Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-27
WHAT A rREE.s LIVE covERs.
How Its Period of Existence Mako Thss -
Man Seem short.

Man Seem short.
Written for The EveninT Star.
lnNE REALIZES with some vividnees that
oman is . creature 81 few DAYS when looking
upon . section Of great tree exhibited in the
National Museum, 20 which there is attached
an ingenious chart showing what great events
have been contemPoraneous with the life Of
this monster OF the forest
The tree Of which the chronology is thus given
is tulip tree and started 90 grow. a Young
seeding. in the Mississippi Wiley during the
year 1858. Its precise age lie known. because 20
determine that point absolutely 10 simply q
matter Of counting the rings-one for each
twelvemonth-in the cross section. which was
obtained by saving. Thus 10 is readily seen
what particular ring was the bark Of the tree,
defining lite circumference, at any given yesr
of its age.
In 1855 the tree sprang from q seed and saw
Tie hrst season Of it- existence when Queen
Elizabeth assembled the throne. Three succes-
siNe coats Of bark IL had assumed when Bacon
the future philosopher. was born. n, the time
that II had increased its dimensions by ono
more ring Shakespeare had come into the world
IL was bigger by eight more rings when the
massacre OF - Bartholomew occurrcd. Six
rings in addition had increased the bulk Of the
tree when. in 1878. Sir Francis DrAk. discovered
the harbor Of San Francisco.
Seven more seasons, represented by rs many
rings, saw tobacco introduced into England
from Virginia. and also witnessed the settling
OF Roanoke in that state by Sir Walter Raleirh'
While the third ring after those events vns
forming the Spanish Armada was DESTROYED
ana Mary, Queen OF Scots beheaded. Fifteen
more rings and Queen Elizabeth died. the
crowns Of England and Scotland being united
In the same wear. which also that 81 the
famous Guy Fawkes gunpOwder plot for blow
ing up the Engh n houses Of parliament
When the tulip tree had assumed five more
overcoats. IN l6G-. news came of the invention
OF the telescope. IS well NJ of the making OF the
present yersi m Of the isihle. Five more rings
ard the Dutch settled nj New York where their
desS'h darts r.fN form the most exclusive
asttt,, Use = % ! te'~seond ring afterward was
an s1'rNs ris ~ ~ uHefng when the first daily
rs~S.rapefaf, th-Rorll was established. Thrre
rings IN addition and the great thirty wears
war had begun in Germany. Again two rings
and the Pilgrims landed at plymouth. New
Jersey being colonized in the same year by the
Dutch. Still another ring and cotton began 20
be planted in the colonies. Nine more laver,
OF bark and Boston settled: ar extra one
and the birth of the poet Dryden appeared on
the parish register.
Still the tree kept on growing. adding 10 its
size by three more rings by the time that in
1884. Rchelieu founded the French Academy
and Maryland WAS settled. Eight rings on tor
OF these and civil war in England WAS begun
SIT Isaac Newton coming into the world at the
/
overcoats the tree now grown to large size.
had put on when Charles I was def, ated a, the
battle Of Naseby and Archbishop Laud was be-
headed. When Vet another three rings had
been assumed the thirty wears war came 90 an
end. and the very next ring grew in the same
season when the commonwealth WAS declared
IN England and Charles / heheaded Four
more rings and Cromwell was made protector
But seven outside OF these had 10 be formed be-
fore the restoration of the monarchy in Eng
land.
Another ring and Defoe. destined 10 be the
| author of immortal "Robinson Crusoe" WAS
born. -Four on top Of these and Milton xas
writing Paradise Lost in the wear of the
great plague of LCpdon-l665. One ring more
and the great fire OF london followed tn, dis
aster of the plague. Fifteen rings and Ia sale
explored the Mississippi river: an extra ring
and William Penn settled PENNSYLVANIA. La
Sale exploring Louisiana in the sane wear.
Six rings, and there was a revolution in
England: one more, and William ard Mary
assembled the English throne. Add eleven
rings and the population of the colonies had
reached 262.000. Four rings in addition 10
! these and Marlborough won the victory M
Blenheim. Two rings again and Franklin was
born; four more and the piano war invented;
four more and Louis NV died. George bccom-
Ing king IN the same year; thirty-six more and
| the population of the colonies wac .O00. 600.
That was in 1850. But the tulip tree had not
reached maturity vet. Ii still kept on at the
rate OF ring year, having added four more
by the time the French and Indian war began:
hve on top of these and Schiller was born Six
more rings and declaration Of rights made
by the colonies: six more agnin ana Sir Walter
Scott was born; three more and the tea was
thrown overheard in Boston barber; two more
and Braddock was defeated. the American rev
olution Immediately following. Nine more
rings the tree added before peace was male
with Great Britain, and five ON top Of these
when the Constitution was adopted and Presi-
dent Washington Inaugurated. the French rev.
| olution breaking out in the same year. Three
more rings ana Illuminating gas inst used:
another one and Whitney invented the cotton
gin; six more and Washington died: five more
and Napoleon was made emperor.
Three rings beside the tree had added when
Fulton assembled the Hudson in a steamboat;
another. and the slave trade was abolished;
three more, and war was declared with Great
Britain; six more, and the first steamship
crossed the Atlantic; six more. and. in 1926 the
hrst railway for passengers was in use. kerosene
coming in for lighting purposes in the same
year. -Four more rings and friction matches
were first employed: six more. ana the electro
telegraph was invented; five more. and postage
stamps came into use; four more and ansssthesla
was discovered; i've more. and Sir John Frank
lin started on his expedition 20 the north pole;
three more, ana sewing machines were fra
made.
And still the tree grew II had increased in
circumference by seven rings when. in 1885,
the Atlantic cable was laid. Ii kept on growing
ring year during the Of the rebellion,
formed a fresh layer Of bark when the electric
light wac invented in 1874. was in the bloom Of
old age at the time Of the subsequent introduc-
ton of the telephone and phonograph. and was
only cut down in the year 1855. during which
Cleveland was inaugurated. IL was only after
saving out the section now shown at the Ma
tional Museum that il learned Just how
long this pride Of the woods had lived and what
o wonderful series of events in history IL had
survived.