The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-02
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
Arp Answers Some Inquiries About
the Present Season.
atlanta Constitution.

swcr some of these interesting 1ucs-
tions through the far-rcaching medium
of the press. Here are three inquiries
from among your readers who wish to
know something definite about these
so-called dog days. OF fcourse, I know
only what I get from books, but vast
multitude have not the books nor ac-
cess to them. Whether the advent and
the influence Of dog days be super
stition or fact, all thav is known
should be disseminated.
pliny and Hcrodotus both wrote
about dog days 400 years before Christ.
Ancient astronomers and modern ones
agree in ascribing to Sirius very
malignant influence when it arises III
conjunction with the sun, for it is the
brightest star in the heavens and its
great heat added to the heat OF the
sun increases and intcnsifieS the tenn
perature us long as this conjunction
continues. But this rising with the
sun is not fixed day. 1t varies from
the Sd of July to the 18th OF August
and hence the almanac makers take an
average day and set down July Goth as
the first dog day. Some date it July
cath, but these dates may miss it two
or three weeks. 1t is generally be-
lieved that these dog days continue
for forty days, but in fact that is an
indefinite period, for the conjunction
of Sirius with the sun som etimes lasts
for ffty-four days. The sum of the
whole matter is that about this time of
the year we may look for very hot
weather and showers almost every day,
and to call it fodder pulling weather
would be as good name as any.
Whether Sirius has anything to do
with it or not we can only surmise, but
Sirius is the dog star and gave the
name. Sirius is the very brightest star
in the heavens, and is in the mouth of
big dog-a constellation that the
ancient astronomer named CAMS major.
The ancient Egyptians mapped Oft the
starry heavens with imaginary animals
and men, such as dogs, bears, dragons,
bulls, Hercules, Orion, etc., and the
names they gave to groups Of stars
have never been changed. There is
big dog and little dog, a big bear and
little bear, big dipper and little
dipper. Right in the tip Of the tail OF
the little bear is very notable star
called the Pole star, or North star, that
navigators used to sail by and they
called it Cynoskuros, which in Greek
means dogtail. From this name we
have the word cynosure and so when
we say of beautiful woman in an as
sembly that she was the cynosure OF all
eyes it is equivalent to saying that she
was the dog tail of the concern. just
how the sailors got to calling this star
the dogtail is not known, for it is
really in ursa minor, the little bears
tail. The ancients gave many names
to the stars to fit the things in nature
that they resembled. The word comet
comes from cometus, which means a
mares tail. The word lunatic comes
from luna, the moon, for the ancients
believed that the mind was affected by
changes in the moon. Those old
Egyptians we're very imaginative and
superstitious, but they were very
learned. How they got 80 far ahead OF
the Hebrews, Gods fayorite people, we
do not know. Their astronomy, math-
ematics and architecture have never
been improved. The scriptures tell us
that Moses was learned in all the Wis
dom of the Egyptians. Job asks:
"Canst thou bind the sweet influences
of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion?'
Amos calls them the seven stars and
mythology names them the seven SIS
ters, ibut modern astronomers say there
never were but six and there are only
six now. Hence the superstition about
the lost Pleiad. Their "sweet in
fuencesn are said to come from the
fact that whenever seen in the heav-
ems it is a sign of good weather and a
safe time for vessels to sail, for plcian
means sail. 1t is like the pretty word
halcyon that literally means duck egg
time, for the elder duck never builds
| its nest on the cliffs by the sea until
pleasant weather comes to stay for the
season. Hence the word ais the SCI,
and con an egg.
But reckon this is enough about dog
days. 1t is Il relief in these troubled
times to have something to write about
besides the Philippines and war scan-
dals and mobs up north and lnnchings
down south and Kentucky politics.
There are good people everywhere who
would love to live in peace with their
neighbors and the rest of mankind, but
some folks are possessed with devil
nowadays, just like they used to be
and there is nobody to cast him out.
The people feed upon excitement more
than they used to do. Communities
want sensations and politicians and
preachers can bc found who get them
up. Governor Northen had hardly got