The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1881-11-17


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,
parhelias, mirages, etc.; electrical
meteors, as lightuings, auroras, etc; aud
igneous me.eors as shooting or falling
stars, star-showers, bolides or fire-balls.
aeroIites 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, aud
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 dlmin-
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 y
known to form 50 prominent part OF
the comets tail It is now universally
admitted that igneous meteors are caused
by small 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 ontside 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
their peculiar form, their peculiar cheml-
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 me-
teors. Shooting are seen on any
clear, moonlight night; they. leave be-
hind. many Of them, bright cloud Of
phosphorescent light the meteors and
their trains have various cOlors-white,
green, blue. yellow, scarlet, ETC.; the
duration of the fight is generally less
than . second Of time, but the brighter
ones may last several seconds. The me
teorites contain no elements, 30 far - We
know, which have not been found on the
earth, but these elements are CONF
pounded differently from any terrestrial
minerals; sometimes they reach the
earth, and again are consumed in their
course. Chicago L,ter Ocean.
lne ONO Legislature ElgnIy Iears AgS.
Michaei baldwin, tho irreprssaible and
iueSlS.elbie, vas no more digni6ed, alb
stemious or moral in his position as
Speaker Of the first Ohio House Of Rep
resentatives than he has been in former
years oE lesser stations. He presided
over the Chamber in 1903, 1904 and 1906.
It is matter Of tradition that for kis
own pecuniary benefit, and for the entcl-
tainment among those Of the Legislators
who had penchant for gaming, he es-
tablished in his rooms the game Of .yingt-
et-un,' himself acting rs banker and
dealer, and as a matter Of course winning
moro frequently than any Of the other
players. On one occasion, after much
drinking and late setting at the gam
bling table, Baldwin found himself in
possession not only Of all the money Of
his companions, but Of many Of their
watches. In the morning the House Of
Representatives was found to be without
q quorum but Baldwin, accustomed
to heavy drinking and late hours, was in
his place back Of the Speakers desk.
Rapping savagely with his gavel, he de-
manded ths roll-call of tho House. and
then sent the Sergeant-at-Arlns out with
orders to bring in the delinquent mem.
bers. After an hour or SO that function
AIRY returned, followed by about dozen
members Of the Ohio Legislature, whose
blood-shot eyes, suffnsed faces, unsteady,
shambling steps, aud general air d
shamefacedness indicated the late hours
they had kept. and their heavy indnl-
gences. With much austerity Of man-
ner, Baldwin reprimanded the tardy
members, reminded them Of the cost
to which the infant State was subjected
by paying Of their per dicms, and was
proceeding to further elaborate his Gen.
sure on their late arrival and the conse-
quent delay of legislation, when one oi
the delinquents, exasperated beyond
control, cried out, Hold on there, Mr..
Speaker, hold on How could We tel
what time it was, when the Speaker d
the House had oil the watches ?'-At
| fred Mathcrs, IN Harper's Magazine