Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-03

The Governor of Tennessee in his annua
message favors the honest settlement of the
State debt. He recites the indisputable fact
1 that the bonds were issued in pursuance OF
the plain provisions of law, and that the
State is in the full enjoyment of the advan.
years ago, the State having long been in de-
| fault in the payment of interest, the Legisla-
| ture invited the creditors to surrender the
| obligations they held and accept new bonds,
covering principal and overdue interest Ac-
| companying this invitation a resolution was
| adopted pledging the "faith, honor and cred
| it of the State for the prompt payment of
the new bonds at maturity, for the provision
of a sinking fund, and for the regular pay
ment of interest. The pledge was accepted,
the old bonds surrendered and the new is
sued, and this new issue large party in Ten
nessee now propose to repudiate. No part
of the pledge has been fulfilled thus far. Yet
he recognizes the fact that the burden of the
debt is enormous and recommends compro-
mise.
new fashion in funerals is growing up
which many sensible people would like to see
become general in this country. It is quite
common now to see after advertised invita-
tions to funerals the words, tsIt is requested
that no flowers be sent" The words 'tBurial
at the convenience of the family are also
often appended. These innovations have
met with much favor in New York city,
where they have considerably reduced the
cost of funerals the last being particularly
appreciated by rich and poor alike as constitu-
ting effectual barrier against the profess
sional mourners, who attend all possible fune-
rails for the sole purpose of having ride
to the cemetery and back. The latest innova-
tion is holding funeral services in the even.
ing, which is now done in New York city.
Business men have often not time to go to
funerals in the daytime. To the men who
belong to secret benevolent societies and
trade organizations funeral of an associate
in the morning or afternoon involves the loss
at least of a half days work, and thousands
cannot afford the pecuniary sacrifice. With
funeral services in the evening, business
men and others whose daytime is occupied
can conveniently attend. In the morning
the remains, accompanied by the immediate
family, may be taken to the place of inter
ment. 1t seems rather bard that the world
goes SO fast that we cannot always convenient
ly spare time to attend the funerals of
friends by daylight, but such is the case, and
the new plan has much to commend it.
Mr.. G. B. Warning has presented some
curious astronomical calculations before the
(N. W Society of Natural |
Science. He says that if we suppose the dis |
tance between the earth and the sun (about |
ninety-two and one-third millions of miles) to |
be reduced to dozen rods or more, the size of |
the two globes to be reduced in the same
the distance from the earth to \
The nearest fixed star would still be- on the /
same scale, about 5000 miles, and to the /
more distant ones it would be not less than
L9, 900, 900 of miles. From those more dis
ant stars the light must travel for sixty CEN
;uries before it reaches us-and yet light |
irayels SO fast that it would circle round the
earth more than seven times in q single Sec
,nd of time. If the sun could be reduced, in
imagination, to 1-100 of an inch in diameter,
he earth would then be of microscopic size,
sbout Ito, 900 of an inch, but the distance |
between it and the nearest star would not be
ess than three miles. If the sun were hol-
ow sphere and the earth were placed at its
,entre with the moon revolving around it in
is established orbit, there would still be dis
ance of 200, 900 miles from the lunar orbit
10 the surface of the solar sphere. If these |
citations of size and distance are inconceiva-
,le, the forces which compel the planets to
move in their elliptical orbits quite as
much beyond our comprehension. A bar of
teel three inches square will sustain weight
If $40 tons, but bar having a section of 144
quare inches would sustain S,64O tons,
which upon railroad would require S64 cars
o support it and % locomotives to transport
t. To defect the moon from straight
ourse into its present orbit, or, what is the
anne thing, to retain it in its present course, |
would require the united strength of not less
han eight steel bars, each 100 miles square, |
II, more accurately, a single bar whose Sec
ion is 81, 800 square miles-more than large
nough to cover the States of New York and
ohio together. If this force were repre-
ented by web of steel wires, each one
uarter of an inch in diameter, stretched
rom the earth to the moon, they would be
distributed over our earth on the moon side
My six inches apart, and if a similar web
7ere stretched from the earth to the sun, the
orce exerted between these two bodies
yould require the wires to cover one side of
be earth as close together as blades of grass
pom lawn.