Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-05-04
EDUCATIONAL COLUMN.
BY J. r. LANGEyBAUGH.
THE STORY OF WILLIAM TELL.

is not a myth, but that such a man
did live at the time assigned him,
though there seems little doubt that
part of his legendary fame is wholly
fictitious, and that his real fame con-
sisted in aiding to rescue his country
men from the rapacity Of the Austri-
ans. Tell is said to have joined the
Swiss confederates, and to have shot
Gessler, in 1907. His story was de-
claired a fable by William in 1907,
and was denied, among others. by
Frendenburger, in 1760-whose book
was publicly burned in the canton of
Uric. The doubts about the truth OF
the story have arisen from the fact
that similar story is told In the
~Wilkina S,sra." and by Saxo Gram
matichus, o. Danish King Harold
and one To 40. Another singular cir
cumstance is, that in the documents
relating to the ancient Swiss confsd-
eracies, published at Lucerne forty
five years since, there is no mention
OF Gessler among the bailiffs who
resided in the castle OF Kusnacht.
Besides, the same story is also told OF
one William Tell and Count of See
dori. who had extensive possessions
in Uri, but must have lived early in
the twelfth century. For reasons
such as these, Grimm and Ideler con-
slider the whole story Of Tell as fabu-
lous. There are facts, however,
which seem to confirm at least the
groundwork of the story. 1t was not
many years after the death Of Tell,
that it became customary for annual
professions to visit the spot where
Tell had escaped from the boat; and
in 1888 "a generation later, the can
ton Of Uri built the celebrated chapel
of Tell, near the same spot 1t is
stated that among the visitors Of that
year there were ia who had known
Tell himself. His adventure is, more
over, told to the same effect by all
the chroniclers who wrote at, or soon
after, the alleged time OF the occur
renee. After killing Gessler, Tell is
said to have sunk into his former OBJ
scurity, though he is also held to
have taken part in the battle OF Nor
garten, and to have perished in the
river Schaachen. during a great flood
in the year 1850.
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS.
Sir Francis Drake died while his
fleet lay of Porto Bello. in his fifty
first year, January 2Sth, 1896. Though
often described as a bachelor, it In as
certained that he married the daugh-
ter and sole heiress of Sir George
Sydenham, Of Coombe Sydenham, in
Devonshire, who survived him. He
left no children. He bequeathed to
his nephew, Francis Drake, after
wards created a baronet by James I,
his landed estate.
The largest trees in this country
are found only i'm California, and in
small groves on the Sierra Nevada.
| The first and best known cluster-tke
big Tree Grove which contains
ninety-two mammoth trees within
fifty acres-is i'm Calaveras county.
Some five or six other clusters are
known, the chief Of which are in the
Yosemite Valley, In Maripose county.
Many of these are from 275 to $50
feet high, 25 TO 80 feet in diameter,
and exceedingly graceful In their
proportions. Their age has been es-
timated, from some fslled trees, at
from 1000 to $500 years
All sources OF fire and heat depend
on the presence OF oxygen as neces-
sary to combustion. Almost every
material employed by man for the
production Of heat contains carbon
in some form or other; and, according
to the rapidity with which the oxygen
in thc air is caused to unite there
with, so the intensity Of combustion
is increased. Now directly to the
question. Why will water extin-
guis fire? A very probable, or at
least assisting cause is that the heat
OF the fire produces the evaporation
OF the water, and that the evapora-
tion shows itself in a filmy veil which
interferes with the necessary supply
OF oxygen from the air to keep up the
combustion.
Versailles, in the reign Of Louis
XIII. was only a small village. In a
forest thirty miles in circuit; and
here that king built a hunting-seat
in 1880. Louis XIV. in 1857 enlarged
II into a magnificent palace which
was finished in 170s, and was the
usual residence of the kings OF
France till 1889. Louis Philippe
dedicated the whole of that palace TO
free national museum OF painting
and statues. Versailles is now the
capitol seat Of the French assembly.
The Germans are of a placid sym
pathetic temperament, cool. self
possessed, considerate and indus
trious. As race, they have been
noted from the earliest times as
lovers Of home-life. and as strongly
impressed with a veneration for
woman and womanhood. The Ger
mans are little given to drinking,
save that OF malt liquors and light
wines, and are free from kindred
vices of other people, while they have
the commendable virtue OF taking
their families with them in their rec
reations, so that their gatherings are
always free from riot and misbeha-
vior.
In the practical processes OF arith-
metic. it is not possible always to
give clear explanation why certain
methods infallibly result in an accur-
ate solution OF problems. At such
times We have to fall back on the ex-
PLANTATION so often given by women
and children, and answer because it
| io Eaofo oro ohofspofo <b;,o.,r 81