The Portland daily press., 1879-04-14
The Eud Of the World.

lA' l. NAePhiNr
During the course of at least eighteen csntu-
ries self-appointed prophets of all degrees of
confident ignorance have been foretelling the
early destruction of this globe. Definite times
have often bsen set for the occurrence of that
event. Thus far, the final number on the
terrestrial programme has not been performed.
The planet has rolled right along on its way
over the pulverized bones and ruined reputa-
tions of the ssers, The endless line of their
successors has, however, KEEP. up the cry,
"Behold the end of the things is at handw II
is, consequently, very pleasant to hear from the
Rev. MIR. Kimball, Of Hartford, CT, who
preached a sermon the other Sunday, demon
stratipg from the points of view of both moral
and physical science that the earth is yet in its
cradle, SO 20 speak; an infant wearing its first
pinafore. There cannot be, he argues, less
than %. 100000 years ahead of us, before we
need expect to see the slightest symptoms of
the final foreclosure of the mortgage Father
Time holds on our own real estate, as on all
the glowing garden spots in space beyond US.
Personally we are obliged to the Hartford
clergyman for the comforting reflections we
are enabled to draw from his well-knit and
logical discourse. He will please accent q
grateful shake from our brawDy, toil-hardened
hand. Although the Graphic never did take a
great deal of stock in the announcements of
the alarmists, there have been times when we
must confess to having felt somewhat scared.
Ter wears ago or SO, the sun was gradually
going out, they said, and afterwards the earth
was likely any day to lose its balance and tum-
BILE down into the sun end over end, like a
boot lack hurled from a bedroom window at a
cat orchestra out in the back yard. The chance
of,that was something to worry the nervous
and conscientious citizen who disliked to ter
inmate his career in such disreputable fash.
ion. We all felt it would resemble too much
death by means of railroad collisiou-where
one is completely disfgured as mere remains,
besides not having tht satisfaction of suing the
company for damages. And recently, too,
there have existed apparently good grounds for
supposiug that the world might not stand it
great deal longer, facts of such startling and
incredible character being pressed upon public
attention. The Alpine masses of filth that dig
grace and impede the streets of New York, the
stuperfaction of the police commissioners, the
sudden and appalling reduction Of w. 81.
Vanderbilt to abiect poverty, and other things
of similar import, tend to unhinge the public
mind and shake its faith in the laws of nature.
But the statement that we have not less than
$4,000, 900 yet to our credit in the book of time
is to q degree encouraging. If men are indus
in that space Of time. There is room to turn
around in, anyway. Before its expiration the
Legislature and Congress will sure adjourn,
aud possibly the Talmage trial may be over.
Further reforms in the city government may
be discussed, and Mayor Cooper may arrive at
a conclusion as to his duty. TWents- s-hve mill
lions OF years! Not minute too much for the
job under contract, still deal better than no
margin at all.