It must have seemed a great waste of time in wise men in the old
days to discuss the magnet or think about it at all. Please
observe how the apparent nonsense of early speculation finally
ripens into actual utility, and learn to respect those who deal
as best they can with questions that seem beyond our
comprehension.

First the magnet was made actually and wonderfully useful in the
compass. Who discovered the compass nobody knows. It was
probably invented by the Chinese and brought to Europe through
the Arabs. Anyhow, some genius found out that a small needle
brought in contact with the so-called lodestone, or magnetic ore,
absorbs the qualities of the lodestone, and when placed on a
pivot will always point to the north.

In the magnet there were and there still are many mysteries. A
form of perpetual motion seems to be embodied in the principle of
magnetism. One strange fact is this, that the weight of the
metal is exactly the same before it is magnetized and after it is
magnetized.

Early students thought that the magnet pointed toward some
particular spot in the sky, perhaps some magnetic star. One
genius felt sure that there must be huge mountains of lodestone
near the North Pole. This suggestion was followed by ingenious
yarns to the effect that in the extreme North ships had to be
built with wooden nails, instead of iron nails, as the magnetic
mountains would draw the iron nails out of the ship.