The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-23
THE SUN DO MOVE.
After Conflicting Testimony the Suns
Office Boy Settled II.

OlHSC DOy SctuSu LIE
They were sitting in the reading room
OF the Atlantic Hotel at 63 Bowery, New
York. Some of them had seen. better
days. The sturdy old sea captain with the
long white beard brought on the argu-
ment by recalling the times when ne
went cocoanut hunting in the tropics,
"got the fever, liked near TO die, was in
eleven wrecks, and passed through more
storms than.a sea dog who ever bunked
at Snug Hsrbor." Billy, the umbrella
man, remembered some very bad storms,
too, because his factory ct one time was
kept running day and night That was
when Billy lived in Jersey. Then he
could draw his check for $4,000. Real
estate speculstions ruined him. A hungry
money lender ended all by foreclosing
the mortgages. Tim, the astronomer,
knew what II meant TO nave the money
lenders foot on him.
"They even took my factory where /
used 10 turn out optical goods enough
to supply half OF the people Of the United
States" said Tim. "After that turned
and at night when got home I'd take
to my books on astronomy. The stars
were always my peis. / think every man
should make himself familiar with them"
"That's my opinion" said Electrician
Frank Baldwin. 81 like to sit and fgure
travelled since was born, and tnen get
to figuring on the suns movements and
"Come off, the sun oon't move" in
terrupted Sailor Mcmahon.
"Don't get excited, +" said the electric
ian. "when / talk Of planets | know
what Pm talking about. say the sun
! "It do not" insisted the sailor.
sit does,p
"weli, I'll betcher."
"lll betcher.''
swell, bet."
"Put mp your money; there's s5 says the
sun does move. You understand me?"
said Electrician Baldwin.
"There's IS says the sun do not move"
saio Sailor Mcmahon.
''Pll act as stakeholder" said Jim
Moore, enc OF the boarders.
"we'll leave it to an editor" said Nc
Mahon. .N
So, followed by a crowd from the read
ing room OF the Atlantic, Baldwin,
Mcmahon, and Moore walked down to
the office OF an uncomfortable newspaper.
So that no mistake should be made the
referee got a Western Union Teiegrs ph
blank and wrote out the disputed ques-
tion, and added another to ii that had
grown out OF an argument on the way
down. Here is copy of the questions:
lowing questions:
is the sun stationary?
Does the earth revolve around the sun?
Please answer. Big money on 1t.
The authorit consulted wrote on the
top OF referee Moore's paper these words:
"yes, to both questions. Then, OPP
posite each question, he again wrote the
word Eyes" These answers did not
satisfy Electrician Baldwin, and be sug-
gested that the city editor be called out,
so that he might give bis authority for
them. He came out.
Authority for the ststement?" said
he to Baldwin. "'Why, you damned
that the sun don't move. You were
thinking OF the earth when you bet your
money. You're damned sss."
The three men then came across Frank
fort street to the Sun Office, and the ques-
tions were again subn tilted in writing.
"l'm willing to leave it to your office
boy" said Electrician Baldwin.
The boy whose business IL is to keep
the ink wells filled borrowed n pencil
from the horse editor and wrote this
answer:
The sun has three motions. An axisl
rotation which II performs In 25 days, 3
hours, and 3 minutes, a sort OF orbitsl
motion sround the center OF inertia itself
and its system OF planets, and n progress
sive movement through space In the az
rection OF the constellation Hercules, and
at the rate Of 15i,1s5 600 miles a year.
The earth revolves around the sun.
swell, I'll be eel-haulsd," exclaimed
the sailorman, "if that don't beat all.
Take tn money, Bsldy, take tn money.
This is lad that knows things, and
I'm willing TO lose and treat besides"
60 they went out and beat the Raines
law New York Sun.