Mechanical Inspiration

There is hardly an implement in daily use that has not undergone such thorough and radical ohange that it ia virtually another thing. A walk throngh the hardware and tooi store is by no means thrown away. Having occasion to use a carpenter's bit, a few days since, we stepped into a store and npon nquiring for the article were shown one. lt was not what we wanted, and we said to the proprietor : " If you had a tbing like a gimlut, for instanee, that would bore a dozen holes with a little alteration, that would be justtbe thing." 1 I have it," he replied, and prnduced jrecisely what we have described ; a iteel shank about eighl inches long, javing a feed-wonn at one end and a number of detatched cutters whicli can be screwed on or off to out certaii sized holes, lt was complete. Nothing could be more so. A dozen holes of all sizes within an inch can be bored, and the bulk of the tools when not packed is not over an inch square by eight nches in length. For f'amily use, for amateurs, or even for mechanica, auch tools are invaluable. This is not a solüary iustance. Obstinate corks that lie between one and the sparkling contenta of a wine or soda bottle need no longer be tugged at in vain, till one is red in the face. A little gentle exercise, provoeation of apjetite, and a twist oí the wrist bringa out the stubborn guardián so rapidly that the vory wine laugtu to nee how neatly it waa done The new corkscrews accompli-h all this, and though t may seem trivial to enlarde upon, it is not trivial to the prop ietors of the putents, who fint.) reudy sale for all ïhey can manufacture. It is just in these little things, as, they are callad, hat shreud ingenious man find a qniok r turn f r their outlay of' time and capita?. The reader may have seen oí late n blacking box, which has a wooden bottom and cover with tin sides, Thia box or its origin, has a curious hietory. The inventor was in our office recently, and said that when the war broke out his legitímate business was ruined, He argued that if the war was tha occasion of his misfortune, it raight also be turned to his advantage ; so " he thought and thought," as the saying is, to littlo advantage. At last the iuspiration carae, He was in a friend's store one day when he saw a tin blacking box, was told of the demand and high price of' tin, and then he set his wits to work. He had the idea but not tho machines, for without these to manufacture them readily, the invention waa valueless. In company with another persen he hired a room in the Harlein railroad buildings, in this city, aud in six months he had the machines ready at a cost of many thousand dollars, about all the available rneans he had.- Nothiog daunted he perse?ered, and in a short timo stink eight hundred more. Froin that time the business prospered, bo that he now assures us that for four year.s to come he has orders enotigh to keep hira busy. The box saves, we are told, the importution of thousanda of dollars worth of tin annually, and aftords occupation to numbers of females in an entirely new branch of employment. The price is fár below that of tin boxes, beiny1 afforded, we are told, at $1, 25 a thoüsand, whicb is almost incredible. May this not be styled a mechanical inspiration oí the first degreo ? Aud ia not such an individual in one sense, no doubt unintentionally, a benefactor? - Most assuredly. There are countless instances in the economy of the arts and sciences where similar inventions might be used to advantage. All men are not inventora, but there are few in manufucturing business of any kind, who do not feel fhat, in the possession of a machine fordoïng a certa n branch more rapidlv, they would have great advantage "over competitt rs. Mu nu facturera should muke ihoir wants known, and they will not long be without the objeot of their desirtiM. And not they alone, but all who takean interest in substantial progresg, who are the friends to advanoemeot, should endeavor to improve the tools, the rnatoriuls, the procosses aiid the