Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-07-15

of metal, and while in motion the sur
faces are kept supplied with sharp sand
and constant stream of water. The
next stage of the glass grinding process
IS the same rs to machinery, but in
stead of sand coarse emery is used. The
finer emery is used in another reyolv-
ing table, and SO on for half dozen
times. The final polishing is done by
heavy reciprocating devices, led with
rouge, and maintaining constant beck
and forward motion, and also lateral
movement over the surface ofthe crys-
tai. Al this requires the assistance of
a large force of men, many of them
skilled laborers. After going through
these different grindings and polishing
the plate that measured an inch i'll
thickness Is only three-quarterS OF an
inch thick, has lost all its roughneSS,
and is ready for the Show-wndow.o of
the purchaser.
The Distance of a STAR from the Earth
For many ages this question puzzled
astronomers How far otf are the SfarS?
Il was known that their distance was
great, very great. II was known that
they were immeasurably further OIL
than the sun, the moon. or any Of the
planets bGt it is only IN the present
century that the question has been even
partially answered.
OF the countless thousands of stars
which stud the universe, the distance
Of perhaps about twenty has been de
termined. Others which have been
tried have detied the powers Of the
most Skillful astronomers, aided by the
most elaborate instruments their dis
tance is zoo great to allow Of measure
ment. while the resi- of the vast host
which stud our tirmament have not yet
been examined with this object.
The inquiry is one of the most deli
cate and subtle which can engage the
attention Of an astronomer. Ii is inn
possible to explain here the manner i'll
which 1t Is conducted We must en-
dcavor rather to realize the result which
has rewarded these successful lahors.
There is 4 beautiful star in the south
ern hemisphere. the brightest i'll the
constellation Ceutaur. ono of the most
brilliant stars III the heavens. This
WAS diligently observed 10y the Skillful
astronomer who managed the ohScrva
tory at the Cape of Good Hope III the
years 1882 and 1898. He found Ms the
result of his lahors, that the distance
Of this star-Alpha Ceutauri, rs II is
called Is twenty billions of miles.
Ii requires Il little consideration 10
estimate what the words twenty billions
Of miles really mean. 4 billion con
tains one million millions, and We shall
endeavor to convey an idea of this
amount 10y simple illustration.
SuppoSlng our great fesctather Adam
had commenced to count as GdICklv rs
he could, and that when his life was
ended his son commenced to count,
taking up from the number ut which
Adam left OIL, and spent his whole life,
day and night, counting as fast Is he
could. and supposing ut his death he
enloincd on his heirs an eternity of
counting and that they hal continued
doing So up to the present moment,
their united efforts would not yet have
reached the amount of one quarter of
u billion and vet the distance of the
star is twenty billions of miles.
.
The Late Indian Fight
4 Denver dispatch says: Advice
from Il source considered reliable,
greatly reduces the magnitude of the
late Indian fight Not long after the
cattle men arrived in the Indian country,
Billy Nav, one of the leaders. Conclud-
ed that the men We're too noisy, and
being unable to get them in proper trim,
he, with sis others, left the main part:;.
Only thirteen Indians were encountered,
and hut nine cattle men went into the
fight, the remainder apparently seeing
the trap the Indians were laying. The
nine men pursued the Indians and the
latter pushed their flight until they had
drawn their pursuers into Il cannon
where they turned and fired and left.
One of the nine WAS killed and seven
wounded. William May, and com
panions who We're reported missing
have reached the big bend of the Do
lorcs in safety At last accounts thir-
teen Indians engaged in the fight had
crossed the Colorado line, md were en-
route to the Uncompaghre agency with
their squaws and cattle. One squaw
Is reported shot. having received II shot
while hcrding sheep 1t is an important
fact in estimating the dangers caused
by the late fight that III none of the re-
ports have the miners appeared as
taking hand i'll the fight If there
had been Il tight that was likely to cause
general outbreak il seems that the
miners would bc sufficiently Interested
to be among the volunteers.