The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-08-11
JOKE ON a LECTURER.

How Congressman Martin Once Dis
puted the statements OF an As
tronomer.
About q third Of century ago. says
q Dallas letter 10 the 81. Louis Globe
Democrat, a New Yorker was travel
ing through Texas lecturing on
astronomy and illustrating his lectures
with globes, charts, ind magic-lantern
pictures. He evidently possessed
more enthusiasm in the interest of
Silence than he did practical common
sense, or lie would never have fallen
into the trap deliberately set for him
and become The subject of the follow
ing practical joke. The lecturer ar
rived ut Athens and distributed his
handbills. He had fine audience of
several hundred persons who were in
terested and astonished He told
them how the planetary system was ar
ranged; how the sun stood still and all
the other planets revolved around it.
He explained to them that the earth
was round and revolved on Its axis
once in every "a hours.
After the lecture was concluded a
rough-look ng young man arose in the
aud ence and said. addressing the lee
turer:
.'Sir. do understand you to say
that the sun stands still and that the
earth turns upside down once every
dayp'
The lecturer reple ed that the Silence
of astronomy so taught and that he SO
believed.
The young man-who was none 9th
err than Bill Martin, a young lawyer.
who has since become celebrated as
'Howdy Bill Martini" of Texas
challenged the lecturer to joint dis
cussion of the question. The chal-
lenge was Immediately accepted. and
it was agreed to leave the decision to
three arbiters there selected by the par
ties. If the decision should be in fav-
or of the lecturer Martin was to pay
him 800. 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 90 home and
earn an honest living. as Martin ex-
pressed it. The joint discussion be-
gan the next morning and continued
for two entire days before an emmense
audience. The three arbiters 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 the
part where Joshua commanded the sun
to stand still. He appealed to the
common sense of the people, many of
whom had travelled from the old states
to Texas and had never seen any evil
dences of the rotundity of the earth.
He accused the lecturer of trying to
fool the people with his new-fangled
ideas, and trying to lead them astray
from the faith of their fathers. He al
so mildly minated that the propaga-
tors of such notions ought to be taken
up and burned for heresy. The earn
est manner and stentorian voice of
Martin, with his charge of heresy and
the usual punishment therefor, made
the New Yorker tremble Ia bis shoes
The lecturers polished argument and
scientific dissertation were unavailing.
The arbiters retired at the close of
the discussion and returned in a few
minutes with the verdict that 1.-The sun
do move and the earth is fat"
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 lecture field, leaving
his whole outfit in the hands of the
victorious enemy. One Of the arbiters
was Tom Murchison. who was elected
by the Fort Worth convention this
week as delegate from the second
congressional district of Texas to the
national democratic convention at St.
Louis.