Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1884-05-21
on the landing of the fifth or top floor of

the building, when, climbing upon the
ban1ster, she overbalanced herself and
fell down the well staircase to the
ground floor, distance of eighty feet.
during her descent she struck two iron
bars, which projected from one side to
the other of the staircase. The first
snapped in the center and the other was
considerably bent. Some neighbors and
the mother of the child ran down to the
ground floor expecting to find the child
dead, but to their great surprise dis
covered that she was unhurt. The child
was taken to doctor, who found that
beyond severe fright she had sustained
the accident. James, Gazette.
THE INDIANS OF MANITOBA.
Their style of dress is grotesque, to
say the least of it; one man passed us in
tall beaver hat, swallow-tail coat,
var1egated-colored trousers, moccasins
and scarlet blanket hanging from his
shoulder. The hair, which both men
and women wear, looks as If comb had
never passed near it, and gives them q
very dirty appearance. They all seemed
attable, and gave us broad grins in return
Tor our statutes. The Indian is naturally
1dle-to eat, smoke and sleep is the sole
end of his life; though ne will travel i'm
mense distances to fish or hunt, which is
the only occupation of the men, the
women doing all the rest, their condi-
ton being little better than beasts of
burden. The Indian of the plain sub
sists IN winter on buffalo dried and
smoked; but in spring, when they re-
sort to the neighborhood OF the small
lakes and streams, where innumerable
wild fowl abound, they have grand feast
ing on the birds and eggs. The tribes
living near the large lakes of Manitoba,
Winnipeg and Winnipegosis have only
fish as food, which they dry and pack
for winter use, and eat it raw and with
out salt-which sounds very palatable.
THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM.
The theory concerning the s'star of
Bethlehem" is based on poetical
foundation, having Little to support it.
In the year 1872 Tycho Brahe, Dutch
astronomer, discovered d new star near
Oaph in the constellation Cassiopea. It
increased in b1illiancy until it was as
bright as Venus, and could easily be
seen at MONDAY. It continued to shine
brightly for month, then gradually
grew dim, and in sixteen months disap-
peared from view. It was looked upon
as new creation, or sun of fire, and
the general Opinion was that it would
never again shine in the star depths.
Forty years later the telescope was
invented. When it was turned to the
position in the heavens occupied by the
blazing star minute star was found
near the identical spot. This telescope
star is still there, and is doubtless the
same one that blinked forth in 1872.
The discovery that it existed led astrono-
mers to search astronomical records,
and it was found that similar bright stars
had appeared in the same region of the
sky in 945 and 1864. Counting back
three periods from 945 we are brought
to the near vicinity of the birth of
Christ. Observers gifted with poetic
fancies have naturally connected the two
events, and have inferred that the star
in the east, pointing to the place of the
nativity, was the sudden outburst OF
this wonderful star. For this reason il
has received the name of the star oil
| Bethlehem.
About twenty four of these Temporal.
ry stars have appeared in the last 1900
years, subject, Like the star in Cassie.
pea to sudden outbursts, followed by q
return to their normal insignl6cance.
| They are now classed as variable stars
subject to sudden outbursts due to erup
tions of blazing hydrogen, and which
are followed by long periods of quies-
cence. According to this theory, the
star of 1872 is variable star, with 9
period of few more than 800 years.
The last period was 308 years, if the
bright star of 1864 was one and the
same; we may therefore hope for repe-
tition of the incomprehensible phenom.
ena in the immediate future. The stal
was due in 1880; if it appears OF all il
will surely blaze forth by 1885. There
is possibility, therefore, that the long
lost star of Bethlehem, the pilgrim star
the star of 1872, or Tycho Brahe'r star
for it is known by all these names
will once more become shining won
der in the sky. Such a celestial visitor
will be warmly welcomed by astrono.
mers, and far more acceptable than 6
great comet spanning the heavens with
| its QOssamar fail - Py03,ic7euco T1,3I,.y3 nj