The Nevada Democrat., 1862-04-19
CHAPTER III.

conclude the series with
CHAPTER III.
THE EARTH.
In the language of the lamented Derby, "Ihe
Earth, or as the Latins called it, Tellus (from
which originated the expression ''do tell us,
is the third planet in the solar system, and the
one on which we subsist, with all our important
lows and sorrows. The Nevada Democrat IS
published tri-weekly on this planet, Piety Hill,
and Pine street bridge are all located on this
planet. AS the Earth is by no means the most
important planet in the system, there is no rea-
| son to suppose that it is particularly distin-
euished from the others by being inhabited. 1t
is reasonable therefore, to conclude, that all the
other planets Of the system are filled with living,
moving and sentient beings; and as some of
them are superior to the Earth in size and po-
sition, il is not improbable that their inhabi-
tants may be superior to us IN physical and
mental organization"
But IL this were demonstrable fact, instead
! of mere hypothesis, it would be found very
! difficult matter to persuade MS OF its truth. To
the inhabitants of Venus, the Earth appears
| like brilliant star, very much, in fact, as We
nus appears to us; and, reasoning from analogy
we are led to believe that the election OF Abe
| Lincoln, the prospect Of European war, the
| split in the Democratic party, or the quarrel
|
little excitement among them.*
10 the inhabitants of Jupiter, our important
globe appears like a small star of the fourth or
fifth magnitude. We recollect some years ago
gazing with astOnishment upon the inhabitants
of a drop of water, developed by the Solar Mi
croscope, and secretly wondering whether they
were or not reasoning beings, with souls TO be
saved. 1t is not altogether pleasant refec-
ton that a highly scientific inhabitant Of Jupi.
4 to1o r 70 fpn caiv
able form, may be pursuing a similar course Of
inquiry, and indulging in similar speculations
regarding our Earth and its inhabitants. Gaz-
ing with curious eye. his attention is suddenly
attracted by the movements of grand cele-
bration of Fourth of July in New York, or a
mighty convention in Baltimore. "God bless
my soul, ;" he exclaims, 81 declare they're alive,
these little creatures, do see them wriggle!" TO
an inhabitant of the Sun, however, he of Jupi-
ter is probably quite as insignificant, and the
Sun man is possibly a mere atom in the opin-
ion Of a dweller in Sirius. A little reflection on
these subjects leads to the opinion, that the
death of an individual man on this Earth,
though perhaps as important an event as can
occur to himself, is calculated to cause no
great convulson of Nature or disturb particu-
lary the great aggregate of created beings.+
The Earth moves round the sun from west to
east in a year, and turns on its axis in day;
thus moving at the rate of Ga, 900 miles an hour
in its orbit, and rolling around at the tolerably
rapid rate Of ,040 miles per hour As our rea-
ders may have seen that when a man is gallOp-
ing horse violently over a smooth road, if the
horse from viciousness or other cause suddenly
stops, the man keeps on at the same rate over
the animals head; so we, supposing the Earth
to be suddenly arrested on its axis, the Pine
street bridge, men, women, children, horses,
cattle and sheep, donkeys, editors and MEM
bers of Congress, with all our goods and chat
tells, would be thrown off into the air at a speed
of l73 miles minute, every mothers son of us
describing the arc OF a parabola which is prob
ably the only description we should ever be
able to give Of the affair.t
As SQuibob says, "This catastrophe, to one
sufficiently collected to enjoy it, would, doubt
less be exceedingly amusing; but as there
would probably be no time for laughing, we
pray that it may not occur until after our de-
mise, when, should it take place, our monu-
ment will probably accompany the movement.
1t is singular fact, that if man travel round
the Earth in an eastwardly direction, he will
find, on returning to the place of departure, he
has gained one whole day; the reverse of this
proposition being true also, it follows that the
Yankees are constantly travelling to the West,
do not live as long by day or two as they
would If they had stayed at home; and supposing
each Yankee's time to be worth 81 so per day,
it may be easily shown that considerable
amount of money is annually lost by their ro-
wing dispositions.
Science is yet but in its infancy; with its
growth, new discoveries of an astounding nature
will doubtless be made, among which, probably
viii be some method by which the course of the
Earth may be altered and it be steered with the
same ease and regularity through space and
among the stars, as a steamboat is now direc-
ted through the water. 1t will be very inter
esting spectacle to see the Earth rounding to," !"
with her head to the air, off Jupiter, while the
Noon is sent off laden with mails and passen-
gers for that planet, to bring back the return
T mails aRd large party Of rowdy Jupiterians
going to attend grand prize fghtin the ring
Of Saturn.
Well, Christopher Columbus would have been
Just as much astOnished at the revelation If the
steamboat, and the locomotive engine, as VIC
should be to witness the above performance,
which our intelligent posterity during the ensu-
ing year, A. D. 1000, will possibly look upon as
very ordinary and common place affair.
With few remarks upon the Earth'S satel-
ite, we conclude this lecture.
THE MOON.
This resplendent luminary, like a youth ON
the 4th of July, has its first quarter; like ru-
inedsspendthrift its last quarter: and like an
omnibus, is occasionally full, and new. The
evenings on which itappears between the Sc last
stages are beautifully illumined by its clear.
mellow light.
The Moon revolves in an eliptical orbit.about
the Earth in twenty-nine days twelve hours
forty-four minutes and three seconds, the time