The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-12-01
Falling Stars.

eral classes-aerial meteors, as winds,
tornadoes, ETC.; aqueous meteors, as
fogs, rain, snow, hail, etc.; luminous
meteors, or those due to the action Of
elements in the air, as rainbows, halos,
parhellas, mlrages, ETC.; electrical
meteors, as lightnings, auroras, etc. ; and
Igneous meteors as shooting or falling
stars, star-showers, bolides or fre-balls,
aerolites or meteorites, etc. In present
usage, says Professor Newton, the term
meteor is generally limited to the last
group, or to the igneous meteors. The
meteorites are all evidently fragments,
not separate formations. They are, says
the same authority, in the heavens, to
some extent at least, grouped in streams
along the orbits of known comets, and
hence have common origin with them.
The continuity of these streams, the
double and multiple character of Biela's
and other comets, and the steady dimir-
ution of comets in brilliancy of success
i've returns, seems to argue continuous
breaking up of the comet into fragments
by some cause, probably by the suns
heat This view is strengthened by the
fact that the meteoric irons and stones
bring with them carbonic acid, which is
known to form SO prominent part of
the comets tail. It is now universally
admitted that igneous meteors are caused
by smaii bodies which have been travel
ing about the sun in their orbits, but
now come into the earth's atmosphere,
and, in general the shape of broken
fragments of stone. The outside is
usually covered with thin black crust,
which is evidently due to melting of
the surface in the atmosphere. There
have been found at various times aud
places, loose iron masses that are as
sumed to be of meteoric origin, because
the peculiar form, theirpeculiar chemi-
cal composition, and their peculiar
crystalline structure are like those of the
iron masses that have been seen in sew
eral instances to come down from ne
teors. Shooting stars are seen on any
clear, moonlight night; they leave be-
phosphorescent light the meteors and
their trains have various colors-white,
green, blue, yellow, scarlet, ETC.; the
duration of the flight is generally less
than O second of time, but the brighter
ones may last several seconds. The me-
teorites contain no elements, so far as we
know, which have not been found on the
earth, but these elements are COM
pounded differently from any terrestrial
minerals sometimes they reach the
earth, and again are consumed in their
aurse.- Chicago Inter Ocean.
An Ingenious Rascal.
The theater of Ofen (Buda-Pesth) was
the scene of his debut, though this was
made in loge, not on the stage. 1t ap-
pears that certain Hungarian countess,
well known for her riches and beauty
(the same spirited lady who seconded
her brother in q dueD graced with her
presence the performance at the Aresa,
or summer theater. On one of her fair
fingers my lady wore two splendid dia-
mond rings, exactly like each other.
During an entr' acte there presented
himself in her box a big fellow in gorge
GUS livery-six feet of the finest hunkcy
imaginable. Quoth he, in finest Hunga-
rian : "My mistress, Princess P, has
sent to your ladyship, to ask the loan of
one of your rings for five minutes. Her
highness has observed them from her
box opposite and is very anxious to have
one made after the pattern" Without
ali instant's hesitation the countess
handed q ring to "Jeames," who bowed
with respectful dignity and retired. The
performance over, the two great ladies
1lSO oil GllC uu(t DuS
begged her friend to keep the ring at her
convenience. What ring, my dear ?"
DenOuement! Tableau The "pow-
dered menial p was no funky at all,
but thief, and the ring was gone. The
police were informed of the impudent
trick. Justice seemed to have over
taken the culprit in a very few strides,
for next morning the countess, while
still en- rOOe-de-chan6re, received a let
ter informing her that the thief had been
caught and the ring found on his per-
son. "Only," added the note, "the
man stoutly denies the charge and de-
clares the ring to be his own. To clear
up all doubt pray come at once to the
police station, or send the duplicate ring
by bearer" To draw the second ring
from the finger and intrust it joyfully
to the messenger-a fine fellow in full
police uniform, together with hand
some "tip," for the glorious news, was
the work of moment. Only when my
lady IN hour later betook herself radiant
to the police-station to recover her Jew
els, o slight mistake came to light.
"Wel, my rings? l could not como to
myself the instant got your letter. 1"
"What letter, madam ?" DenOuen1ent!
Tableau No. 2 The thief had got them
both.-LO1ldOn Globe.
The remarkable discoveries of Jenner,
Pasteur, and others, showing that some
of the most fatal virulent diseases may
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