The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-07-16

"
gree and time of the stars as we go
along, and will remember il just as
easy as can the record of boss / see
trot with my own eyes. You get on to
my scheme?"
az think do"
@You can give me starter right
now. Here's dollar for YOU Now
tell me all can remember about that
star you have leveled your spyglass at. T"
The fellow hemmed and hawed and
acted as though he didn't know how to
begin, until suggested his refunding
the dollar. That seemed to revive him
and he turned loose dray load of in
formation, ali of which i could not be-
lieve, not being of q credulous turn of
mind.
@That is the planet Jupiter" he COM
menced, while 1 nearly broke my back
bending down TO get q good fair chance
at it. 1T is the largest of the constel-
lations and is a hundred and seventy
five thousand miles thick"
/ took it In without quaver and my
astronomer seemed to clipper up, talk
ing with less hesitancy.
1T has four moons, which you will
observe ranged around the planet like
the bags around the pitchers stand on
baseball field. They have on that
world both night and day shift moons.
There is enough. so that at least one can
throw off light all the time without too
much wear and tear on the solar sys-
tenn. Moonlight walks on Jupiter have
lost their charm, having become so
common"
soaked in that piece of knowledge,
and the astronomer frightened up still
more.
eff you will observe very closely you
will be able to see the planet is envel-
oped in vague and scarcely discerna-
bic nebula hypothesis.
Hold on; say that again"
"What. Nebula hypothesis ?"
stop her, while get my notebook
to bear on it. Just let me gather that
word in, and if l don't paralyze my wife
with it you may coll me horned toad"
He told me how to spell and pro-
nounce it, and then l let him go on
with the show.
"a year on the planet Jupiter is a
very long time" he resumed. 1T is
about as long as eleven of ours"
"Oh, come, now; you can't make me
believe that" protested, as let go
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 tough story, but Proctor
| settled it. i had heard my wife men
| ton Proctor.
"Yes sir, eleven years and nearly
| twelve"
Great Caesar, but that's hard on the
grangers over in Jupiter-only one crop
to three Presidential elections.
Il reckon it's tiresome, but i suppose
they get used to it.
ct must be pleasant for merchants
when farmer comes in and asks to get
trusted, and says he will pay after
harvest-in the course of eight or ten
years."
There are some disadvantages about
that, and then there are some adyan-
tages, too. 1t isn't so bad if you are
the one who owes the money"
"That's so. Now give her a turn
ahead"
"Some scientists assert that the in
habitants of Jupiter are transparent"
"Say-er-er, what's your name?'
Higgins.
"Well, higgins, I'm cussed if as
troromy isn't interesting. Why, it's
great, 1t knocks a political campaign
clear out. Gimme some more"
"As I was saying, some scientists,
xAkal~1xy Haronha1 or1 II D1ana -
that the inhabitants of Jupiter are
transparent, while Kepler disputes
this"
II guess I'll tie up with Kepler on
this deal"
But there is one thing they all agree
on-that the people can only be foot
and q half high, and about four feet
thick, sloped good deal like
mud-turtle with a head ON top
instead of at the end. You see
the force of gravitation is so
great that man built like us
would be plastered right down,
and wouldn't be able to stand alone
unless he was several times stronger
than men usually are. Why, it would
break Suilivan's back"
Good deal like your machine, ell ?"
The planet, as 1 saw it, was hard to
describe. IL looked more like big
COB of light with four spatters around
1t than anything can call to mind.
1t appeared rather scratchy, and was
speckled with some dark spots, as,
also, with some white specks. 1 asked
Higgins, 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 estimation
scientific men, he allowed, couldn't be
too careful in their deductions-in his
estimation it was the canvass of some
big, first-class show company-the
"Nine Allied London Shows" for in
stance, all spread out, Possibly, it in
cluded the side shows, though he didn't
care to go on record about the side
shows. Scientific men had to be care
full. The thing looked plausible and 1
absorbed it.
"When / proposed having shy at
some other star, Liggins said he had a
sick baby, and must hurry home. 1
was enthusiastic, in spite of my back,
and wanted more, but higgins waved
his sick baby, so to speak, in