10 
The JVctturcili^ts’ Companion, 
Crystals. 
liY W. S. BEEKMAN, WEST MEDFORD, MASS. 
The majority of us, busy with the 
cares and trials of an ahfive life,- have 
but little time to occupy our attention 
with the intricacies of nature, and when 
we come in contadf with a friend who 
does have the time and taste, we are 
somewhat impressed by his ardor, and 
wonder, when we leave him after a })leas- 
ant half hour’s talk, why it is that we 
have never found such beauties in the 
objedts that are in our daily avocations. 
Crystals are not such an uncommon 
thing as we are apt to suspedt, and per¬ 
haps, one of the things used sever-al times 
every day of our existence will consist 
of thousands of perfedd symmetrical fig- 
ui'es. But when a room full of company, 
who have asked to be introduced to a 
few of these novelties, are asked to look 
at these finely formed particles, one and 
all fail to recognize the substance, but 
Avill comment upon its regularity. This 
substance is exhibited to them in a 
slightly magnified condition, and does 
not seem possible to some that they are 
little grains of sugar. I wonder how 
many of the r'eaders of this magazine, 
not diredlly interested in looking at 
magnified objedts, can give a corredd 
description of the form of a grain of 
sugar-. There may be many who, when 
looking under a magnifier, may recog¬ 
nize a grain of sugar by its form, 
when mixed with a number of other- 
forms, but when using a spoonful 
of sugar at the table, do they 
see the form of each little grain of sugar, 
as it rolls over and over in its downward 
course, as it appears under the glass? 
If not, that may be one reason why we 
find it discouiaging work at times, to 
pi'oceed intelligently in our study. 
When we sit at a rnagrrifier, we are ready 
to note all it may show ; but, when it 
comes to remembering half we have 
thus seen, it is another task. 
A college mate of mine, who took the 
honors in chemical ■ work, left for the 
West some time ago. Quite recently he 
sent me a little package by mail, from 
where he was at the time in Wyoming, 
containing a number ol curiously shap¬ 
ed particles. A note accomjmnied the 
package stating how he was walking in 
a valley, and observed these singular 
grains, and that he was quite surprised 
to find they were all nearly of a shape 
and size. He wanted me to give some 
explanation as to why they should all 
have been worn in that peculiar shape. 
I wrote back that they wei'e not water- 
worn, but genuine crystals, called mag¬ 
netite, and were formed according to 
laws of crystallization, that has thus far- 
eluded our searching grasp almost com¬ 
pletely. lir answer, he remarked if that 
form should have occur'red during a 
chemical operation, he would in¬ 
stantly have recognized a substance 
crystallizing in the odtahedral foimr, of 
the regular-, or cubical system, but out 
in the valleys, like the person at the ta¬ 
ble, natural inference was lacking, 
'bhe ordinary idea of crystal, apper¬ 
tains to rock ci-ystal, or some bright 
clear substance, as crystal glass, or 
‘^Tlear as crystal.” 
Rock crystal, as found abundantly in 
Nature, is a beautiful substance, and has 
been admired by us all. It is found in 
nearly every portion of our country ; 
most fi-equently as a fine brilliant or 
dr'usy coating in the crevices of rocks. 
It is generally stained various shades of 
yellow, due to iron. In a few localities 
the small brilliant points, instead of ab- 
