The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1895-12-22
THE LETTER BOX.

No year or 50 ago the wcil-known
publication, the Jewish Chronicle. speak
Ing OF this subject, said. What was the
PRECISE date of the exodus from Egypt
German astronomer according to one
OF our contemporaries, has solved this
knotty problem. Hebrew tradition gives
the date as the First Nisan, 1872 Il. C. In
order TO test this our astronomer has as
sumed that The Egyptian darkness which
Immediately preceded the exodus was an
eclipse. He has. consequently calculated
all the eclipses OF the thirteenth and FOUR
tecnth centuries II. c.. and. having
lected those which took place In the
spring has then chosen from them those
which come nearest 10 the date given by
the Hebrew tradition. The eclipse, he
finally selected was one which took place
on March 10. 1896 r. c. It is curious to
note that this date agrees with Hebrew
tradition so far as the month and the day
are concerned. The year ia. however.
twenty-three years out. The astronomer
declares that this is q mistake OF the
Hebrew historians. since no eclipse &C.
CURED TT the year 1872 Il. c. He seems TO
forget that the alleged darkness is de-
scribed in the Scriptures as having been
n miracle However, the result of his
calculations is to show that the exodus
took place on March e. l3S5--a discov-
cry which will be appreciated when our
iconoclasic reforrncrs lay violent hands on
the Hebrew calendar. It may he well to
state that In spite OF the astronomers
conclusions there is no certainty about
the date Of the exodus. Chronologers vary
greatly in the GATE of this event. the
Ink gives 1914 Hales 1915; Wilkinson,
-at
Is it rue that Rockefeller has given
more money TO colleges than any other
living person? Please give me a list Of
some of the largest cndowments re-
ctiVvd by educational institutions. with
names Of the bene factors. SINH.
john y. Rockefeller has given moro to
educational purposes than any other liv-
ms man, hut Stephen Glrard exceeded
him In his berefactlons by about one
million. Here Is a list of those who have
pNeu more than enc million to educational
Institutions: stephen Girard, Grard col
lege, Pennsylvania, SS,o0o,o00, John d.
Roc kefeller University OF Chicago, T,OOO,-
COO; George Peabody, various institutions,
s6.eoo 0oo Leland stanford. Leland stan
ford, Jr, university. California, 5000. 900;
Asa Packer, Lehish university. Pcursyl-
vania, &t0,o01; Johns Hopkins, Johns
Hopkins university. s. 500, 600. Paul Tulane.
Tulane university, louisiana, s. 500 600.
Isaac Rich, Boston university 81 900 0Qn.
a mas G.. Clark Clark university. Nlassa-
chusetts. S.oD,ono, Vanderbilt brothers.,
Vanderbilt university. Tennessee. Site. 00n:
JONES Lick University Vi California,
$3.50 900; John G. Green. Princeton college.
N9"o'o, William c. De pauw, De Pauw
university Tudiata, 81 800 900; \ j. DreNel,
a. ind ft.t.,
'h5"m0 Leonard Case. school of APP
piled Sciences Cleveland. $l,20o, OcO; Peter
Cooper Cooper Union. New York, sl,2C0. 0n0:
Ezra Cornell Cornell university. New
! YORK. N.o000oo. Henry W Sage. Cornell
uniy.rsiiy New YORK. s.ioQOJo.
/ ~
rl~c give me the name of the city in
Norway which IS especially mentioned a,
| night; s. Never.
HAmmcrfest. a seaport of Norway. In
the batliwick of Denmark, on the Island
of kvato. IN latitude of 20 40 north. longl-
tude q 4 east is celebrated as the most
Northern town in the world. Although
the port IS in so hish n latitude, navlga-
ton is seldom interrupted A granite phi.
| lar in thc rear of the English vice con-
sulatc marks thu commencement of the
great European are measured by Rus
sla- sweden and Norway lsi6-52 The
sun does not set in that latitude be-
tween May and July 80, and does not
.iso between November 20 and January ~.
| An Interesting table gives the figures tor
| other Attitudes farther north as follows,
Latitude 81, sun does not rise for To- days
does not set for l29 days latitude s.. doe.
not rise for liN days. docs not SGT Tor ls.
days latitude so, does not rise for Ia
day" does not set for 1871 days.
How DID tho Christmas tree custom
! ''is''''o' w. 1t
The toy-covered fir toe is said TO have
been the first used by tho heather Scan.
dinavians of long ago. In Rome palmetto
leaves and the long. tapcring plumos OF
tho Mediterranean palm were used II
the winter festivities and from these the
Christmas tree. or Christ tree. as 1t was
originally called. Is derived. The correct
German Christmas tree always has an an
gel or a ChristiSind ON the topmost branch
with tinsel star Mt the end OF a staff
Ike any pantomimc fairy. aud il the tree
belongs to a very orthodox family there
Is usually at its foot a small toy groul
representing the Savor's birth in tn,
stable at bethlehem. Tho tree repre-
scented, though grown from heather root
is no doubt still the tanedum which from
Germany has become naturalized in Amer
lea. France and England.
Please inform me where and undel
| " kat circumstances Mary, the mother o
Christ, died. J.U.A
Neither the time nor the place of Mary
death is definitely known. The last men
ticn made OF he~ IN the Bible Is in Acts l.
Il, whera she Is ssid TO have remained il
the upper chamber after the ascc Asiuu