Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-02-01
Can You Count q Billion?

terla'h'yi p'l"'i 'h"I nv S'e"
feat"
"Do you know how many is {
billion?"
Not exactly, but will see what
Webster says in his great diction
airy. IIcrc it is. A million Of mil
lions; as many millions us there are
noits in n million. (Old stylc.)
"Now my son this is very largo
number and do you think you ear
count it,"
"Certainly | can"
"lIow long do you think il will
take you ifyou do nothing else but
COUNT"
Perhaps all day, or easily in two
days"
"Take your slate and pencil aud
let us make n little calculation.-As
your tongue is very nimble, | will
allow that you can count two hun
dred in a minute. How many will
this give you in an hour?"
"Why only 12,O00,"
"And how many in twenty-foul
hours?"
"Only 2ss,OOO."
''This tells you that two days arc
not enough even if you count with
out eating or sleeping; for it would
only give you 5000, which is fal
short of a billion"
Give me q whole year and l will
count it,"
"If you do" said the good natur'
ed father, with a twinkle in his eye
II will give you $1,000 and take
you to Niagara and the White Noun
tains the next summer. Come, use
your pencil again, and see how far
year will carry you towards the on.
lion, allowing that you work 3G5
days, and "a hours each day. Mnl,
tiply 2S9,OOO counted in day by
365, and what result have your
"Why, papa, only 1O5, 100000
I give it up. for I do not believe
that / could count it all in my life
time"
"That is very probable, but now
you are at it, keep up the calculations
and find out how long it would take
to count q billion. Be careful in
multiplications ard additions, for a
small mistake where figures are so
many, will make a great difference
in the result. | will look over with
you. You have made the calcula-
ton and what is the RESULT"
"Perfectly amazing To count
a million times million would take
9,512 years, 81 days, 5 hours and 20
minutes at the rate of 200 for ever
minute. This no man could posi-
bly, do"
This calculation demonstrates to
you, my son, that some things which,
in our ignorance, seem to be very
easy, are, upon experiment, found
to be very difficult, if not impracti-
cable. If Adam, instead Of disobey-
ing God, had commenced counting
from tho first moment Of his being
and continued until now, he would
only have got thro' with about two
thirds of his task.
THE DEAD OF 1S67.-The close of
another year reminds US that our
country has been called to regret
the loss by death Of many eminent
citizens. Tue Boston Journal gives
long list of tho dead. We note
the following:
Elk Gov. Andrew, of Massachusetts,;
ex-Gov. Hunt, of New York Hon.
George Evans, Of Maine, ex-Gov.
Ics 4 Gilmore, Rev. David Dud-
,,3v Field, Rear Ad inlrii;"al Ringgold,
Commodore PauiuiiiIg, Mr. Wright,
United States Minister to BerIIn ,
Hon. Albert Smith, of Maine Chief
Justice Wayne, of the Unittd States
Supreme Court; Gen'l Thos +
Meagher, ex-Gov. John. A. King,
of New York, ex-P President Day, of
Yale college Senator McDougall,
Prof Charles King, Elias Howe, the
inventor OF the sewing machine ;
ex- Chancellor Walworth, of New
York; Rear Admiral Sloat, Gen'l
Griffin, Admiral Palmer, and Prof.
Chester Dewy.
The literary world has been call
ed to mourn the departure of those
whose names in this country were
esteemed by thousands. N. p. Will
lis, who died at Idlewild Byron
Foyceythe Wilson died ere he had
reached the maturity of his poetic
powers, though he left many sweet
songs; Thomas Bulfnch, the author
of The Age of Chivalry, ect.; Fitz
Greene Halleck, the poet, and Cath
crime Maria Sedgwick.
Among the artists and { b ose
known by their talents we may re-
call Jacques Burkhardt, the lifelong
friend Of Professor Agassiz; w. IL
Furness, the artist Sallie st Clair
the &C tress; Paul Julien, W. +
Brough, Ir a Aldridge Nantier
Didice, and Avonia Jones.
Among the writers and journal
lists who have gone are James F
Otis, Of the New York New Orleani
press Charles +. Browne, carte
mus Ward, the writer the New
Orleans Picayuue.
The scientific world has been cal
led upon to part with several of IT:
most brilliant men, whose attain
ments made them the benefactors o
the whole human race in their var
ious departments. Prof A. ID
Bache, Superintendent of the Unit
ed States Coast Survey; Prof Fara
D Il