The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-06-07
OLD HOWDY ON ASTRONOMY
Discussion Between Mr.. Martin
and a New York Lecturer.
From the Dallas News.

ana new OrK Lecturer.
From the Dallas News.
A News reporter interviewed an old
Texan, from whom he gathered the fol.
lowing incident concerning Congressman
Martin of Texas, which illustrates hs
views on astronomy. About a third
of a century ago New Yorker was tray-
cling through Texas lecturing on astrono.
my ard illustrating his lectures with
globes, charts and magic lantern pictures.
He evidently possessed more enthusiasm
in the interest of science than he did prac
tical common sense, or he never would
have fallen into the trap so deliberately
set for him and become the subject of the
following practical joke:
The lecturer arrived at Athens and dis
tributed his handbills. He had fine au-
dience of several hundred persons, who
were interested 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 ex-
planned to them that the earth was round
and revolved on its axis once in twenty
four hours,
After the lecture was concluded rough
looking young man arose in the audience
and said, addressing the lecturer: "Sir,
do understand you to say that the sun
stands still and that the earth turns up
side 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, young lawyer, who has since be-
come celebrated as "Howdy Bill Martini
of Texas, challenged the lecturer to
Joint discussion of the question. The
challenge was Immediately accepted, ard
it was agreed to leave the decision to three
arbiters there selected by the parties. If
the discision should be in favor of the
lecturer, Martin was to pay him 500, and
if in favor of the young lawyer, the lee
turer was to leave all of his globes, charts
and pictures there, leave the state and go
home and earn an honest living as Martin
expressed it.
The JOINT discussion began the next
morning, and continued for two entire
days, before an immense 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 that
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 evidence of the rotun-
dity of the earth. He accused the lecturer
of try ing to fool the people with his new
tangled ideas, and trying to lead them
astray from the faith of their fathers. BE
also mildly intimated that the propagators
of such notions ought to be taken up and
burned for heresy. The earnest manner
and stentorian voice of Martin, with his
charge of heresy and the usual punishment
therefor, made the New Yorker tremble in
his shoes. The lecturers polished argu-
met and scientific di: sertation were IN
availing.
The arbiters retired at the close of the
discussion and returned in few minutes
with the verdict that "the sun do move
and the earth is fat"
The lecturer was crestfallen. He doubt
less thought he had met the toughest lot
of heathens on the 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 Murchson,
who was elected by the Fort Worth con-
vention this week as delegate from the
Second congressional district of Texas to
the national democratic convention at
| st. Louis.