Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-10-31
A QUEER STORY.
The Product Of ssCosmic Dust or q
Heated Imagination.

Correspondence Of the n Y. Commercial Advertiser
SYRACUSE, October II, 1SS5.-On tram
between Rochester and Syracuse happened
the other day to occupy q seat with mioole'
aged man, who carried a small flower pot con-
taining little plant, for whose safety he
seemed extremely solicitous. During the htst
half OF the journey there was but scant CONVEX
sation between US, each being preoccupied
Win his own thoughts; but, as am Interested
IN ootany, began to look more closely at my
ieiow-traveler's plant, and finally became quite
ABSORBED In 1t. 1t was q species of fern Win
which was wholly unacquainted.
May l ask what kind OF fern that Is, and
-. THAT IS more than can tell you" he replied,
tbs venture to say there is no other like 1t In
Naturally, became curious. and asked ques-
Lions asns. Inc following is synopsis Of his re-
COLLECTING cosM1c DUST.
II was for years in the employ of the Hudson
Bay company, and spent the best part Of my
lie among Ice and savages in the cold regions
OF br1tish America. / had often noticed that
tne snow and Ice In some localities were COW
attention to hi reaS an account of an Arc
tlc expedition, In which the writer stated that
such powder was cosrnic dust, sifted down
tufOusn the atmosphere from space, which Is
saio 70 be more or less filled with 1t.
AS soon as read this statement it struck me
In, ina. IL would be good plan to collect some Of
tne uust and see whether anything would grow
I'D ~: so began to carry bottle into which
put inc powder whenever found any. In a few
about as much as you see here"-he held the
n0wef pot toward me; it was about one-third
LulI-and became very much interested In
OF our plants should grow in it, they would
Gke the same shape as when nourished by
tnelr native soil.
A PHENOMENAL FERN.
AT this time was called to England in con-
noC1t0n fho hf,ci Nf fEa md
planting pea in the celestial mold, 1 locked it
up In large wooden box. There it remained
undlsturbed until my return, a little more than
year. l confess opened the box again with
good deal OF curiosity, and was both astonisbed
ana delighted TO see that the pea had developed
into fern, as ! supposed, for this plant was
then about one inch in height. l attended it
very carefully for about two months, but it did
not seem to grow. One day stirred up the
dust lit had hitherto been undisturbedl, and to
my extreme establishment brought 10 light the
pea l had planted as dry and unsprouted as
though it had been buried in dry sand. l ex-
amined the pea carefully. 1t was wholly un-
affected, and the fern must have had some
other origin. There is no doubt about that"
Have you any idea how it originated there?"
"Wel, yes; am confident the seed came with
the dust from some other world"
In answer TO my look oc amazement and it
may be, incredulity, he continued: at was GER
tainly not planted in this pot in any shape.
And how could fern root or fern seed have
become mixed with the dust at the top oil thick
snow and ice? That was impossible Neither
could ii get into the bottle in which kept it
until emptied into this pot which was bran
new. And now if cOSmic dust can settle upon
the earth, which l believe scientists regard as
a fact, is there anything unreasonable in sup
posing that light plant seed can do the same?"
STARTLING THEORY.
"Your logic seems good, but / must confess
that on first thought your theory appears
fanciful.'
ION first thought 1t will undoubtedly seem
so, but not on the hundredth, perhaps. / have
studied this matter in all directions, and
have come to the conclusion that some of the
varieties of our plants have had just such an
origin az l claim for this fern, and it may be
that the same Is true of some of our animal
species. Perhaps the beginning OF all life on
earth had such an origin, perhaps life from
this earth has been waited to our neighbor
planets as well.
"Now another confirmation of my theory as
regards this particular plant is that no one has
ever seen one like it. No botaniSt that l ever
consulted has been able to classify it. Since
became interested in the subject l have exam
ined many kind; OF fern, but never came across
How long has it been grOwing?"
"Ten years. 1t grows very slowly and does
not thrive on water. AT the suggestion of a
friend have tried sprilkling it with diluted
am rnonia, which seems to agree with it,
AT this point we came, as thought very sud-
denly to my destination, and as left the car
asked the stranger to give me his name. He
replied that II was Tarleton or Carleton, could
not distinguish which, and he said he was on
bis way to England. o.