Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-01-21
THERMOMETER STANDARDS.
Sauses OF Confusion and Suggestions
Line of Scienc3 and Common Sense.


Line of Sciences and Common Sense.
EDS. RECORD UNION In the ar:ici
Reckless News Editing" of your issue Q
January lGth, mention is made of " zero,
above zero" and below zero - in regar,
| to the weather of Northern California
While charges Of falsehood and misrepre
sentation can be made, may it not in sons
cases be rather due to want of knowledg.
about The zero point or the proper expires.
sion, as the thermometer seldom shows
such low temperature in this State?
The fact is, while the United States OF
america has been moving along in the car
81 progress far more rapid than other ma
tons, 1t has in another direction been
standing still entirely, and this NAV be
partly due to the fact that seldom in the
halls of the National Capitol has science
been represented, and probably most of all,
that the lever money plays DO part in it.
! Lawyers, bankers, manufacturers and bust
ness men do not sufficiently interest them
selves IN the adoption of different method
IN the measurement of heat, or different
| standard III weights and measures there
tore we use still the old systems first intro
duced by England centuries ago.
Science generally all over the so called
| civilized world has adopted the centigrade
| system IN the ordinary measurement CT
neat. 1t was first introduced by Celsius, a
o"ede: In tins the zero point is 0, when
wafer freezes, while 1902 e. represents the
boiling point of water. In Reaumer. water
freezes at 0, and boils at 500 r.. while in
Fahrenheit's division, water is made to-
freeze at 32' f., and boils at 212o T.
AS zero signifies o, mistakes naturally
may arse III confoundlng zero points, which
III celsius and Reaumer, under 0 follow l. 9
d, etc: 1t would probably be clearer in ex-
pressing ones self by mentioning the de-
srees below 320 h. when water freezes, plac-
ing along side the number under 81 also /. ..
., /, etc. But for the coming generations il
would be far better to adopt the simpler
and more scientific system cfCelsius, meas
uring from 20 (zerol, when water freezes
TO lOo0 when 1t boils. No mistakes what
ever can arise, as all under o, is noted as
above stated
Tie TIME must come when there will be
a more universal system OF weights and
measures, divisions of heat as in the
ordinary thermometer, and general or
IKE system of money all over the the COM
mercial world. 1t matters little, whether
1t is the dollar, mark or franc, all three
represent one hundred small coins.
Germany and France have at present the
smallest division of money in Europe In
France 100 sous-1 franc and in Germany
lU0 pfennige-1 mark; and in the latter
country, the kreutZer, groschen silver
groschen and all the old miserable coins
have been swept aside and returned with
neat coinage.
In weights and measures the French
system was adopted, In spite of the people.
who found the old pound (pfund) good
enough for their father and grandfather
and never wanted change.
In this direction probably few rulers have
done more for science and to propel the car
OF progress onward than the late Emperor
Louis Napoleon. A republic could never
have carried through what was advised to
INN by able men in their branch of studies,
and he himself found to benefit the nation
he rep. esented. Coming generations may,
IN the distant future, judge more leniently
men Ike Louis Napoleon or King Louis of
Bavaria, despite the Lola Montez affair.
Many men, and even women, of that class
must be judged many years after, when the
good they accomplished will far outweigh
the sins they committed.
In this the Catholic Church acts very
wisely, for it is said she waits 400 or 500
years before she caponizes them, or makes
saints of them. By that time the little
sins that passion dictated are forgotten or
Oul lLlC great SOOu
plished which often does not bear fruit at
once, Of in ones lifetime, then stands out
in bold relief.
In the sale of the necessaries of life, a
number of customs can be pointed out that
require changing. l will only in this arti-
Gle name one, which may make a differ
ence of millions of dollars in the United
States alone. But it ought to be adopted
all over the world. Tell me, Mr.. Editor,
why we must tenaciously cling to the Gus
tom of counting eggs, where small ones
will often bring as much as twice the size
Why not weigh them, and establish GER
tain rate for dozen, which could advance
or be lowered according to supply and
want, as in other goods, or eatables like
meat, which they really represent? On
this coast we have already in most our
dealings become used to weight instead of
measure, as in the Western States, where
the bushel and peck is used With us, DO
tatoes, fruit. grain etc, are nearly all sold bv
the weight they represent, and it would
therefore be just as easy to add eggs, when
the true value is expected TO be paid for
them. Respectfully, JOHN EITEL.
Sacramento, January 10, 1888.