Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-07-10
BILL NYE ON OALILEO.
Some Unpublished Facts About the
Queer Old italian.

Queer Old italian.
| Galilei, commonly called Calico, was
born at Pisa on tie 14th day Of February,
1854. He was the man who discovered some
of the fundamental principles underlying
the movements, habits, and personal pecu-
liarities of the earth. He discovered things
with marvellous fuency. Born as he was, at
a time when the rotary motion of the earth
was still in its infancy ana astronomy
taught only In crude way, Calico started
10 make few discoveries and advance some
theories of which he was very fond.
He was the son of a musician and learned
to play several instruments himself, but not
In such way as TO arouse the Jealousy of
the great musicians Of his day. They came
ard heard him play a few selections and
then they went home contented with their
own music. Calico played for several
years In the band at Pisa, and people who
heard him said that his manner of gazing
out over the Pisan hills with a far-away
look In his eye after playing selection,
while he gently upended his alto horn and
worked the mud valve as he poured out
about pint of moist melody that had &C
cumulated in the fues of the instrument was
simply grand.
At the age of twenty Calico began to
| discover. HIS first discoveries we're, of
course, clumsy and poorly made, but very
sOOp he began to turn out a neat and dur.
able discovery that would stand for years.
1t was at this time that Calico noticed
the swinging 81 lamp in church, and,
observing that.he oscillations were OF equal
duration, he inferred that this principle
might be utilized IN the exact measurement
Of time. From this little accident, years
| after, cane the clock, one of the most use
full of mans dumb friends. And yet there
are people who will read Il Is little incident
and still hesitate about going to church.
Calico also invented the thermometer, the
microscope and the proportional compass.
He seemed to invent things, not for the
Money to be obtained in that way, but SOLE
Iy for the joy OF being first on the ground.
He was man of infinite genius and per-
severance. He was also very fair in his
treatment of other inventors. Though he
did not personally invent the rotary motion
Of the earth, he heartily Endorsed it and
said it was good thing. He also came out
in a card in which he said he believed it
TO be good thing, and that he hoped some
day to see it applied to the other planets.
He was also the inventor of a telescope
that had a magnifying power of thirty
10
Senate, and 1t was used in making. appro-
pristiOns for river and harbor improve
ments.
By telescope investigation GslileO dis
covered the presence of microbes in the
moon, but was unable to do an, thing for it.
1 have spoken of Mr.. Calico all the way
through this article informally, calling him
by his first name; but feel so thoroughly
acquainted with him, though there was such
a striking difference in our ages, that am
almost justified in using his gwen name
while taking of him.
Calico also SAT up nights and sited with
Venus through long telescope which he
mad made h mself from on old bamboo fish
ingrod.
But astrOnOmyis very enervatipg branch
VI science. Calico frequently came down
to breakfast with red, heavy eyes; eyes that
we're swollen full OF uDshed Iears. Still he
persevered. Day after day he worked and
toiled: Year after year he went on with his
task till he had worked out in his own mind
the satellites Of Jupiter and placed small
tin tag on each one, 30 that he would know
it readily when he saw 1t again. Then he
began to look mp Saturn's rings and investi-
ga e the freckles on the sun. He did not
top at tIifles, but went bravely on till
o.arvhodv came f,r p,iias IN Loot a hin, a nd
get him 10 write something funny In their
albums. 1t was not an unusual thing for
Calico to get up in the morning, after a
wearisome night with fretful new born
star, to find his front yard full of autograph
albums. Some Of them were little red al
buns with floral decorations on them, while
Others were the large plush and alligator
albums of the afluenl. Some were new
aud had the pIice mark still on them, while
others were old, fOundered albums, with a
drOOp in the back and little iecks of egg
and gravy on the title page. All came " iih
request for Calico ITO write little, witty,
characteristic sentiment in them"
Calico was the author of the hydt ostatic
paradox and other sketches. He was a
great reader and a fluent peuman. One
time he was absent from home, lecturing
In Venice for the benefit CT the United Ag-
gregation of Mutual Admirers, and did not
return for two weeks, 50 that when he got
back he found the front room full of auto
graph albums. 1t Is said that be here de-
monstrated bis great fluency and readiness
as thinker and writer. He waded through
the entire lot In two days with only two
men from West Pisa to assist him. Galileo
came out of 1t fresh and youthful, and the
fOllOw wing night he was closeted all night
with another inventor, a wicker covered
microscope, and bologna sausage. The
investigations were carried on for two
weeks, after which Calico went out to the
inebriate asylum and discovered some new
STYLES Of reptiles.
Calico was the author of q little work
called II Discarsie Dimas-Trazioni Mate
matiche IntOTus Due Mu)ve Science" Il
was q neat little book, of about the medium
height, and sold well on the trains, for the
Pisan nswsbOys on the cars were very
affable, as they are now. and when they
came aud leaned an armful of these books
On q passengers leg and poured long tale
into his ear about the wonderful work and
then pulled In the name Of the book from
the rear OF the last car, where 1t had been
most always buy it and enough Of the name
to wrap 1t up In.
He also discovered the isochroDism of the
pendulum. He saw that the pendulum ct
certain seasons of the year looked yellow
under the eyes, and that Il dropped and did
not enter into its work with the old Test.
He began to study the case with the aid of
his new bamboo telescope and wicker
covered microscope. As result in ten
days he had the pendulum on its feet again.
Galileo was inclined TO be liberal in his
matter OF the Scriptures, claiming that there
were passages In the Bible which did not
literally mean what the translator said they
did. This was where Calico missed IL. so