The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-12-14
A Clock in the Sky at Night.

A Clock in the Sky at Night.
There are some old churches in Eng
land which have clocks showing the
time with only one hand-the hour
hand. l dare say that it will seem
very strange to active and busy minds
in America that such clocks as these
should still continue in existence. A
place it must be, truly,
where men are content to know time
by the hour, and to take no note OF
minutes. Or. if that is no. really the
way of it, still it must be q strangely |
backward world where such clocks, |
once sufficient for their purpose, have |
not vet been replaced by time-meas-
ures better suited to active, business
like folks. When such clocks were
more common, and households and
watches less used land probably very
seldom in order), it would have been
useful to know what l am now going
to tell you about a clock in the sky,
though at present the knowledge will
rather help to teach young folks the
stars, than to show them how to learn
the time from tho stars for the clock
I have to describe has only one hand,
and not only so, but that hand goes the
wrong way round, and only once round
in day.
The first step toward knowledge OF
the stars should be the recognition OF
the pole-star, because the pole of the
heavens being the point round which
all the stars are seemingly carried, so
soon as we know the stats around the
pole, we have q center. so to speak,
from which we can pass to other
groups until we know them all. Once
known. the pOle-star can always be
found by the learner. supposing he OBJ
serves the heavens always from the
same station; for it lies always in the
same position Tor so nearly so that the
change can scarcely be n0ticed).
If, for example, you have once been
shown, or have found out for yourself,
that from certain spot in your gar
den, or from certain window IN your
, house, the pole-star can be seen just
above certain chimney or tree, ther
! at any time, on any night when the
sky is clear, if you betake yourself t.
that spot, or look through that window
> YOU will see the pole-star over its &C
) custemed chimney or tree. 1t is there
indeed, all the time, whether the SIX,
: be clear or cloudy, whether it be da,
: or night. Not only does knowledg
j. of the pole-star give you a known Ger
;. trail point whence to proceed to others
) but it gives you the means of KNOWN
: where lie the cardinal points round tn
;, horizon; for, of course, when you fac
y the pole-star, the north lies before yol
IS the south behind you, the east on you
J. right, the west on your left.
But to find the pole-star, it is well
begin with the dipper. This vel
: marked group includes two stars whio
u are called the pointers, because the
y point to the pole.star. The dipper
D. so conspicuous and well-marked
!. group that it is easily learned and ca
II not easily be forgotten. Although NJ
:. very near the pole, it is yet not SO I;
Io from it as to range very widely ov'
y. the heavens; and if you look towal
p the north at any hour of any Gle;
,e night, you will seldom require mar
;. seconds to find the familiar set of Sc
:. en- bright stars, though at one time
ot is high above the pole, at anoth
ID close to the horizon, now to the rig
e, OF the pole. and anon to the left.
It. England the dipper never sets
,e America it partly sets, but still can
recognized Except ut stations in t
most southern States) even when pa
ly below the horizon.