davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
rur noe srhR,s. oRBTr.

From the Rochestcr Democrat and chronteie.

From enc Rochester Democrat aud Chrontcle.
From tho Rev. Newton NJ. Mann OF Omaha
VIC have received n pamphlet containing an
article by him, reprinted from Popular Astron.
omy, on tho orbit Of Sirius. The article givcs
the results Of Mr.. Mann's latest calculations
and conclusions concerning the path OF the great
companion OF Sirius discovered by Alvan Clark
In 1862.
Observations OF angle and distance from 1859
to October. 1896, inclusive, arc employed In the
calculations. From 1890 to 1895 there were no
observations, as the companion was apparently
30 near It's principal as to be lost in the intense
light. That lie, the orbit is 80 inclined that the
companion in its journey came nearly in line
with the planet and observers on the Garth ana
was therefore invisible. Six years were required
for passage over an angular distance sufficient
to get clear OF the blaze OF Sirius and become
visible to observers.
Mann Of an approximate orbit with the positions
Of the companion at the date of each observation,
was difficult. For no orbit could be constructed
that would touch the companion except on eleven
S Siven o ON the be other dates Of obseFvation placed the
companion outside or inside the delineatcd orbit.
1t must be understood that this orbit, an ollipse,
was drawn after numerous trials to touch the
companion at the greatest possible number, Of
times. The work. was done on q scale which
count, Furthermore, It was the purpose %
draw the orbit so as to bring the companion e
near as possible 10 the outeiuc or lnsioe OF tn9
Mr.. Mann was forced TO conclude that the wide
divergence often noted could not DO explained
by errors OF observation, and that the COM
panion suffered perturbation from the pull of q
second body revolving about Sirius and o giant
satellite yet unseen. He concludes that the COM
panion has n period OF so. 1875 Year,, and that 1t
passed It's principal or Sirius In 1s94-95. and that
the distance Of the star from the centre is 4 sec
onds and 20 hundredths.
OF a disturbing body or satellite Mr.. Mann
writes: "A third member OF tho system seems to
l ha indicated having N nnrind nf 0nma twenty
years, motion retrograde. the plane OF whose
orbit cuts that of the one we are considering at
about thirty degrees. where the disturber ap-
pears TO have passed in 1885, at a distance from
Sirius OF four or five seconds. The disturbances
noted may also be complicated by q massive
satellite OF tho companion moving In an orbit
commensurate with this grandiose system
The evidence Of perturbation 10 sufficient to
warrant these conclusions. 1t is possible that
the third member OF tho system may yet be
sighted or so carefully traced by the mathemat!i.
clans as to be precisely located. Mr.. Mann's
work Is of great interest.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
The Shower OF Stars.

The application of Gen. MIzNER for re-
tirement on the ground of length Of SER
vice, thereby leaving q vacancy which will
doubtless be filed by the advancement of
Col. MERRIAM, is the latest, although we
will not yet say the last, step in an extraor-
binary series of promotions.
The nucleus out of which 30 many changes
have been evolved thus far was the retire.
ment of Gen. THOMAS H. RUGER for age
about W months ago. thereby opening q
promotion Of one B~rigadier to be a Major
General and one Colonel to be q Brigadier.
1t was well understood that the senior officer
In each of these grades would sooner or
later be advanced. But the opportunity
wal seized to confer the stars also on many
other officers, under certain concerted ar.
rangements.
To begin with, Gen. FRANK WHEATON,
the second highest in the grade of Briga-
dier-General, was to be retired for age less
than six weeks after Gen. RUGER, and so
most properly that excellent officer was
passed over the head of Gen. JOHN r.
BROOKE, the senior in the grade. to the va
cancy of Major-G General.
Then, when Gen. WHEATON was retired
for age, on May 8, another worthy Briga-
dier, Gen. JAMES w. Forsyth. fourth on
the list, was jumped over Gen. BROOKE,
with the understanding that, as soon as he
was confirmed az Major-General. he would
apply for retirement; n this plan was
strictly carried out.
Next, on Gen. FoRsYTH's retirement, still
another Brigadier, Gen. z. r.. BLISS, the
fifth on the list, yaulted over the patient
shoulders Of Gen. BROOKE, under a like
understanding, and that, too, was faith
fully carried out, Gen. BLISS applying for
retirement under the law relating to forty
years service, having had one day on the
active list as Major-General
Then, at last, Gen. BROOKE came to the
front, and was made Major-Ge General, rs 1t
had been decided from the start that he
should be. Thus four out of the six Briga-
diers received promotions. And since Gen.
FoRsYTH's age retirement was due next
year, and Gen. BLISS year after next,
whereas Gen. BRooKE's does not come until
1902, neither would have had promotion in
prospect without that arrangement; for OF
the two senior Major Generals, Gen. MILES
does not retire for age until 1908, and Gen.
MERRITT not until 1900.
1t was suggested and, indeed, urged at
one time to take a fifth B~rigadier into this
convenient arrangement. Gen j. j. Cop
PINGER but it was pointed out that he
had received his star only about two years
ago, jumping a large number of Colonies a
that. So the mark was drawn there, al
though he retires in 1890, or before any OF
his present seniors. AS to Gen. E. s. OTIs
the remaining Brigadier of the six wher
the movements began, he does not retir,
until 1902, and, of course, has a chance n
the double star when Gen. MERRITT retires
So much for the Brigadiers I; and now lei
us follow the fortunes of the Colonies. Th'
senior, Col. W. r. SKATER, First Infantry
who had on several similar occasions beer
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
Fast Speakers In Congress.


Fred S. Irland, one OF the expert stenogra-
pliers OF the House. talked Interestingly yester-
day regarding the speed with which Congress
men talk.
at has been said in the newspapers" re-
marked Mr.. Irland. that Representative
Lewis of Washington talks at the rate Of 800
words a minute. He does not. No man could
speak in the House at that speed and be re-
ported. l doubt whether he could be under
stood. mean, OF course. such words as occur in
debates. OF course in taking routine testimony.
where frequently recurring phrases, such as
what is your name Z and where do you live Z
are expressed by brief arbitrary signs, a stenog-
rapher can write as fast as a man can think. 1t
is a very different matter when a Congressman
talks. He uses words with many syllables."
What is the fastest record in the House
Representative johnson OF Indiana once
talked for AN hour and q hall, when discussing
a contested election case. at an average rate OF
900 words a minute. That is rapid work. II a
man talks $50 words a minute he is very swift.
! have noticed one thing" added Mr.. Irland.
THE fast takers slow up after being in the
House a little while. The vastness of the air
space they have to I'LL with their voices gradu.
ally makes its impression upon them, and they
find, too. that they get moro attention when
they do not talk so fast"
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
NO PARK ENHANCE At ss1H ST.
The Comnissioners Refuse the Request for One
Aquarium 90 he Open on Holidays

The Commissioner Refuse the Request for one
Aquarium 70 he Open on Holidays
The petition of a number OF citizens presented
several weeks ago to the Park Department for a
carriage entrance to Central Park at Seventh
avenue and Fffty-ninth street was finally denied
at yesterdays meeting of the board. Superin-
tendent Parson reported unfavorably on the
project on the ground that the entrance would
spoil the landscape effect in that vicinity. and
the report was unanimously adopted. The 20
tition of Cornelius O'Reilly and others for a 70
modelling of the circle at 10th street and Fifth
avenue was referred TO the Superintendent
The Gas Commission was requested to plaoe
three electric lights at the beginning and three
electric lights at the end of Commissioner Mo
Millan's bicycle path on Riverside Drive. and
Director Smith was ordered to sell at public aa-
ton on June % such of the Central Park sheep
as he chose.
Anderson Price, a lawyer of 80 Broadway.
sent a communication commenting hat the
stone front of the old Tombs prison be erected
at the entrance to the Park at Seventy-second
smiled when the letter was read. 1t was 70
ferred to the Fine Arts Committee
On q motion of Commissioner Cruger i was
unanimously decided that on all legal holidays
hereafter the Aquarium will be kept open to the
public the same number of hours as on other
days.
The Board Of Estimate was requested to issue
$s5; 900 worth of bonds for the improvement Of
81. Johns Park, and $4,000 for the improve
meut OF Riverside Park. for which 500. 600 has
been appropriated by the Legislature Il was
reported that the Overlook building in Mulberry
Bend Park was finished, and the Commissioners
There was only one bid for the painting OF the
Macomb's Dam bridge, that OF Peter McCor-
mick for 80. 500. and ii was rejected. The bids
for painting the Madison avenue bridge ran all
the way from 81. 900 to Sl,l5o, and the dis.
The bids were scferred 10 Commissioner Mo
MILAN for investigation.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
The Memory OF tho Signers.

In the city Of Lancaster, Pa, in which
for a short tim during the Revolutionary
war the Continental Congress held Its
sessions, and which for thirteen years
was the capital of the State of Pennsyl-
vania, there was unveiled on Friday last
June ~, a monument to the memory of
GEORGE Ross, a signer Of the Declaration
of Independence. 1t is erected on the site
Of his homestead by the County Historical
Society. The formal presentation was made
by JOHN A. CoYLE, and the speech of ac-
ceptance by W. U. HENsEL, formerly Penn
sylvania's Attorney-General. The dedica-
tory Grafton was delivered by the Hon.
MARRIOTT BRosIUs, Representative of the
Tenth Congress district.
GEORGE Ross was a lawyer, and the mum.
Der of lawyers in legislative bodies in the
early history of the republic was much
smaller, proportionately, than it is in
these times. There were ~ffty-six signers
Of the Declaration OF Independence and
twenty-four of them, or less than one.half,
were members Of the bar. In the last Con-
gress of $50 members, 22s, or nearly two
of the bar. Among the Senators in the same
| q VIC hN1eIo "cIc hlIS-oSHch.
In the First Congress the proportion Of
farmers was materially larger than is the
ease now, and in the early stages of the
republic physicians took a very active part.
There were several among the original
signers OF the Declaration. Two of the
most noted men of the ffty-six, BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN OF Pennsylvania and ROGER
SHERMAN of Connecticut, described them
selves respectively as q printer" and q
shoemaker"
GEORGE Ross, whose services ave been
honored by the people of Lancaster, did not
enjoy the longevity characteristic of many
of his distinguished associates. The con-
Guiding clause of the Declaration OF INDIE
pendence pledged each of the signers to the
others for life, fortune, and sacred honor
but more than half a century passed before
the last obligation ceased. JoHN ADAMS
when he died was 81 years of age, ROBERT
TREAT PAINE of Massachusetts SO, the
illustrious THOMAS JEFFERSON 80, THOMAS
McKEAN of Delaware 81, WILLIAM FLOYD
of New York 81, the illustrious BENJAMIN
FRANKLIN "a, WILLIAM ELLERY of Rhode
Island 90, GEORGE WYTHE OF Virginia 80,
Or. MATHEW THORNTON of New Hamp'
shire 80, SAMUEL ADAMS 81, FRANCIS
LEWIS, a Welshman, whose home when he
signed was in New York, 90, and CHARLES
CARROLL, the last to die, 95. JOHN ADAMS
and JEFFERSON died on the aftieth ami
versary Of the PRONUNCIATION.
Public honors paid to the memory o.
these devoted men are, of course, linn
tied to those States which were repro
scented In the original Union: and II Is Il
the credit of the patriotic people of Penn
s~ylvania that they have always been prompi
and active in such measures Of recognition
as are incident to the observance Of patri
otto anniversaries.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
The Even Temperature OF Joe Black
burn.

Ever since last summer tho Hon. JOSEPH
CLAY STILES BLACKBURN has been de-
~nouncing those Democrats who refused to
vote for BRYAN last year. Mr.. BLACKBURN
Is one of the most gifted %denouncers in
Kentucky, and his volume Of denunciation
cannot be exceeded by any other producer
in the world. His vocabulary is not re-
markedly large, but as he uses the whole OF
1t most Of the time, and as 1t is always pip
ing hot, Its effect in the way Of roar and
sizzle is out Of proportion to it's size. His
~favorite remark about the Buckne and the
Mckinley Democrats Is that Sheol Is full of
better men than they. There is a sort of
theological air about this which makes 1t
specially acceptable to Mr.. BLACKBURN,
and he has repeated it with un%essential
notifications at various times. Indeed.
Col. JACK CHM, who Is not without dis
tinction as q student of incandescent invec-
tive, regards his chiefs comparison Of the
inhabitants Of Sheol with the anti Bryan
Democrats, to the disadvantage Of the lat
ter, as a masterpiece of indignant eloquence,
warming, grateful. and filling.
At the Kentucky Popocratic Convention
last week Mr.. BLACKBURN had a fine spasm
| Oh lanRudRc, anu IulS tilue no ltit oucol ouCp
and warmed himselfby his own fires. Speak.
ing of the gold Democrats, he said:
-The guilotine and the sallows are the proper ret
Fibution for the traitors 70 the party"
Some persons regard these words as some
what rash and anarchical, but connoisseurs
and JOE BLACKBURN will see in them a
comforting evidence hat political disap-
pointment has not banked his fires. His
temperature is even. He is not colder than
he was, and warmer he cannot be. The
way in which he shot those two g's, guillo-
tine and gallows, at the traitors must have
been tremendous. What must be the pride
OF the Kentucky Popocrats in a statesman,
orator, and rare occasional thinker like JOE
BLACKBURN! In his own alliterative man.
ner he may % described as speaking dirks,
brakes, and daggers, "minions, monkeys,
and murderers." And he is always just so.
Henever cools. Strange that in so gigantic
chambers of mind, the heat should be so
evenly distributed.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
THE CHEEK Ell
Queer Feature or an American CIain Against
Siam.
From the San Franctsco c~hrortcle.

From the San Franctsoo chronfcLe.
WASHINGTON, May Ca crisis seems to DO
at hand in the affairs of the Cheek estate. With.
in a few weeks there must be decided whether
aid will be given to the heirs Of the deceased
Teak King. or the last hope OF something being
gained in the suit against the Siamese Govern
ment abandoned.
But there is one difficulty which confronts the
men who have thus far taken charge of the case
for the heirs OF DR.. Marion A. Cheek. When tho
Siamese Government, in behalf of it's claim that
1t should compel payment OF tho interest on its
loan to DR.. Cheek, seized all of his property and
conflscated the main portion of the assets, the
logs in the streams. il allowed to be dissipated
this portion of the estate. Lying In the streams
awaiting transportation to market we're logs
600, but there was no care taken to preserve
these assets of the American. so when II came
10 a settlement there was not enough to pay the
claims OF the Government: As a result. the
Government at once laid claim to the herd OF
seventy six elephants Of DR.. Cheek.
Soon after this came the death of DR.. Cheek.
a most peculiar position as regards the principal
assets in the hands of the representative Of the
dead lumberman. those seventy-six elephants.
An elephant is not the least expensive of lux
uries when he Is purely one. The counter claim
OF the Siamese Government. set up TO prevent
the sale of the elephants, operated at the same
time to prevent the leasing or pawning Of the
beasts. And there they were being fed and
tended and literally eating their heads of.
Now 1t is found that there Is not available
enough money to send counsel to prepare the
case for final submission.
Unless the State Department will agree to
have Minister Barrett hire an attorney, taking a
lien on any Judgment obtained for the expense.
there seems to be q hard road before the estate
sidered a most outrageous confscation Of the
estate OF an American citizen.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
The Reinstatement OF Canovas.

Although the Queen Regents decision to
retain CANovAs in power may put an end
to one hope entertained by President Nc
KINLEY, yet 1t should really accelerate
rather than retard his own programme In
regard to Spain.
Had SAGAsrA, for example, succeeded
CANovAs, and had WEYLER given way, IL
not to MARTINEZ CAMPos, at least to some
soldier whose military methods would be
dominated by the views of the former Cap
tain-General. 1t might have seemed almost
necessary for the Administration at Wash
ington to delay it's own plans. 1t might
have been desirable to wait for the new
Ministry to study the situation and an
nounce Its policy. But, ~ the case stands,
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
h Wings FurIed.

Col. GEORGE r. WARING, Jr., is now fire..
quently mentioned by the ~neophytes of nom
craftsmanship as the most senseless and At
candidate for Mayor of New York ON the
Goose ticket. Col. WARIN0 Is not a Goose,
but a Swan, and he swan out of the muddy
waters of reform more than two weeks ago.
On the night of May % Good Government
Club C disported itself at 677 Fifth avenue.
Mr.. JOHN JAY CHAPMAN was the master of
the r%evels, AN he exploded fun and cpl
gram" said our neolithic contemporary, tho
Neto FORK Times, the next day, (which
were echoed in roars of applause and
laughter, like punches of irecrackers."
Here is one of his punches Of frecrackers
"whea he said the only logical candidate OF tho
Citizens Union was GEORGE Z, wARIKo. Col. wARno.
who was on his right. and only = few places away.
looked serious, while a hundred men pounded on the
two broad. dAmask-coyered tables and stamped their
feet in approval"
"a great many people," MI. CHAPLAIN
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
Hore,s. Vote. OF Real Interest.

Novelette, writing and the consequent neglect Of
her service did not prevent = shoreditch servant
girl, who declared that she would outvie Marie Cor
ell. from recovering n months wages from al
employer who summarily dismissed her on account
OF her literary purTuits-
A gas buoy 10 not q ship. according to tho decision
81 the House OF Lords. SALVAGE was claimed on one
that broke loose on The Humber three years ago.
since which time the County Court, the Admiralty
Court. the Court OF Appeal. and now the House Of
Lords have had TO consider the question.
An extraordinarily severe sentence was imposed
recently on a lawyer convicted or forgery. con
spiracy. and perjury at Liverpool by Mr.. Justice
wills. The man. who 10 so years OF age. was sen
fenced TO penal servitude for life. His frauds were
particularly heartless ones on poor people.
A moving staircase for passengers. in the shape
OF an endless leather belt transferring them from
one story TO another. is now In use 10 some OF the
great department stores OF Paris. Il Is called .
transporting carpet. Endless oelts OF canvas have
been uSed for some time 10 convey packages from
place TO place within the storeG.
MArasllss's Mayor has created a sensation In
France by ittizing the bell cord In a railroad train.
His speedy appearance at certain village being
worth moro:than the nne to him. he got on an ~
press trAin. stopped It, paid his three dollars. ana
went about his business. The railroad authorities
are puzziinz over the means. OF preventing his eI
ample from being initiated.
JAryra Jerry ernkowna. IN eighteen, year old prorh
eteSs of Buko wilma. has come TO grief. she declared
that ahe died and was buried four years ago, that
! Ehe went to heaven. aud ~as sent back by God 70
redeem mankind. Crowds OF peasants followed nor
| from town to town In spite OF Ihe rSmonstTAncss
OF the priests, TIL the police arrested the prophet
l sas. - shs had = criminal record for petty larceny
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08
The Herald leo Fund.

We have observed from time to time in
the columns of our esteemed and brilliant
contemporary, the Herald, certain difident
and hesitating references to an Ice Fund.
1t seems hat in our hot summer weather
the worthy Herald bestirs itself to dis
tribute ice among the poor; and in its edi-
ton of yesterday it says that it received
last year from the charitable public no less
than $15 600 for that purpose.
The Herald draws a very touching pic
ture of the operations of this charity:
THE demand for this ice on the part of the poor
was wild and almost fierce. for they wsre desperate.
They had. many Of them. sick children ut homo, and
they had no money. At each station. and there were
nfteen stations during tho hottest period, three hun
dred persons were daily supplied"
In July and August last the Herald says
hat it distributed forty ton of ice per day,
or two hundred and eighty tons each week,
costing 81, 800 for the full period of ten
weeks of the heated term. The Herald now
calls on the public to send in subscriptions
to buy more ice for the approaching hot
weather, and 1t expresses the confident be-
lief that the forthcoming donations will
largely exceed those of last year.
The powerful influence which the Herald
exerts Upon the Ice Companies, beginning
at a regular date every spring. enables it to
purchase this ice for dollar q ton. The
Herald, according to its own statements,
distributed in all about two thousand eight
hundred tons last year, which at a dollar q
ton amounted to $2,SOO, leaving to be &C.
counted for, of the $4,000 subscribed by
the public, the sum Of $4,000 remaining
In the hands of the Herald, as the result OF
Its philanthropic transaction.
Now we would respectfully suggest to
Mr.. JAMES GORDON BENNETT of Paris, that
In view of the very hot summer which Ia
predicted, he should arrange to distribute
n little more ice. 1t would be graceful tc
allow the quantity that reaches the poor tc
display a less striking discrepancy with the
amount of money contributed by the chart
table public. If he was buying the Ice GU,
Of his own pocket, it would be a differen,
thing. That would be a matter of persona
n genuine benefcence, but as he il no,
engaged in any pursuit of that kind. but Il
merely securing q free advertisement fol
his paper through the donations of charita
BILE people, we really think he ought to tax,
a more liberal view of the situation.
1t is not as IL he offered to defray the cos
Of distributing the ice that good people ar
willing to pay for. 1t is something ~entirel,
different. He constitutes himself the self
appointed trustee of a fund which should b.
sacred as the gift of charity. How much o
1t does he finally keep as his own proats9
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-08

Let authority DO given Immediately for q
monetary commission 70 determine what the United
states wants to do on the money question. and then
let Us go after It and get It aS promptly a. possible
John WanaBlaksr.
No monetary commission can determine
what the United States wants to do on the
money question. At the last Presidential cleo
ton nearly one-half OF the voters voted for the
free coinage OF silver at tho ratio OF 10 to /, and
q little moro than half of them voted against 1t.
Those who voted for 1t demand an opportunity
TO vote for it again, and in the meanwhile the
Administration. representing those who voted
against 1t. Is trying to negotiate with tho great
commercial nations OF Europe an agreement for
the FREQ coinage OF both gold and silver at a
ratio yet to be fixed. On this point. too. the voters
Of tho nation will have TO DO consulted. and q
commission cannot anticipate their decision.