Farmers' Gazette, And Cheraw Advertiser

ADVANTAGES OF SCIENCE.

Mr. Holbrook of Medway, the celebrated bell founder, who has put up a clock on the Baptist church in this town, the present week, gave us a little incident of his life which is worth relating, if for nothing more than to show the importance of a knowledge of chemistry. An immense pile of cinders and dross had accumulated near his foundry, which was supposed to be entirely worthless, and was used to fill up stone walls, &c. A foreigner who happened to be in town examined the pile one day and offered $100 for it. So large a price excited Mr. H.'s suspicions that the pile might contain valuable metal, and he declined selling it. The man then offered $200, which of course confirmed his opinion, and after a little parley the stranger acknowledged that he was acquainted with a process by which valuable metal might be extracted from the cinders, which he offered to divulge for a small compensation. A furnace and apparatus were constructed according to his direction, and when the whole pile was run through, the mass of neglected rubbish yielded a nett profit of $13,000. So much for knowing "how to do it."--Lynn Freeman.