The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-09-14
ltlisrellan.r.
AB0UT ASTRONOMY.
what a Young Man Saw In a
Street TeleSCODe.

ZONES, anu an anxious TOOK. he looked
at the ten cents and then at the tele
scope, hesitating for single instant,and
then took his seat on the stool.
"Here is young man who prefers to
feast his soul on scientific knowledge
than be sordid, grasping, avaricious
capitalist" remarked the astronomer, as
he arranged the instrument. "Fall back,
you people who prefer the paltry sum
of ten cents to view of the gates of
paradise, and give the noble young man
plenty of room"
The noble young man removed hi
hat, placed his eye to the instrument
A cloth was thrown over his head, and
the astronomer contin ued:
Behold the bright star of Venus =
A sight of this star is worth thousand
dollars to any man who prefers educa-
lion to money" There was an instant
of silence, and then the young man ex-
claimed:
"By gosh!''
I stood behind him and knew that the
telescope pointed at the fifth story of 9
building across the square where a
dance was in progress.
'.All of them indulge in ordinations
of admiration as they view the beauties
and mysteries of nature" remarked the
astronomer. "Youpg man tell the crowd
what you see,"
81 see feller huggin a giil!' was the
prompt reply; "durned if there amt a
dozen of them"
Sand yet" continued the astronomer,
"there are sordid wretches in this crowd
who hang TO ten cents in preference to
observing such sights as these in ethe-
real space. Venus is a million miles
away, and yet by this telescope, and by
paying ten cents, this intellectual young
man is enabled to observe the inhabi-
tants Of that far-off world hugging each
other just as naturally as they do in
this"
was wneeIeu Earountl
to bear on the tower of engine house
No Z, five blocks away, and the astron-
omer continued:
"Behold the beauties and wonders oil
Saturn! This star to the naked eye ap
pears no larger than silver half-dol.
lar, and vet for the paltry sum of ter
cents this noble young man is placed
within one mile of !"
by Jerusalem and ccons!" murmur
ed the young man, as be slapped his
legs.
"Tell them what you see, my young
friend"
81 see two fellows in a small room
smoking cigars and playing cuchre"
was the prompt reply.
"Saturn is eighty six millions of miles
from this town." continued the astrono
mer," and yet the insignificant sum o.
ten cents has enabled this progressive
young man to see for himself that the
celestial beings enjov themselves pretty
much as we do in this world l venture
to say that there is not man in this
crowd who ever knew before that the
inhabitants of Saturn knew anything
about playing euchre or had cigar fac
tories"
The instrument was changed again
and as the interest of the crowd in
creased, and the people began to press {
little closer, the professor said:
"Now behold the planet of Mars, tht
second largest planet in the heavens
1t is seventy-five millions four hundred
and fifty one thousand three hundred
and fifty-four miles away from here, ant
appears to the naked eye to be nothing
more than bright star, and let thi'
young man tell you what he Sees"
Half mile up the street in the tol
story of big building was an evenin.
school. The telescope got range Of tht
windows, and the young man almos
leaped from the chair as he shouted
Hickey to alligators!'
ut has been asserted by college as
tronomers that the planet of Mars i
uninhabited." remarked the professor
in quite cutting tones. "Some of then
puffed up with their arrogance have
called me swindler, and abused thi
instrument which was constructed 70
me by order of the late Emperor Napo
leon, at cost of $4,000, but let thi
observing young man tell you what h
Sees"
"Whetstones and whifi1strees" ez
claimed the young man."
"Tell them-tell them my youn
friend, what you see,' urged the astron
omer.
"There's feller sitting on a benc
beside girl. I saw him pinch her es
and she hit him with book. Darn m
buttons, but she's all fired purity"
"Gentlemen. am NO blowhard," sal
the professor in q husky tone; IL d
not want TO say what this telescope ca
DO. You have the word of one of yor
, fellow township and / do not bcliey
that one of you will dispute him.
have been called q swindler, gentleme
because / go round the country tearir
away from astronomy the veil OF my
terry with which so-called professo
: drawing heavy salaries, seek 10 Gov
it. For the ridiculous sum of ten cen
= ), I am giving the public more astron
= mical knowledge in half an hour thu
any college professor can in six month
> 1 demonstrate to you the fact that Il
planet of Mars is not only inhabited
human beings like ourselves, but
l. beautiful girls with red hair, and styli
J. young men wearing the best of ste
o clothes"
IS Once more he wheeled the instrumt
n around. This time it got the range
s the upper story of tenement house
j. the bill. The young man had scare,
o glanced through the tube before
yelled out