The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-29
TIte 8ntland Guilty Glnbe
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1877.
Vicinity Items.


COIIGHDOlUtulB an hTllNIb re-
res of articles about town celebrities, tenn
perauce matters, etc, etc. Not having
seen ANYTHING of the kind, / herewith send
you brief paper concerning q msn, of
whom every word | write is literally true,
aud the actual facts are by no means over
wrought. Before proceeding to my pleas
ant task, for love to honor and sit in the
shadow of men eminent for talents which
will dignity the race, and shed luster upon
coming generations, me s0y that the
only resort of temperance men here, ia
vigorous sniff from empty bottles. The
time has been 7hen we could indulge for
the stomachs sake, but the hotels are tight
as brick, the gently murmuring brook un-
der the "marble block" has become dry,
and that fair stock of liquid pills on hand
the first of last May has evaporated, leaked,
gone down the spout. The startling prob
lem remains unsolved, there has been no
equal distribution among the tax payers,
at least have seen nothing of my share.
But the walk, and conversation, and know
ing winks of some, indicate that they have
not only seen, but also handled the trouble
some elephant to their evident satisfaction.
Perhaps my time will come YET.
MATHEMATICAL CELEBRITY.
In the line of mathematical celebrities
this town can justly boast of one, which 1
venture to soy no other town or village or
city in the etatei possesses. Rev. ID. NJ.
Knapen is, by far, the most profound as
well as the most practical mathematician
we ever knew. That may not be saying
very much to be sure, but then at sundry
times and places, we have known few
men who were eminent for their knowledge
of the science of numbers. We have never
been acquainted with even one who could
bear close comparison with him. To give
you something of an idea, as much as one
can in brief newspaper article, let me say,
that Mr. Knapen contemplate5 giving to
the world work that will enable any mGth-
ematiCian to make the common logarithm
of any number, or the Napierian logsrithm
of any number to sixty six places or to
find the number corresponding to any log
arithm to the same number of places. In
fact he has already completed the tables for
this purpose. He has also constructed an
other set of tables by means of which the
common logarlthm OF any plumber cores
pondiDg 10 any log, may be found true to
forty places with great facility and dis
patch. He also contemplstes making log
arithms of all the prime numbers under
100, 900 to 40 places, and has already made
the logs Of all primes under 805l3, TO that
number of places. He hiss already COM
pleted set of tables for making sines, tan
gents, secants, versed sines, ETC., etc., to
thirty or more places, and finding the exact
expression in degrees, minutes, seconds,
and fractional parts of second correspon-
ding to any log'm, sine, tangent, secant,
versed sine, ETC., to the same extent, but
has not by any means accomplished all that
is desirable under this head. In 1S49, he
edited an original work, entitled 1.-THE
Mechanics assistant" which still holds
conspicuous place among the scientific
works advertised by the principal publish
ing houses of the country. 1t was publish
ed by Appleton & Co., of New York, and
besides other valuable matter, contains
complete system of mensuration, extending
through 260 pages.
In astronomy he is always at home, mas
ter of the situation. and 10 seldom at a loss
to solve any problem pertaining TO that sub
limest Of sublime sciences, always manifes-
ting lively interest until a satisfactory So
luton is obtained. He can calculate &C.
lipses with exact precision, compreheuds
clearly the laws of planetary motion, the
parallax of the heavenly bodies, and the re-
lation that exists between the different
kinds of psralax, and the transit of stars
can use nteligently the quadrant, sextant
and transit instrument, and of course can
determine latitude and longitude as readily
as boy can compute interest or clear an
equation. Algebra, geometry, plane and
spherical trigonometry, in fact anything in
the shape of mathematics, he can master
almost at sight. All the problems that we
see in the periodicals of the day, are work
ed promptly, and usually without the aid of
pen or pencil. he mas the power, at Will,
OF concentrating his mental faculties, 30 that
ne frequently resolves difncult questions
in his head as soon as he reads them from
tue printed page. 10 one capable OF COM
prenending the wonders OF creation, as seen
IN the Vauited heavens, there is nothlng
more sublime and satisfying to the mind,
than TO study cioeely, and realize some de-
gree the grandeur OF this great universe OF
worlds, one of the least OF which we inhab-
it. When we comprehend that the Author
of our existence has created so many worlds
which revolve in perfect time through IL
limitab,e space, attracting and repelling
each other exactly when, and to such de-
gree necessary in order that there may be
no collision but the most perfect harmony
and regularity, we are filled with admira-
tion, and wonder why He should prepare
such grand existence for his creature man.
Surely He is God, and there is none other
like Him Science is ever teaching US new
lessons which raise our conceptions from
earth up to Him who Is wonderful in great,
as wei as small tnings. Ihe maenihcent
slghts lhat the teiescope Dnngs 10 View'
and the minute ana Otherwise hidden treas
ures tnat inc microscope ENABLES ue TO gaze
upon, impress our minds win the excel @
Ieneles ana perIectlon OF creauon. Inc
study Oh astronomy aiioIus scope 1or NOR
al ana rehgious reneclloh iouna IN no other
science' ana cannot laii 10 iiit the soul from
nature ABOVE, 10 NATURES goa peyond::
When we consider the immense amount OF
mental effort required TO accomplish such
mass Oh iogartnmic computa'i9ns,-l re-