Catoctin clarion., 1899-11-02
A Real War.

and though years have passed and Great
Britain has spent millions In training her
men and the purchase of modern weapons
of war, while the Africanders have been
content with an army Of several hundred
men, yet when real earnest war comes, the
trained warriors find the unpretentious little
African Republics like 80 many exasperated
hornet nests, apparently as ready with STRAIT.
egy as they are expert at hitting and redoubt.
able in courage. We do not read where
one hundred British held at bay or charged
one thousand Beers; we find on the contrary
that even numbers have fought drawn battles
and the smaller body has been driven to
give way.
That Britain will eventually crush the two
republics, if left to deal with them unmO-
Tested, there can be no doubt, but it has been
already demonstrated that such result will
only follow upon the advent of her more
powerful armies. That Great Britain will
be permitted to crush the Beers, unmolested,
is doubted by some; the known dislike of
Russia and France is suspected to be of suf
ticient depth to warrant the hope on the
part OF the friends of the Bocrs. that these
nations will demand that the war stop short
of the destruction of the Boer Republics in
,, Africa and their absorption by Great Brit
ain. We see little, as yet, upon which to
base such hope; not that Russia and France
would lose certain opportunity to humlli-
ate or cripple England, but because Eu-
rope outside of these two. fear that huge
leyiathan, Russia, more than they envy or
fear England While the latter controls the
markets and dominates the seas, she does it
with a gloved hand; should Russia come to
rule. that hand will be mailed and the heart
that dictates its strokes as cold as the in
stincts Of the wolf OF her Siberian steppes.
DEATH OF REV. JOHN l.. WILLHIDE-
Departed this life, October 90, 1899, Rev.
John L. Willhide, son of Ezra and Mary
Willhide. in the 62nd year Of his age. In
1859 he was married to Miss Susan Blessing,
and God blessed the union with seven chill
drcn, six of whom with their mother survive
him. On October 1, he was taken very III
with hemorrhage Of the bowels. Notwith-
standing his disease from the first was some
what alarming, many of his friends thought
he would recover, but from day to day he
grew worse until the end came. The home
has lost father and husband. the church Il
friend, the community good citizen, always
kind and congenial to all with whom he
came in contact. He was converted to
Christ when quite yonng man and Joined
the United Brethren Church CT which he
was consistent member until his death.
Some time in the year of 1878 he was
licensed as local preacher in which capacity
he served the church for 95 years, and always
ready to fill an appointment when called on
by the pastor Part of the time however he
served rs pastor of the Pleasant Valley ap-
pointment under the supervision Of the
Thurmont circuit. Our brother in trayc'ing
over the rough mountain roads subjected
himself to many hardshps in order to look
after the spiritual interest of his people. 1t
was always his delight to preach the gospel
and to be engaged in the work of soul saving
and, we trust the efforts he put forth for the
extension of Chrst's kingdom in the earth
will be like bread cast upon the waters, be
gathered after many days. We believe the
gospel he preached to others has proven to
him SAVIOR of life unto life. Weep not dear
mother and children; if faithful you shall see
him again when the mist Is cleared away.
w. E D.
A COMING METEoRIC SPECTACLE.""On
the 18th, 14,h or 18th of November next
magnificent display of meteOrs is to be ex-
pcc,ed by persons who watch the sky at
night especially late at night, toward sun
rise Meteors are small solid bodies shooting
through space at velocity averaging 25
miles second The fragments OF wrecked
comets, they travel in orbits more or less
regular. Owing to the perturbing influence
of other heavenly bodies they no longer all
travel together, but are scattered along the
whole length of their orbits, being thicker at
some places than at others. This stream Of
m, teors revove around the sun as do the
planets and as the earth crosses their path in
November, it happens that once in every
thirty three years we cross the path just at
the time that one of the buncnes Of meteors
arrives at that part Of their orbit, hence the
unusual display every 33years, As their orbits
approach very nearly that Of the earth they
can be seen at all times of the year, but par
ticularly in November when we encounter
the unusually large group. Such as pass
through our atmosphere are heated by tho
friction of the particles OF air to white heat
and become visible. Their velocity is check
ed and they sometimes fall to the earth, either
in masses known as mctcorc stones,or moro
frequently rs a fine powder produced by the
anvil like resistance of the ar. AS single
observer can see, upon an average, five me-
teors an hour any night of the year, it has
been calculated that if the whole earth We're
covered with observers the number visible
daily would be from fifteen to twenty millions
Adding those too faint 10 be seen with the
unassistcd eye, it is estimated that 100, 100000
meteors traverse our atmosphere daily. The
number on November 13. IA or 15-it the
astronomers prediction is verifcd-will far
exceed The average of IS, 100000 or 2O,00H COO
onn,o,.h;rr nevhans hilhonR