The herald., 1896-02-10

the ball of fire seen in the heavens few
days ago, an account of which was pub
lished it THE HERALD, remarked: The
popular interest in the study of heavenly
bodies is yearly increasing, and astronomy,
the queen of the sciences, is engaging
more attention than any other of them,
except perhaps electricity. 1t is not long
since our earth was regarded as the center
of the universe, that it was fiat and had
four corners. The great council of Sala-
manca as late as the fifteenth century, ridi.
culed with much success project involv-
ing such absurdity as the existence of the
antipodes, where men walked with their
heels above their heads, where the trees
grew downwards, and where the snow and
rain fel. upward from a neither heaven, and
in the eyes of that most holy council to
maintain that the earth was inhabit ed be-
yond the tropics was 5lasphemLus.
The Chaldeans were the first astrono.
mers. and knew the mean motions of the
moon with an exactness which induced the
Greek astronomers to employ their calcu-
lations for the foundations of lunar theory.
The planetary observations also to which
they were led by their love of astrology,
appear to have been used for the consruc-
ton of accurate astronomical tables. But
long before our era the Chinese advanced
considerably in astronomical knowledge.
With accurate numerical data ancient Chi
nese astronomical observations came down
to us, which date at least as far back as
11O4 B. c., and testify TO the extre me an
tiquity of Chinese civilization. They
understood the obliquity of the elliptic
hundreds of years before Christ, and the
meridian shadows had been measured
with great accuracy in two solstices upon
an eight-foot gnomen; while from the
middle of the third century to about the
close of the fourteenth, the time of the APP
pearance and temperance of comets
was calculated from ancient Chinese OBJ
servatOns.
When we remember that the telescope
and its wonderful powers were unknown
till 1908 the progress which astronomy
has made is remarkable. Instead of a few
thousand stars that are to be seen with the
naked eye, many millions have been dis
covered and catalogued marching in grand
procession, with the most perfect order, in
tho boundless realms of space. And like
the stars, progress is always the law with
the star-Razer; in every celestial field there
are always looming up before him new
ideas and new theories, and with them his
mind is ever ready to grappie. A most inn
poftant work now going on is the great as
tro-photographic chart Of the heavens at
the Cape of Good Hope by DR.. Cell, and ct
Yale observatory by DR.. Elkins, in addi-
ton to which both are doing great work in
having heliometers, and the results so far
obtained are OF the highest precision and
greatest value.
w. j. Scanned of Buffalo, N. Y, said
that he felt sure the president was sincere
in the published statements attributed to
him, that he would not be a candidate for
reelection under any circumstances. He
will, however, throw all the force of his in
fiuence in favor of any candidate the party
holt hat -,<,l
p. Flower will be the man, and that if
nominated he would carry New York state
by handsome majority. In fact, think
he is the only prominent Democrat who
could do SO. His unblemished character,
his public spirit, his generous but unosten-
tatious charities, and his sound political
views, make him a most eligible candi-
date. One thing Is certain. he would have
the solid vote of the Populists and that of
many respectable Republicans disguised
with the existing condition of their party.
The gold strike in the Pend d'Oreille
river last week is not q surprise to me, said
Dave Mannering, an experienced mining
man who knows the Spokane country thor
oughly. The point whore Bob Hughett
struck it rich is about twenty miles from
the mouth of the river. The country is al
most impenetrable, and 80 difficult that it
has never been properly prospect ed. Bob
did well. He washed ont $3.50 in coarse
gold in two days working one of the bars
with a rocker, and at another spot 5000
moro in one days work. He filed his
claim and with partners has started in to
work it. Yes, it's pretty cold work, he
laughingly said, especially when it sleets,
SHOWS or rains, day after day, at this sea-
son without a let up.
F. H. Burgess of Cleveland, Ohio, speak
ing of the rumored formation of new
cto day oil ;t,I ~c
$l00,O0O,000, said that such a thing was
possible, but he did not think it would come
about until after the liquidation of the
Standard Oil trust, which has been going
on for the last three years. is completed,
especially as the constituent corporations
in each state are managing their own af-
fairs. The holders of the trust receipts
continue to receive annual dividends at the
rate OF 122 per cent per annun, and last
year they received q bonus dividend be.
sides this of per cent. Naturally no one
cares to surrender his trust certificates I'M
der such circumstances. 1t is said thu
company con emplates the distribution of
an extra dividend of 100 per ceat this year.
The Teutonic immigration into England
is undated said James r. Battershell, a
gentleman connected with the London,
England, board of trade. AT present there
are about 10000 Germans in Great Br;-
tf.n and the immigration of persons of
Teutonic birth goes on continuously, They
form one-third of the immigrants. and
largely exceed any other nationality, al
though of late years the Poles and Rus
slams togetherEhave equaled them, and ars
now perhaps numerically first. About fif-
ty per cent remain in London, the rest SCI
tie down in Greater London-the home
counties. Out of 10000 German male
adults only 322 are returned as living on
their own means without occupation-that
ia to saw. 80 Der cent earn their Iivipu II,
competition with the native popu alion.
They serve their adopted country in snci
unexpected capacities as those OF police.
men, farmers and even agricultural labor
ers. German governesses and school mis-
tresses do not immigrate in such large
numbers as formerly.
Gallo acid SO largely used in the arts,
especially for tanning, said A. W. Forces.
ter, exists in gallnuts, valonia, the acorn
cup of a species of oak, in divi-divi, sumac
and hemlock bark, but the quantity yielded
by these substanc IS il not large, requiring
an Immense amount of material 10 extract
anything like large quantity of the acid
plant named canaigre growing every |
where in Mexico and in Southern Cali !
fornia, where it is indigenous has been |
found to contain high percentage of gall |
TIC acid, the roots having from 12H to 80 i
per cent. 1t is proposed to take advantage |