The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1901-06-14


Students OF the ancient science OF
astrology, u any still exist OF NOR.
intelligent class than that which some.
times apears In the police courts Tor
having abused the credulity Of servant
girls and country pumpkins. will be-
pleased to see that they can still count
an emperor among the true believers.
Reuter- tells us that the emperor OF
China has ordered his official astroIo.
gers to search for a propltious day Tor
the return OF the court to Pok.n No
doubt II is possible that even In China
no very great Importance Is attached
20 this proceeding. We have plenty
OF "survivals" ourselves In our court
ceremonials. M well as In the cut Of
our dress clothes Perhaps the Chi.
nese recourse to astrology may also
be only a ceremonial survival or
convenient excuse for putting on that
famous return little longer. But It Is
none the less interesting to remember
that the first definite mention Of as
tronomy In the world can be traced
back to the predecessors Of the Chinese
astrologers who are now called into
requisltion. We read that III and Ho
were the royal astronomers, or nstrolo-
gers-in those days the terms were
synonymous-of a very early Chinese
emperor. II was their duty 10 study
the heavenly movements with care and
give timely warning OF any unpropI-
tious arrangement Of the planets.
which might. II II arrived unexpected
ly. porplox the throne with fear OF
change and expose the land to the
anger of the gods. Unfortunately M
and Ho were not 40 attentive TO busI-
ness as we are accustomed TO ind
modern official astronomers.
Sir George Airy Is said to have been
In the habit OF stirring mp any member
OF the Greenwich stan who missed an
observation by ovcrsleoping himself. or
otherwise. with a cutting little cllcuIa-
ton. "The royal Observatory" he
would say was founded for ohEorya-
tons OF the moon. We get about 300
observations OF the moon during the
year In all. and the observatory costs
tho nation GG000 year Hence each
observation OF the mon Is worth eco.
and by losing one last night you have
cost the nation c2O!" lIi and Ilo were
not kept up to their work by any such
reflections. They gave themselves mp
10 rlotoua living. and 80 failed 10 pre-.
diet an eclipse OF the sun. The rolig-
ious rites due In such "a case were not
performed. China was exposed TO the
anger OF the gods and the unfortun-
ate agtrologers were seized and put 10
death-with the usual accomplishments
OF boiling oil and melted lead. Prof.
simon Newcomb says that the date OF
- '.s-'s' p. y. S..5toiHputed hlfthe
twenty-second century before Christ,
which makes II the earliest astronoml-
cal transactions Of which profane his
tory has left as any record. says
London Mail writer. We have said
that astronomy and astrology were
originally one. In fact. Il is safe TO
say that astroiogy came FIRST. and as
tronomy was gradually developed out
OF It's mlsts and mysteries. Most OF us
now look at the stars with the very
practical feeling that they help our
ships TO find their way across the
trackloss wastes OF ocean. Navigation
stlll depends on the work done at
Greenwich for It's efficiency, and all the
mechanical inventions that have done
so much TO transform the sailor would
be useless without the labors OF the
astronomer
II we have any higher regard for the
celestial phenomena. stars and planets.
meteors and comets. and 50 forth, than
IL involved in this utllita..a an view. II
IL connected with the dazzling won
dOrs OF which the astronomer has 10
tell us. and his fairy tales concerning
the origin OF the universe and the ma
turo OF the systems In which other
planets circle other suns. But when
man first raised his eyes to the heay-
ens-whether he did so In dignified
obedience 10 his Creator or In dull
amazement that he no longer went on
four feet-it was rather In the spirit
preserved by the Chinese emperor,
alone among potentates that he regard
ed the stars. Anthropologlsts have
given us many theories 10 account Tor
the undisputed fact that the stars and
planets were. in all parts OF the world,
looked upon by primitive man as the
rulers OF his fortune and arblters OF
his fate. No doubt the obvious control
OF the sun over the seasons and the
harvests-so important part OF early
llfs-and that OF the moon over the
tides. were the first factors In the wor-
ship that man soon learned TO pay TO
the lights OF the heavens.