Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-08-10

Tie Coke on the Lecturer.
About a third of a century ago q
New Yorker was travelling through
Texas Iecturing on astronomy and
illustrating his lectures with globes.
charts and magic-Iantern pictures.
He evidently possessed more enthusi-
asm in the interest of science than
he did practical common sense, or he
would never have fallen into the tran
deliberately set for him and become
the subject of the following practical
joke. The lecturer arrived at Athens
and distributed his hand-bills. He
had a line audience OfseveraI hundred
persons who were interested and as
tOnlshed. He told them how the
planetary system was arranged: how
the sun stood still and all the other
planets revOlved around it. He ex-
planned to them that the earth was
round andrevOlved on its axis Oncein
every tWenty-fOur hours.
After the lecture was concluded, a
rOughlOOking young man arose in
the audience and said, ADDRESSING the
lecturer:
''Sir, do understand you to say
that the sun stands still and the
earth turns upside down once every
day?'
The lecturer replied that the science
OF astronomy so taught and that he
so believed.
The young man, who was none
other than Bill Martin, a young law
yer, who has since become celebrated
as "HOWdy Bill Martini of Texas,
challenged the lecturer to a Joint dis
cussiOn of the question. The chal-
lenge was Immediately accepted, and
it was agreed to leave the decis-
ion to three arbiters there, selected
by the parties. If the decision should
be in favor of the lecturer, Martin
was to pay him 500, and if in favor
Of the young lawyer, the lecturer was
to leave all his globes, charts and
pictures there, and leave the State,
and 60 home and earn an honest iiv-
ing, as Martin expressed it. The
jOinted discussion began the next
morning and continued for two DAYS
before an immense audience The
three arblterS sat on the stage
and looked as wise as three owls.
Martin poured hot shot thick and
fast into the New Yorker. He quoted
Scripture, and especially that part
where Joshua commanded the sun to
stand still. He appealed to the com
mon sense Of the people, many of
whom had Travelled from the old
States to Texas and had never seen
any evidences Of the rOtundity of the
earth Hn +bD -
trying to fool the people with his
neW-tan9led ideas, and trying to
lead them astray from the faith of
their fathers. He also mildly init
mated that the prOpagatOrs of such
notions ought to be taken up and
burned for heresy. The earnest man
ner and stentOrian voice of Martin.
with his charge of heresy and the
usual punishment therefor, made
the New Yorker tremble in his shoes.
The lecturer S polished argument and
scientific dissertation were unaVaiI-
ing.
The arbiters retired at the close of
the discussion and returned in a few
minutes with the verdict that 1.-The
sun does move and the earth is fat. 4"
The lecturer was crestfallen. He
doubtless thought he had met the
toughest lot of heathens on earth.
He never saw the point of the Joke.
He retired from the 1ecture-ield.
leaving his whole outfit in the hands
Of the victorious enemy. One of the
arbiters- was Tom BIurchisOn, who
was elected by the Fort Worth Con
vention this week as a delegate from
the Second Congregational District
Of Texas to the National Democratic
Convention at st LOuis.-DaIas let
ter to st. Louis GIObe-DemOcrat.