The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-10-14
OF GENERAL INTEREST.
Three Evening star. In October.


THREE brilliant planets shine in the October
evening sky. Jupiter heads the list, for he
passed his perihelion, or nearest point to the
sun, on the 18th of September, and reached
his opposition, or nearest point to the earth,
on the eth of October He is now forty-six
million miles nearer the sun, and one hundred
and eighty million miles nearer the earth than
when at the most distant point from each.
Nearly twelve years must pass before he will
again be in as favorable conditions for obser-
vation- Therefore every lover of the stars
should watch the movements of this superb
planet as he comes darting above the eastern
horizon as soon as the daylight fades, beam
ing like young moon and casting percepti-
BILE shadow. He now reaches the meridian
about midnight and sinks in the west as the
sun rises in the east, being visible throughout
the night. He is so near that his moons may
be seen in an opera glass, and his telescope APP
pearance is beautiful beyond expression. The
rudy spot still marks the commotiOn agitat-
ing his surface, and his belts are painted in
radiant hues of purple, pink and blue which
far outshine terrestrial tints. This planet now
rises about six o'clock, but at the end of the
month will rise about four.
Saturn is next in interest, following closely
in the footsteps of Jupiter, a few degrees to
the northwest Of his rival, and rising half
hour later He is travelling slowly toward per
ihelion, which he does not reach till 1884, and,
as his perihelia occur ut intervals of about
thirty years, few observers see him more than
once or twice at his brightest phase during
lifetime. Saturn reaches his opposition on the
18th OF October, and is then at his nearest
point to the earth, being in line with the
earth and sun, with the earth in the center.
He is not nearly so brilliant as Jupiter, but no
observer will fail to recognize him, or note his
fine appearance for his usual murky tint has
given place TO a soft, pale yellow. This, as
well as his increased size, is due to four causes,
his opposition. his approach TO periheliOn, the
nearly wide-open presentation of his rings,
and his northern declination. He may now
be seen coming up in the east about half-past
six; at the end of October at half-past four.
One other planet divides the evening hOnOrs
with Jupiter and Saturn. This is Venus, and
very bright-eycd observers may now pick her
up shortly after sunset in the glowing west.
! She has passed her superior conjunction with
the sun, and is now coming toward us. She
sets about three-quarters of an hour after the
sun; in the evenings of late October she will
| linger above the horizon for about an hour and
/ a quarter after the sun has disappeared. But
/ while Jupiter and Saturn will soon be on the
wane, she will increase in brilliancy, and pro
/ long her stay in the west. Before November
closes, she will eclipse them in the brightness
of her shining, reigning during the winter
months the most radiant star in the armament,
/ the acknowledged queen of the shining host
that stud the sky.-YOltFS Companion.
| a Scene in a Washington Court-ROOm.
WASHINGTON, October2 2.
DRAMATIC and exciting scene was enacted
! in the Equity Court to-day, during the prog
! ress of the hearing OF a habeas corpus case in
! volving the custody of William Edgar Thorn
| as. four years Of age, son of Johnson 2. Thorn
/ as, who had given it over to the charge of his
! daughter by former wife, Mrs. Cuttings. The
/ child was brought into court to-day by its
mother. Mrs. Thomas has been living apart
! from her husband for some time. The father
said it was his desire that the child should be
given into the custody of Mrs. Cuttings, as his
wife was unfit to keep it, and the court made
! an order accordingly. Mr.. Meloy, the bailiff,
| was directed TO turn the child overtO Mrs. Git
| tings, and went TO the mother for that pur-
| pose Mrs. Thomas caught the child by
| the wrist and refused to give it up.
| A struggle ensued between the moth
/ er and officers of the court for
| the possession of the child. The mother
| fought desperately, and it was with the great
est difficulty the child could be taken from
| her. When finally her grasp was broken she
shook her clenched fist in her husbands face
and charged him with being the cause of all
hertrouble. He made some reply which added
! to her rage, and as he sat down she struck him
! behind the ear with her clenched fist, knock
ing him and the chair over. The courtroom
was finally cleared, and the contending parties
went off in opposite directions. The child
eyinced a decided preference for Mrs Git
tings and showed pleasure at the decision of
the court Within half an hour another petit
ton was filed by Mrs. Thomas for writ of
habeas corpus, requiring Mrs. Cuttings to pro-
duce the child, which, she states, was placed
in her charge by her husband, and is now I'M
lawfully withheld from her. a rule was issued
and made returnable next Saturday.
Postal Statistics.
A