The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-03-31
BILL ARP'S WEEKLY LETTER
THE BARLOW PHILOSOPHERTALKS
OF ASTRONOMY.
REV. CADMAN RILES WILLIAM.
Disagreement Between tho Sun and Moon
Producing n Great Host OF
Lunatics.

DIR. Baker says that all these late
distur Dances of the elements are owing
to the moon, and that we haven't had
left-handed moon before in forty years.
The moon has been passing through o
cycle of years, and is just turning back
to go the other way, sorter like the
sun, when it crosses the line and makes
the equinoctial gales. 'aAnd that's is the
reason" says he. 'why everything is
out of joint, both in the heavens above
and the earth beneath, for the moon
is pulling one way and the sun is pull
ing another. And that accounts for
the extraordinary weather and the
storms and floods and cyclones; and
this left-handed moon seems to effect
the people too, and so we are having
hullabaloo about the jug and whis-
ky business, and they have got it
down so fine now that if rattlesnake
was to bite a man he would die before
they could get drink of whisky 10
save him. And here is all this devilment
going on about mobs killing up the mig
gers, and to my opinion it's all owing to
this left-handed moon, for you know
that when a man goes crazy they call
him q lunatic, and that " ord came from
Luna, the moon, and so I reckon that
about this time we are all crazy, more
or less, and don't know it; I am, I
know or else would have sold my
cotton when it was at the high. water
mark, and I dident."
DR.. Baker is an old-fashioned phil
osopher and has his opinions and some
superstition about the moon, and
also about screech owls snd grave
yard rabbits, and the like; but he is
wrong about the cycle of forty years.
1t takes the moon only eighteen years
to complete its cycle, and 1 remember
that eighteen years ago We had very
late spring, and never got O. chance to
break up the land at all, but had to
list it in April and plant anyhow. We
made a good crop, though, and so we
will trust in the Lord, who said that
seed time and harvest should not fail.
This moon business has perpleXed
me all my life. 1 can't keep up with
it-I can't foretell whether the next
new moon will set fiat and hold water
or set up and down and spill it, nor
whether it will ride high in the zenith or
| h v.
1T ls the most mysterious orb In the
heavens, and its movements the most
complicated, but to the astronomer it
is the regularity Of Irregularities. It
revolves around the earth in twenty
seven days, but as the earth is speed
ing around the sun it takes the moon
twenty-nine days to keep up with it
and make the circuit. It's orbit is an
| -,
and sometimes more remote. 1t wab-
bles and has a new path around the
earth every time for nine years, and
then gets back again in nine years
more. 1t has its librations on latitude
and longitude and it's nodes and
aspides, and, with all these complica-
tions, no wonder the people have their
signs and superstitions, and believe
in wet moon and dry moon and o
left-handed moon, and see bad luck in
looking at the new moon over your left
shoulder or through brushy tree top,
and almost everybody has theory
about planting in the light or dark of
! the moon.
But If the moon ever does make lu-
natics it is making them nowadays,
and we are deeply concerned about
those northern Methodist preachers
we see from the New York papers that
400 Of them recently held convention
with Bishop Andrews at their lead,
and listened with approval to the ut
terances Of Rev. Mr.. Cadman. of the
metropolitan church, who declared
! that the time had come when the only
test of religious faith should be Christ
and His teachings, and that all the
miracles Of the Old Testament should
be discarded as fables and as contrary
to human reason. owe must cease to
believe" said he, "that Moses opened
way through the sea for the children
| OF Israel TO pass over, or that he made
water to gush from the rock, or that
Lots wife turned into pillar of salt, or
the tower OF Babel story. or that Dan
iel went into the lions den, or that
Shadrack, Meschack and Abednago
walked through the fiery furnace. or
that the sun stood still at the command
of Joshua, or that the whale swallowed
Jonah, and so forth. The papers say
/ that there vas almost unanimous ap-
| planse when he closed, and no one re-
| piled to or controverted the argument
of the reverend gentleman.
What does all this mean? The press
says it looked like perfect uphcnving
and overtnrning Of the very foundations
of Methodism and orthodox Christian.
ity, and that this was the most repre-
sentative body of clcrgymen that ever
met in America. Can this be possible?
Have they ignored Moses and the
prophets of whom this same Christ
whom they pretend to believe quoted