The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-12-25
LIVING ON THE MOON.
A Chat with the Telescope eMan.-Peculiar'
itfcs of People Who Take . Peep.

There amt much in this murky
weather for me-" said the telescopes
man on the common to a Boston GLOBE
reporter. i've been out all day, ex-
pectin' TO git clear sky for bit, but
the whul o Cambridge couldn't un' 'arth
the sun to-day, I'll bet"
'Why do you come out such wealth.
err" was asked.
"Waal, it's like this: If people don't
sec me they begins TO think I've immi-
grated, an We can't tell w'ethcr but
what the sun might come out. Besides,
don't seem as how I'm alive if | hain't
out in some sort O. weather"
''DO You have regular customers?
'sOh, bless yer heart. yes; big uns an
little uns. young an old. It's them I'm
thinkin' bout. rain or shine. l want
'em TO see I'm round if the sun ain t.
What can be seen in the day,
nowe'
Venus is no good now; she's got too
far away from the 'arth. You can
catch a glimpse, of her. but it amt
worth the money, so | rely on the
moon. I've had mighty hard luck
with her. too. lately, day an night.
| There hain't been square look at her
since she come in, the weather's been
50 bad. Venus was good pay while she
lasted. but she's been slidin' away some
time. an purity soon she'll be clean out
o, sight. Long bout April she'll be-
gin to git visible agin.''
do YOU lind the moon quite enough
to work on?" was asked, with what
was thought an effort to be funny.
Il can make a good square livin' on
| ~ cd in,
| dead earnest, IF you'll give her a
clear sky. Not ten people out of every
hundred knows that you can see the
moon in the daytime, an half of 'em
lookin' through this instrument be-
| lieves I'm lyin' when | tell 'em they're
a-lookin' al the moon. Country folks
know more bout the moon than city
folks, an frequently have 'em tell me
thev can see the moon to home"
what are the sights at night?"
"Saturn and his rings just now. He
amt out till long bout half-past
ten o'clock. Ten o'clock's only about
] the shank of the evening here, anyhow.
! People goin' home from the theayter
likes to take a peep, 'ticularly the
ladies, bless 'em! Jupiter an his moons
won't be out agin till four years from
now"
He was asked if his portable observa-
tory paid.
.sWaal, 1 makes it a profession" he
replied. '.You can judge from that.
This instrument cost 81, 100, an I'm
hayin' larger glass made to Cam
bridge now. It'll be done in Decem-
ber. It's a good 'nough business in
New England, whar there's more ten
ton paid to astronomy than anywhar.
Boston is the best-payin' place in the
country for it. There amt half the
'tention paid to astronomy there should
be. Not ten out of a hundred knows
whether it's Saturn's got rings an Ju-
i piter moons, an half of EN- put the
rings on Jupiter. Every public school
ought to be armed with an instrument
ike this" said the old man, emphati-
:ally, ..an' teachers shouldn't be lowed
to teach astronomy without havin' q
telescope right thar to prove what they
say. They ought to be made to know
the heavenly bodies jest like geography.
What Boston ought to do is 10 put an
instrument bout the size o this right
here on the common, an, pay man tC
tend it an make it free to everybody"
Wouldn't that interfere some with
your business?"
@..I'm willin' to make the sacrifice any
day for good of science" and the wise
man folded up his observatory, stuck
his head through it, and walked of.