
Academy, of University College, and King's College. A fee of five
shillings a year and a proper recommendation are the conditions on
which this valuable privilege may be obtained; and it is to be hoped
that earnest-minded students--the architects of the future--will hasten
to avail themselves of this generously offered store of knowledge.
The Council of the Institute have given notice of lectures which are
to be delivered at University College, London, during the present
session, comprising Ancient Architecture as a Fine Art; on Construction
and Materials; on Roofing, Masonry, Quarries, Arches, and Groining.
At King's College also there will be lectures on the Mechanics of
Construction; on Constructive Design and Practice, besides classes
for the study of Architectural Drawing, Descriptive Geometry, and
Surveying and Levelling. Young men who wish to study architecture and
allied subjects have in the courses thus provided for, a favourable
opportunity. Among the papers announced for reading at the meetings of
the Institute are: On the Architecture of Norway; On the Prevention of
Corrosion in Iron; and Syria, the Cradle of Gothic Architecture; which
may be expected to present especial points of interest.
The Council of the Royal Agricultural Society have published a
statement of members' privileges which is worth attention. On payment
of a moderate fee the advice of a competent veterinary inspector can be
had in cases of disease among the live-stock; post-mortem examinations
can be made, and the animals may be sent to the Brown Institution,
Wandsworth Road, London, where the Professor-Superintendent undertakes
'to carry out such investigations relating to the nature, treatment,
and prevention of diseases of cattle, sheep, and pigs, as may be
deemed expedient by the Council of the Society.' Reports on the cases
are drawn up quarterly, or specially as may be required. Analyses of
guano and other fertilisers, of soils, of water, of vegetable products,
may be had; also reports on seeds, with determination of the quantity
of weeds mingled among them; on vegetable parasites; on diseases of
farm-crops. And besides all this, any member whose lands are infested
by noxious intruders may have a 'determination of the species of
any insect, worm, or other animal, which, in any stage of its life,
injuriously affects the farm-crops, with a report on its habits, and
suggestions as to its extermination.'
Experiments on the fattening of animals by Messrs Lawes and Gilbert
help to settle the much-debated question as to whether fat is produced
exclusively from nitrogenous food or not. Their conclusion is, that
excess of nitrogen contributes to growth but not to fatness. 'There
is, of course,' they say, 'a point below which the proportion of
nitrogenous substance in the food should not be reduced; but if this
be much exceeded, the proportion of the increase, and especially of
the fat-increase, to the nitrogenous substance consumed, rapidly
decreases; and it may be stated generally, that taking our current
fattening food-stuffs as they are, it is their supply of digestible
non-nitrogenous, rather than of nitrogenous constituents which guides
the amount, both of the food consumed and of the increase produced, by
the fattening animal.'
Since the outbreak of discussion on spontaneous generation and the germ
theory, many readers have become familiar with the term Bacteria, by
which certain minute organisms are described. The question involved
may be studied from different points of view, as appears from a
communication addressed to the Royal Society by Dr Downes and Mr Blunt,
a chemist, on the Effect of Light upon Bacteria and other Organisms.
Properly prepared solutions were inclosed in glass tubes; some of
the tubes were placed in sunlight, others were covered with paper
or some material that excluded light. The dark tubes became turbid;
the light tubes remained clear. The experiments modified in various
ways were continued from April to October; and the conclusions that
the experimentalists came to were that--Light is inimical to the
development of Bacteria and the microscopic fungi associated with
putrefaction and decay, its action on the latter being apparently less
rapid than upon the former--That the preservative quality of light
is most powerful in the direct solar ray, but can be demonstrated
to exist in ordinary diffused daylight--and That this preservative
quality appears to be associated with the actinic rays of the spectrum.
'It appears to us,' say the two gentlemen, 'that the organisms which
have been the subject of our research may be regarded simply as
isolated cells, or minute protoplasmic masses specially fitted by
their transparency and tenuity for the demonstration of physical
influences. May we not expect that laws similar to those which here
manifest themselves may be in operation throughout the vegetable, and
perhaps also the animal kingdom wherever light has direct access to
protoplasm? On the one hand, we have chlorophyll (colouring substance
of leaves, &c.) owing its very existence to light, and whose functions
are deoxidising; on the other, the white protoplasm or germinal matter
oxidising in its relations, and to which, in some of its forms at
least, the solar rays are not only non-essential, but even devitalising
and injurious.
'This suggestion,' continued the gentlemen, 'we advance provisionally
and with diffidence; nor do we wish to imply that the relations of
light to protoplasmic matter are by any means so simple as might be
inferred from the above broad statement.'
A paper by Dr Burdon Sanderson, F.R.S., read before the same Society,
contains, amid much that is controversial about _Bacteria_, germs,
organised particles, development and so forth, a few passages which
all intelligent readers will be able to understand. On the question
of disease-germs, the learned doctor remarks: 'In order that any
particle may be rightly termed a disease-germ, two things must be
proved concerning it: first, that it is a living organism; secondly,
that if it finds its way into the body of a healthy human being or of
an animal, it will produce the disease of which it is the germ. Now
there is only one disease affecting the higher animals in respect of
which anything of this kind has been proved, and that is splenic fever
of cattle. In other words, there is but one case in which the existence
of a disease-germ has been established. Comparing such a germ with the
germinal particles we have been discussing, we see that there is but
little analogy between them, for, first, the latter are not known to be
organised; secondly, they have no power of producing disease, for it
has been found by experiment that ordinary Bacteria may be introduced
into the circulating blood of healthy animals in considerable
quantities without producing any disturbance of health. So long as we
ourselves are healthy, we have no reason to apprehend any danger from
the morbific action of atmospheric dust, except in so far as it can
be shewn to have derived infectiveness from some particular source of
miasma or contagium.'
In a communication to the _American Journal_, Professor Kirkwood
discusses the question--Does the motion of the inner satellite of
Mars disprove the nebular hypothesis? This satellite he remarks is
within three thousand four hundred miles of the planet's surface, and
completes three orbital revolutions in less than a Martial day. How is
this remarkable fact to be reconciled with the cosmogony of Laplace?
The Professor then remarks that there is some similarity between the
movements of the satellites and those of the rings of Saturn. The
rings are composed of clouds of exceedingly minute planetoids, and
while the outer ring revolves in a period somewhat greater than that
of Saturn itself, 'the inner visible edge of the dusky ring completes
a revolution in about eight hours. These rings,' in the words of
Professor Tait, 'like everything cosmical, must be gradually decaying,
because in the course of their motion round the planet there must be
continual impacts among the separate portions of the mass; and of
two which impinge, one may be accelerated, but at the expense of the
other. The other falls out of the race, as it were, and is gradually
drawn in towards the planet. The consequence is that, possibly not so
much on account of the improvement of telescopes of late years, but
perhaps simply in consequence of this gradual closing in of the whole
system, a new ring of Saturn has been observed inside the two old
ones, called from its appearance the crape ring, which was narrow when
first observed, but is gradually becoming broader. That crape ring is
formed of the laggards which have been thrown out of the race, and are
gradually falling in towards Saturn's surface.' It is then suggested
that, by a process similar to that here described, the phenomena of the
Martial system may have been produced, and the argument concludes thus:
'Unless some such explanation as this can be given, the short period of
the inner satellite will doubtless be regarded as a conclusive argument
against the nebular hypothesis.'
In a paper read at a meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society, Mr
Brett argues against the hypothesis that Mars is in a condition similar
to that of the earth. He grounds his conclusion on the fact that in
all his observations of Mars he has seen no clouds in the atmosphere
thereof. That atmosphere is very dense, of great bulk, and is probably
of a temperature so high that any aqueous vapour contained therein is
prevented from condensation. Mr Brett implies that the glowing red
colour of the middle of the disk is glowing red heat; and he remarks,
in terrestrial experience there is always an intermediate phenomenon
between vapour and snow, namely opaque cloud; and the absence of this
condition seems fatal to the hypothesis that the white polar patch, as
hitherto supposed, consists of snow. According to Mr Brett this patch
is not only not snow; constitutes no part of the solid mass of the
planet; but is nothing more than a patch of cloud, 'the only real cloud
existing in Mars.'
From particulars published in the _Quarterly Journal_ of the Geological
Society, it appears that metallic copper and copper ore have been
discovered along a tract of country in Nova Scotia, that the specimens
when analysed at Swansea yielded satisfactory results, and that 'Nova
Scotia may soon appear on the list of copper-producing countries,
it being confidently expected that during the approaching summer
fresh localities will be proved to contain copper-bearing veins.'
And shifting the scene, we learn from the same _Journal_ that in the
South African Diamond Fields, two claims in Kimberley Mine, comprising
eighteen hundred square feet, have yielded twenty-eight thousand carats
of diamond; that at Lyndenburg, in the Transvaal country, most of the
alluvial gold is supplied by Pilgrim's Rest Creek, the gold being
coarse and nuggety, in well-rounded lumps, some of which, ten pounds in
weight, are worth from seventy-six to eighty shillings an ounce; and
that near the Oliphant River cobalt ore is found, of which a hundred
tons have been sent to England. The same locality yields beryls, and is
believed to be rich in other minerals.
Compressed air on being released from pressure can be cooled down to a
very low temperature by throwing into it a jet of cold water. Advantage
has been taken of this fact in contriving a new refrigerator or
freezing chamber; and we are informed that at a trial which took place
with a view to commercial purposes, 'in half an hour after commencing
to work the machine, the thermometer within the freezing chamber stood
at twenty degrees below zero; the interior of the chamber was covered
with hoar-frost half an inch thick, bottles of water were frozen solid,
and the general temperature of the room in which the freezing chamber
stands was reduced to thirty degrees Fahrenheit.' It is clear that
by this invention a very cheap way of producing ice and maintaining
coolness has become available; and that it should have been adopted by
a Company for use on board ship to keep meat fresh during the voyage
from Canada is what might be expected. Bearing in mind that in April
of the present year the United States sent to England more than eight
million pounds of meat, the importance of the new cooling method will
be appreciated. Moreover, it may be applied to many other purposes
which require a low temperature.
Another step has been taken towards diminishing the risk of railway
travelling. Experience has shewn that the danger most to be dreaded is
collision; and that collision is brought about by defective signals.
The interlocking system of signals is good, and the block-system is
good; but they have failed in critical moments. The manager of the
Railway Signal Works at Kilburn has invented a method which combines
the two systems, and, as we are informed, has thereby 'dislodged the
last atom of human fallibility' from railway signalling. Time will
prove.
The block-system has been adopted, with endeavours to improve it,
on some of the principal lines in France; and the companies point
to statistics which shew that railway travelling is safer in France
than in Belgium or England; there being not more than _one_ death to
forty-five millions of travellers.
Professor Marsh's address to the meeting of the American Association
for the Advancement of Science cannot fail to interest all readers
who desire to learn something of the Introduction and Succession of
Vertebrate Life in America. It is a subject very inviting, and very
difficult to trace the succession from fishes to amphibia, reptiles and
birds, and onwards to mammals; but cannot be properly discussed without
the aid of much dry scientific detail. We shall content ourselves
therefore with a few points in the address which admit of presentation
in a popular form. 'During the Triassic time,' says Professor Marsh,
'the Dinosaurs attained in America an enormous development both in
variety of forms and in size. The Triassic sandstone of the Connecticut
valley has long been famous for its fossil footprints, especially the
so-called bird-tracks, which are generally supposed to have been made
by birds. A careful investigation, however, of nearly all the specimens
yet discovered has convinced me that most of these three-toed tracks
were certainly not made by birds; but by quadrupeds which usually
walked upon their hind-feet alone, and only occasionally put to the
ground their smaller anterior extremities.'
According to present knowledge, the earliest appearance of birds
in America was during the Cretaceous period. Among them was one to
which the name _Hesperornis_ has been given. It was aquatic, nearly
six feet in length, had jaws with teeth set in grooves, rudimentary
wings, and legs similar to those of modern diving-birds. We have it
on the authority of Professor Marsh that this strange creature 'was
essentially a carnivorous swimming ostrich.'
Coming to the Miocene period, we are told of the Brontotherium, an
animal nearly as large as the elephant, but with much shorter limbs.
A countryman looking at the skeleton of one of these monsters in the
museum at Newhaven, was heard to say: 'Adam must have had a bad time
of it when he branded that critter there.' It was succeeded by the
equally huge _Chalicotherium_. And a little later we have the statement
that 'the Marsupials are clearly the remnants of a very ancient fauna
which occupied the American continent millions of years ago, and from
which the other mammals were doubtless all derived, although the direct
evidence of the transformation is wanting.'
It has long been supposed that the New World was peopled by migrations
from the Old World. Professor Marsh holds a directly opposite opinion,
whereby an interesting question is presented for discussion. The
surveys and explorations carried on of late years by the United States
government have brought to light such an amazing number of fossils,
indicative of more, that the museums in America will soon be the
largest and the richest in specimens in the world. On the other hand,
we may point to Central Asia, and suggest that when that vast country
shall be thoroughly explored, fossil relics may be discovered more
diversified and interesting even than those of America.
A remarkable statement occurs in a Report by one of the government
naturalists on the Injurious Insects of the West, namely that in the
United States the loss of agricultural products through the ravages of
insects amounts to 'probably more than two hundred millions of dollars
each year, and that from one-quarter to one-half of this sum might be
saved by preventive measures.'
Another item from beyond the Atlantic is the gigantic cuttle-fish,
which was found after a storm at Catalina, on the coast of
Newfoundland. The measurements of this monster were: circumference of
body seven feet; length of tentacular arms thirty feet; of the ventral
arms eleven feet, and eye-sockets eight inches diameter. This, the
largest specimen ever preserved, is now in the New York Aquarium.
With a grasp of sixty feet when living, it must have realised the
descriptions in old writers of horrid sea-monsters that devoured
divers, and enveloped even ships with their terrible arms. It is not
the first that has been found on the shores of Newfoundland.
Readers who prefer the study of geography when mixed with adventures
will find instruction and entertainment in Mr Alfred Simson's _Notes of
Travel Across South America from Guayaquil to the Napo_, an affluent
of the great river of Brazil, as published in the last number of the
Geographical Society's _Journal_. Among descriptions of perilous
incidents, of laborious exertions, and of narrow escapes, are accounts
of wonderful scenery, of natural products, and of some of the native
tribes, which make us aware that much yet remains to be discovered
in that mountainous interior. In one place a party of the numerous
Jívaros tribe was met with, one of the most independent and warlike in
South America, who withstood alike the attacks of Incas and Spaniards,
and have still a habit of killing white people. A Jesuit padre who
had resided among them three years, told Mr Simson 'that he found it
impossible to make any progress with them.'
On another occasion Mr Simson explored the almost unknown Putumayo,
one of the largest of the Amazonian tributaries, navigable to the
foot of the Andes, eighteen hundred miles from the sea. This voyage,
aided by the Brazilian government, with a view to steam-navigation,
occupied fifty-seven days, beset by hardships, and the plague of the
blood-thirsty Pium flies, all of which Mr Simson appears to have
overcome by indomitable resolution.
In reply to further inquiries made regarding vegetable size, we are
told that 'the best and purest, if not the cheapest, is the _haï-thao_,
which is sold by Messrs Renault aîné et fils, 26 Rue du Roi de
Sicile, Paris. Its price (last year) varied from 5.50 to 7 francs per
kilogramme.' We are further told that this 'gum' was applied to the
sizing of cotton cloths with good results, and that it might prove
equally useful for the sizing of other materials such as paper. To one
gallon of water, four ounces of the size are added and _well_ boiled,
the result of which is a jelly which gets very thick when cool. Besides
the _haï-thao_, there are other kinds of size made from sea-weeds,
such as the _gélase_ of M. Martineau, druggist, St Parchaise, Charente
Inférieure--sold at 3.50 francs per kilogramme; the _thao-français_,
sold by M. Steinbach, Petit Guerilly, near Rouen, from 3.50 to 5
francs; and the _ly-cho_ of M. Fichet, 8 Rue de Chateau, Asnières,
Seine. Of the foregoing we believe the _haï-thao_ size to be the best.
THE ROLL-CALL OF HOME.
'FOR VALOUR.'
A soldier came from distant lands, to seek his childhood's home:
A gallant boy he marched away, when first he longed to roam
With colours flying o'er his head, with music's thrilling strain;
But now a saddened, dying man, he wandered home again.
He left his love, the village belle, and cried, in careless glee:
'When medals shine upon my breast, a hero's bride thou 'lt be.'
To bring his mother laurels back, his youthful heart had yearned;
A simple cross, a life of toil, were all that he had earned.
Beside the old churchyard there sat, upon a rustic stile,
A pretty little village maid, who gave him smile for smile.
He asked her news of dear old friends--his dog among the rest--
And trem'lous then he slowly asked for those he loved the best.
But when his father's, mother's, name she heard him softly say,
The merry face grew grave and sad; the bright smile passed away.
She told, their son was lost or dead, their hearts' delight and pride;
''Neath yonder yew-tree,' said the maid, 'they're sleeping, side by side.'
He asked her of his boyhood's love; a joyous answer came;
'Thou knowest all my friends,' she cried; 'that _was_ my mother's name.'
The soldier's face was fraught with grief she could not understand;
Yet, with a child's quick sympathy, she placed in his her hand.
'Come home,' she said; but with a kiss, quoth he, 'That may not be;
I soon shall reach the only home now left, on earth, for me.'
She was his last remaining friend; and thus, life's journey done,
He gave her all he had to give--the cross, too dearly won!
Bethought the maid, he needs repose as he has come from far;
So prayed that he would tell, some day, the story of the war.
'We two will rest a little while, for I am tired,' she said;
'Where daisies grow, beneath the tree, come now and rest thy head.'
She led him, gently, to the spot; and sleeping, calmly, there,
The mother found them, hand in hand. How different the pair!
_He_ was at peace; but in that rest where sorrow ne'er may come.
Ah! may the soldier then have gained, in Heaven, a better home.
AUGUSTA A. L. MAGRA.
* * * * *
_Volume XIV. of the Fourth Series of CHAMBERS'S JOURNAL is now
completed, price Nine Shillings._
* * * * *
_A Title-page and Index, price One Penny, have been prepared, and may
be ordered through any bookseller._
* * * * *
_An elegant cloth case for binding the whole of the numbers for 1877 is
also ready._
* * * * *
_Back numbers to complete sets may at all times be had._
* * * * *
_Next Saturday, January 5, 1878, will be commenced in this JOURNAL, a
NOVEL, entitled_
HELENA, LADY HARROWGATE.
By JOHN B. HARWOOD,
Author of _Lady Flavia_, &c.
* * * * *
END OF FOURTEENTH VOLUME.
Printed and Published by W. and R. Chambers, 47 Paternoster Row,
London, and 339 High Street, Edinburgh.
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