The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-20
THE TRUE MERIDIAN.
Latitude 80 deg, 4 min, so SEQ
Longitude 2 min, 1S deg, 30 soc.
East Of Washington. Difference in time
from Washington, . mr., 3 min, 54.e soc.

Never since have the people Of Cape May, Court
House felt SO proud as on that memorable day.
Shamgar Hand used to come every morning to
vi .bh his Sa tSst BY Z ths @e arid sIapp qst; Not Ss that hat
planned. but then it seemed" so much more
exact. On top Of the meridian post, the candi-
THESE, MARKS we're hidden from the proians;
fffhao marks we're simple enough. One was a
fine. straight line. chiselled deep Int the mar
bic: TepreseRnttinG the direction Of the true
placing thereon a compass. -,
Years passed by. and the marble shaft stood
the Court House building was raised Just in
ITSa' s Gt sde there mSelqIiia Ike EEG snsi a 6Rpist isao And dhe
sens % SSt sna Tin Solder" E snd d tin the
was reserved the credit Of makinga remark;
able discovery, It was one day when the railroad
the legs Of his theodolite over where Clinton
di, d. a grandson era on, Of shamPFg a proudly 9ointedd
and r~eadjusted HE instrument.
"Pshaw!" he exclaimed, there is no more
rer!d,sn here than thar there is an equator"
Ne" answered the surveyor. "or If there
With fear lending him wings. Clinton sped
home and told the news. IL spread over the
occupations and gathered In the streets. The
meridian moyed2' Stolen. perhaps. Some one
JEALOUS SnsOgsd Of fbo the msr,6 honor sDs done s,d fh he I t0wH had ID
the true meridian was lost forever. Now
might the towns, greatness depart. Its most
ing existed to distinguish Cape May Court
House from other fishing villages. A mass,
House. and Speeches were made. 'n' 00Of'
IN never believe IT," said old Townsend
G eidiss Saa n sg,sin Ell II u the f %s the line I is as true rue
storms have blown over this ciity. twistin', an
houses often their foundations and bowed this
sand inter ter biz heaps The wi winds ff hey even
iieye the old meridian let 90 her hold on earth"
The meeting broke up in disorder and the
inhabitants surrounded the marble post. 1t
sent for and he confirmed the terrible suspi-
cion. No one thought Of asking the surveyor
them that in some way the fine line on top of
the post no longer pointed north and south. as
The surveyor pocEeted his fee. went home and
a deep gloom settled over the town. A crowd
e. e fearful townspe9Pie were gathered h e IN John
,""Look at the sun !" he cried excitediy. point
east instead Of the west. f6en the terribbie
truth forced itself on the inhabitants of Cape
may sNS6sre,s h nort6 |"n ssk %fr Sn w' msn. direction
Yes. and where's south 2" asked another. but
NO one could answer them.
y '
The sun rose. In the south and set In the east.
To the minds OF the townspeople the moon
ing on the west Instead Of the north sides Of
came from the north. The garden products
failed, Houses which every one supposed would
face tho west began to lean over as II they were
the opposite, directions. and staid woods. that
were never before known to move. began 70
be depended on and children going to school
became lost n the woods and never came homo
MATTERS Went ' on at 'T this sI rate Tor ist some Sney t i1aS.
until people hardly recognized their town when
they a WSE cd mornLhgs; Once the assessors OF
township lines. They came seven feet out OF
the way. and. to make matters worse. no ono
Of Cape May Court House or otherwise. As
Reuben nSps TS%E .H %ou put 4: do.. no. u,nt
to rob, any other, town. neither Is she
going to be robbed her ownself." So the
20 effort b to ab5 run sse dsG 2NgsaIi2 lines line had
began to lose its former neat appearance.
Gloom settled over the little village. and the
reached Cape May Court House that Mr.: voor-
bees and Mr.. Crane we're coming. The former
aud his unsuccessful rival were about to honor
the\town. with a visit. They could. not have
blc * out a worse time, thought the people.
ought be ana he south in the place ofthe east,
~ alIuli lilG bONtTHOT II ueNbT RtL mere
said Postmaster Horace Richardson. There's
no way OF finding this place on the map any
As the day Of the Governors visit drew near
WAS felt that something must be done. and
the Postmaster was appointed q committee OF
town. When the former Executive reached the
place tho tale was told to him.
Mind. Idon't really believe the old meridian
has left us" explained Clinton. Il think that
the constant trampi4g around the shaft has
kinder made IL lop to ono side, same az my
fencesn lop sometimes. An mebby the old
world got 2 goi4' q leetle too fast one day an
the stone shifted but, anyhow. We don't know
won't think none the less OF us"
And 90. Cape May Court House is left 10 it's
above the level Of the surrounding towns, but
II Is not worse off than the most lonesome spot
In the great desert OF South Jersey, although Il
has no direction. The town cannot find itself
where north l. west and south IL east; There
low I psss n ss lie "t tfkaatt tRis Ss sS has d SSssh' o SSs