The daily morning Alaskan. (Skagway, Alaska) 1899-1904, 1900-05-18
MARS AT CLOSE RANGE.
Easy to study His Face When Onl
Thirty-Rve Million Miles Away.

All the monster glasses with which
the late rapid advance has been made
In knowledge of our celestial neigh
bors have come into being since the
civil war. says Mrs. Mabel Loomis
Todd in st. Nicholas. Until then, In
this country, the Harvard telescope OF
10 inches was the largest. About 1850
one of 1917 inches was ordered for the
University of Mississippi, but with tie
breaking out of the war telescopes had
to wait, and these lenses are now at
the Northwestern university, in Evans
ton, Ills. 1t is only since 1870 that
really huge instruments have multi
piled and are nightly, turned upon the
starry skies to ask the questions which
swered.
But many answers have come, AFTER
all, and some things are clear which
before could only be surmised. For in
stance, we feel quite sure now that
Mars has an atmosphere, though not
more than half as dense as our own.
but far better than none, as we can
tell by looking at our bright though
dead and desolate moon, from which
air and water have long since disap-
peared. And II Mars has afr the polar
caps alone would seem to show that he
has also ice and snow, and there ap-
pear to be, as well, areas Of water or
marsh, though less in extent than the
land. The northern hemisphere looks
brighter through the telescope, even
showing tints of red and yellow. which
astronomers are inclined to think are
chiefly dry land, probably desert,
while the southern is dark, the "seas"
brown or dull gray, quite as water
fright appear. These spots were first
called seas, like the smooth regions Of
the moon, and the name continues in
both, whatever they may be.
In 1877 Mars was at his nearest to
us; near, that Is, from an astronomers
point of view. though really at the
enormous distance of 35,0OO,O0O miles.
Yet great deal was learned about
his neighbor In the sky among other
things that he Is attended by two tiny
satellites, or moons, never seen before.
And the same year an Italian astrono-
mer, Signor Schiaparelli pronounced
6keea-pa-rel-ly), made careful studies
and drawings of the strange markings
on Mars, completing, with the fine tel
escope at Milan, series of elaborate
sketches afterward combined into au
accurate detail map.
tn In, 1000 1901 thn ~ I,
and Mars came near each other il
their fight through space. though some
what farther than during the year
1877. And within the last few months
we have been once more in a good po-
sition to observe each other. But we
are favorably placed because only
under these conditions can we see the
north pole Of Mars, and so much more
is known about his south pole that
there is, of course strong attraction
In the mysterious north regions. Only
at this great distance Is the north pole
graciously tilted toward us, so he has
been constantly watched this spring,
and SO he will be again in a little over
two years. Eight years, how aver, will
pass before the Marian south pole can
again be studied to good advantage. In
September of 1909, too, all Observable
ries will be on the eager lookout for
news from this fascinating planet.
Money I'm Painting Quilts.
4 New York girl is making nice
little income by painting quilts for
summer hats. says the Chicago Journal
Fashion has SIT her seal of approval on
the plan. and the bright and resource
full lass is mai ing the most of the mo
ment. She chooses white quilts and
paints them il, all sorts of patterns to
indicate the character Of their appear.
ance For golf hat she uses design
Of crossed sticks on field Of polka diets.
Tennis rackets appear on hat for the
green. and floral designs are painted on
the quilts which adorn garden party
hats. These she paints and sells to deal
ers by the dozen. Her private orders re-
quire very artistic work, as she must
match all shades Of material and adapt
herself to all sorts Of fancies Green
quilts decorated with frogs and red
quilts adorned with white mice are
among her orders. ID
The idea is capable Of expansion.
Hand painted materials are in greatest
vogue, and woman who is clever with
her brush can earn good living IL she
only knows how to go about it.
Some of the large houses where dress
making is done employ artists to paint
floral designs on plain organdies, chit
sons and silks Many Of the handsomest
Of the lace incrusted summer dresses
are made of boiling cloth, the fine,
sheer, silken fabric used by millers in
sitting -four. This presents good sur
face for the brush work, and frequently
whole costumes are covered by sprays
Of vines and flowers in natural colors
Dog and Damsel.
We are indebted to the Parisians for
much that is beautiful and graceful,
but there are other things which we
copy from them that are ridiculous to
the last degree. and of these the silliest
Of all is the fancy for dressing up dogs;
Some of the pampered CANNES OF
fashion in New York fare far more softly
than the children of the working
classes, SAYS The Puritan. Many have