Weekly Chillicothe crisis., 1885-07-09

soaked in that piece of knowledge,
and the astronomer frightened up still
more.
If you will observe very closely
you will be able to SEQ the planet is
envcloped in vague and scarcely dis
cernable ncbula hypothesis" "
"Hold on; say that again"
"What? Ncbula hypothesis?'
"Stop her, while get my notebook
TO bear on it. Just let me gather that
word in, and if | don't paralyze my
wife with it you may call me a horned
toad
He told me how to spell and pro-
nouncc it, and then | let him 90 on
with the show.
"A year on the planet Jupiter is n
very long time" he resumed. at is
about as long as eleven of ours
"Oh, come, now; You can't make
mo believe thatH' protested, as | let
20 the machine and tried to straighten
out the crick in my back.
That's what Proctor says. | don't
know anything about it myself, but he
stakes his professional reputation on
the assertion" urged my astronomer.
1t was u tough story, but Proctor
settled it. | had heard my wife men
tion Proctor
"Ycs sir, eleven years and nearly
twelve"
"Great Caesar, but that's hard on
the graugcrs over in Jupiter only one
crop to three Presidential elections" ="
81 reckon it's tireSomc, but | sup.
pose they get used to it"
at must be pleasant for merchants
when farmer comes IN and asks to
get trusted, and says he will pay after
harvcst-in the course of eight or ten
years"
There are some disadvantages
about that, and then there are some
advantages, too. 1t isn't so bad il you
are the one who owes the money"
That's 50. Now give her a turn
ahead
"Some scientists assert that the in
habitants of Jupiter are transparent. t."
"Say-cr'cr, what's your nameP'
"Liggins."
"Well, Liggins, I'm cussed if as
tronomy isn't interesting, Why it's
great! 1t knocks a political campaign
clear out Gimme some more. -
"As | was saying, some scientists,
notably HerschGl and La Place, assert
that the inhabitants of Jupiter are
transparent, while KCplcr disputes
this"
~ guess I'll tie up with Kcplcr on
this deal.
"But there is one thing they all
agree on--that the people can only be
foot and u half high, and about four
feet thick, sloped good deal like n
mud turtle with head on top instead
of at the end. You sec the force OF
gravitatiOn is so great that man built
like us would be plaStcrcd right down,
and wouldn't be able to stand alone
unless he was several times stronger
than men usually are. Why, it would
break Sullivan's back"
Good deal like your machine, eh?'
The planet, as saw 1t, was hard to
describe. 1t looked more like a big
COB of light with four spatters around
it than ANYTHING can call to mind.
1t appeared rather sCratGhy, and was
SpcckIed with some dark spots, as,
also, with some white epccks. laSked
Liggins, who was getting pretty cold
by this time, what one of the largest
white speCks was, and he gave an
opinion to the effect that in his csti-
nation scientific men, he allowed,
couldn't be too careful in their dcduc-
tions-in his estimation it was the can
vass of some big, iirst-claSs show COM
pany-the "Nlnc Allied London
Shows" for instance, all spread out.
Possibly, it included the side shows,
though he didn t care to 20 on record
about the side shows. Scientific men
had to be careful. The thing looked
plausible and absorbed it.
"When proposed having shy at
some other star, Liggins said he had a
sick baby, and must hurry home. |
was enthusiastic, in spite of my back,
and wanted more, but Liggins waved
his sick baby, so to speak, IN my face,
and | let him go when he promised to
have a fresh staron TOP the next night.
As | had no desire to make holy
show of myself, we arranged to have
the succeeding sean ,cs come off in my
, back yard, and | got well started in
astronomy.
Every night Liggins lugged his tel
} escOpe up to my house and back again,
notwithstanding my offer to keep il
safely. lie said he wanted to pursue
some private Investigations by him.
self. Another ,hing struck me rs pc
cullar, which was that we could have
but one star at time. As soon as |
, suggested :. sort of astronomical free
for-all, Lggins always remembered
S that his baby had swallowed a copper
S or something of that sort. | didn't
believe the yarns about the baby, and
| didrt believe Liggins had baby
0 | could not, nor can | now, under
Q stand how any sclf-rcspccting baby
could own Liggins for father, for he
> was about the most mangy-looklng
citizen over saw.
> Notwithstanding his economy in thu
0 m tier of stars we got along swim
, mingly. took one every clear nigh
and learned to be satisfied with that
| then thought he had an idea his in
voice of planets and asteroids nigh
Il run short. found out differently la
o ter.
: ~ want to see a comet" said ont
o night.
"I'll find you one," remarked Lig
0 gins, who was very accommodating
Y person. 1--WE will have comets TO
ii morrow"
v Sure enough, he was rs good as hi
g.. ,yorJ and irnitnI nut a hiU ppmat n