The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1901-02-09

,ff certain brief periods. To accom-
plish this the "Clepsydra." or water
clock. was invented, and Greece seems
TO have been the land Of its origin.
Fifty years before the Christian era,
n clepsydra was erected In the Flower
of the Winds in the market place at
Athens. A running stream kept the
water in an upper vessel at a con-
slant level. The discharge raised q
float in a lower vessel. On this float !
was an Indicator or hand, which, as II
rose. travelled over an adjacent scale
and SO gave a time indication, visi-
BILE at a distance. This was the public
timepiece of Athens, and its indica-
lions could always be compared with
those of the sun dial on the frieze OF
the octagonal building by which 1t
was enclosed. At the top of the roof
was a weather vane in the form OF
Triton, who pointed with his trident
toward the prevailing wind. Thus the
double purpose of a naval observatory
and a weather bureau was accom-
plished.
coooANuT CLOCKS.
A similar device has been found IN
use among the Malay boatmen. where
a perforated cocoanut shell floating IN
a bucket of water permits the fluid
to enter gradually. When the shell
| becomes full an hour is recorded. In
northern India a copper bowl is used.
and at the moment it sinks the at
tendant strikes the hour upon the met
al. In China the same idea occurs.
but with this difference, the vessel
is filed and drop by drop the water Is
allowed to flow out.
Coming down to our own day. what
else is the sandglass, which a few
years ago was in common use in kltch
ems to show the cook when the
eggs were boiled? And is not the mod
ern clock based on the same prin
ciples? In the clepsydra the water u
the motor; the perforation, the escape
ment; while the sinking Of the shell
or bowl is the index of the completion
of a definite period.
TIMING SPEECHES BY WATER.
A curious use of the clepsydra II
, Greece was for limiting the length o
, speeches in the courts. In very I'm
, portant cases an additional amount
, time was allowed, and each side wa
permitted as much as fifty gallons Q
o water, necessitating the use of unjust
q ally large amphorae. When a speake
= was interrupted, to save the time b.
? ing charged against him he would o
der the official to 'stop the water
This practice might be revived wit
y profit.
The system of timekeeping in Ron
= divided the day and night into fo'
watches, which were determine
= roughly by observing the courses
!, the sun and stars. Noon was public
announced by an official who from tt
= senate watched for the appearance
= the sun at a certain point.
4 AMONG THE INDIANS.
In Among the Montagnais Indians
ut crude form Of sun dial is used In hui
s. ing to let the squaws, who follow thu
n lords and masters, know whether tn
NAV "take It easy" or "hurry up"
they might fare badly if they lagg
behind when their husbands We
~ ready for supper. And so the m
~ when hunting erect in the snow sti
u at some well-known place and dr.
Gu the exact line of the sticks shadow
"' the snow before going on. When
~ vn women arrive with their pots and
u! er cooking utensils they note
new line of the shadow, and by
ef serving the angle which it forms W
gu the line already drawn In the sn
-" they can tell how far ahead their b
bands are.
w" With all Indian tribes the season
An the year is indicated by observing
lures own processes and not
ne months. Thus the changing or
me moon, the budding Of the trees,
'iy' falling of the leaves, the coming
~ going Of the birds, all are sympoi
at" of the various seasons. Even am
w. the farmers in Virginia, not SO
US long ago the proper time for plan
w. corn was ''when the hickory lee
!" became as large as a squirrefs e
'no The Indians have no clocks or
mas chanical devices for telling the t
.ue but 1t is known that in Zuni ana
luz the Pueblo Indians tell the arriva
'uV noon by setting up stones and noti
INC when the shadows are shortest.
JILL not uncommon on farms even M
days to have the Glands" say
TO- when they can "stand on their ne
.no II Is time to go to dinner.
who CUMBERSOME METHOD.
! no The old Japanese method OF
back keeping was very cumbersome.
arlv clock was in charge OF an atten'
d,f. whose duty it was to change
I he hands so as to keep pace with the
four stantly changing length OF the
It was all right so long as the ma
tended to his duties.
/ Reverting once more to an
,oing +,mes It is we'll to bear In MIND
bout nod n not been for Julius Caesar,
The established certain regulations
, op- vora formulated as the Julian
tons dar. and Pope Gregory Kill, W
infer the sixteenth century recognized
t the eral errors and defects In time
/ Oc- oning and succeeded in devisin
rpose now well-known methods for co
and tho them. we might still be h
was about with such confusing cond
navi- as would make 1t hard for a ID
hope tnow whether he should get up
/ the ~ hed.-Washington Star.
1uary
seem Overcrowding ana Tu0ercuAo'
, now Knonf declares that Lack