American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1863-12-16
The Last Of the Moon Question,


We propose to give the readers of this re-
port the following additional opinions upon
the moon question, and with this, close the |
arguments, until something positively new |
is aduced:
E. G. HARRIS, writes as follows, from |
Glendale, Ohio:
There is no part of the contents of The
Semi Weekly Tribune which l read with
more interest than the proceedings of the
Farmers Club, and have been particular
ly interested in the discussions concerning
the moon influence upon plant and yeget-
able life. The affirmative and negative
on the question display their respective
characteristics; the former declaring their
belief in the moon theory simply because
it is SO the negative ,ridiculing the very
idea of such a thing. A blind faith is an
excess on one side, and blank disbelief
on the other; but between those who so
implicitly and these who so stoutly and
sometimes fippantly deny an earnestseek-
er after truth has not found very form
idable array ofreasoning on either side
To assert thing is true because believe
it and my father and grand d-fathdr believe
it before me, is got truth, but traditini
and also to pronounce thing ab'ard be-
cause I do not believe it, is p'osumptuous
ignorance; for [ know % much or as lit
tie as l may, 'there.are more things in
heaven and eartt than are dreamt of in my
philosophy
"Ip ehis controversy certain facts have
be5n lost sight of which it would be well
to recall. The empirical notion entertain
ed by certain astronomers of the utterly
lifeless waste of the moons surface has
been exploded This idea of the moons
negativeness obtained credence by deny
ing the existence ofan atmosphere around
the moon, consequently denying also the
existence of water and organic life from our
satellite. This theory led to the denial
also ofheat in the lunarrays, from all which
flowed multitude of errors.
"But Melvin and Knox have proved by
exact observations that there is heat in
moonshine, and Zantadeschi has measured
its effects upon the mimoss; while an En-
glish scholar has demonstrated that the
earth is colder in the first quarter of the
moon than it is in the second. Again,
moonshine exerts awonderful influence ON
plants. Light enables them to absorb car
bon from the carhonic acid of the atmos-
phere, and this is their daily work. They
sleep at night, except when the moon
wakes them up, and sets them to work
again So the farmer is right when he
sows his seed just before the full of the
moon, for the plants come up about the
time of the new moon, and pass their in
fancy under the dark nights. But when
the full moon comes, its light sets them to
work, and this progress continues night
and day, while the contrary course is inju-
rious to the tender plant which requires
sleep. 1t is common saying among sail
ors that the moon eats up the clouds, and
Whewell and Quetelet have proved the
truth of this observation by showing that
more rain falls in the dark of the moon
than in its second or third quarters.
" So much for the influence of the moon
upon vegetable and plant life There are
too many we'll authenticated proofs of its
effects, to doubt its influence upon the hu-
mansystem. Persons sleeping in the NOON
shine have suffered malformation of the
face, and very recently in Ohio occurred
striking instance of lunar influence. A
boy IA years of age slept throughout
moonlight night in corn-feld. Some la
borers the next morning on their way to
work, seeing the boy apparently asleep,
aroused him; the boy opened his eyes, but
declared he could not see. He was remov
ed to an occular institution, and the sur
geon affirmed after an examination, that
the loss of sight resulted from sleeping
in the moonshine. The boy is to tally
blind, and few hopes are entertained of
his restoration to sight. " 7. Tribune.
<<---<~--><-
The CHRISTIAN TEACHER. Religion.
more than any other attainment, perfects
the character Of the teacher. There is
serene, holyand happy expression upon the |
true Christians face, that carries with it
an influence almost immeasurable This
influence is pereeivable and acknowledged |
by every person in the circle of his ae-
quaintanee but how much more is it felt,
when concentrated within the narrow linn
its of the school. In the presence of such |
teacher, the pupils feel that there is
nothing trifing or frivolous in the great