Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-06
PROF. ENcKEs COMET
Soon It Will Be at Its
Perihelion.
SAILORS CAUSETROU
DEMAND FOR LABOR IN THE
WEST.
Employers Want the Chinese Exclu-
sion Law Modifed-GrowingS Scar
city Of Domestic Help.
BY VIM. e. CURTIS.

BY VIM e. CURTIS.
Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
Some time about the Sth of December
comet, commonly called "Encke's comet"
will be at its perihelion or at a point near
est the sun. It will be visible to observers
with telescopes throughout the world, al
though not to the naked eye. 1t was dis
covered In 1918 by M. Pons Of the Paris OBJ
servatory. Nowadays comets and other
new heavenly bodies are usually discovered
by photography. Nearly all astronomic
work is done in the same way. The as
tronomer after regulating his telescope so
as to get the best results, attaches the
Photographic apparatus and. upon sensitive
plates, obtains a permanent record of what
he has seen, without trusting to his mem
ory 1t is, therefore, unnecessary for him
to make hand maps of the heavens. as was
done years ago. The sensitive plate Is not
only more accurate but 1t sees a great deal
more than the astronomer. and gives him
an exact reproduction of what appears in
the sky. After it has been developed and a
print has been taken. he frequently is able,
by the use of the microscope, to find phe-
nomena which did not appear to him
through the lens.
Discovery Of the Comet.
Eucke 3 COUlSl Was uiSCONctcu UcioiO NhO
days of photography. and consequently in
a different manner. The lens of telescope
is usually covered with a cobweb, which is
the finest texture obtainable, and divides
the lens into sections of irregular sizes.
This makes it easier to locate objects and
calculate distances. In 1918 M. Pons,
through his telescope, observed two strange
objects in a certain section of his range.
The next day he discovered that while one
n them had remained stationary. the other
had moved across nearly two squares OF
his cobweb and was obviously comet.
This afterward became known as "Encke's
comet, because Professor Encke, noted
German astronomer demonstrated it's short
revolution around the sun, which has &C.
CURED three times in each ten years ever
since. Several times these periods have
been noted to shorten two and one-half
hours, suggesting a medium of resistance
in space; but that has not been demon
strated.
Encke's comet was discovered for this
present period In Europe about month
ago, and all the observers in the United
States were notified, as usual, including the
naval observatory at Washington. AL
though their work is of purely practical
nature. chiefly for the purpose of compiling
the Nautical Almanac for the use Of navi-
gators. the astronomers are, of course, in
terested in everything that goes on In the
celestial realms, for, as one Of them re-
marked, when somebody asked Benjamin
Franklin the use of science along primary
lines. he retorted by asking the use Of
babies; so we study all phenomena as they
appear, whether they are of immediate i'm
portance to our work or not"
The astronomers at the naval observatory
are particularly interested in the move
ments Of the comet, because 1t is in or near
the orbit of Mercury with the latter planet
chasing 1t around the sun. A question OF
much interest just now Is whether there
Is a planet between Mercury and the sun.
If one is discovered it will account for the
of during he
last few years.
Unfortunate Occurrence at Canton.
There has recently been an unfortunate
occurrence at Canton. China, which pos
sibly may become serious. The foreign
colony, including the consulates, is To-
Gated upon an artificial island at the west
ern end Of the city. This island is about the
area of three or four ordinary city blocks,
and was made by cutting canal between 1t
and the main city. The canal is thirty or
forty feet wide and fifteen or twenty deep.
At high tide 1t is filled with water, but
when the tide goes out 1t is repulsive
ditch of almost bottomless mud, strewn
with old boots and shoes, tin cans wreck
age and other debris. The canal Is unford-
able at all times, and Is crossed by two
bridges. In order to keep the foreign con-
cessions clear Of the inhabitants Of the ma
tive city the bridges are guarded and no
Chinaman Is allowed to cross except en-
Phoy CD, SCi wants duu lIdutSUeu, VINO carry
passes.
Not long ago three drunken sailors from
the American monitor Monterey, while re-
turning to their ship. which was anchored
young Chinaman on the bridge and as
saulted him. 1t was more OF a drunken
frolic than anything else, but ended in a
tragedy, for in the scuffle the young China
man was thrown over the railing into the
ditch. He fell head first into the mud
and. the tide being out, sank so far that
he died Of suffocation before he could be
rescued. He proved to be a clerk employe5
in the office of ButterfeId g. Swire. one of
the most important firms in the far east
Within few moments after the accident
mob OF natives had gathered at the scene
howifng with Indignation and demanding
revenge. The sailors had by that time
escaped to their vessel but three English
seamen. happening along, were seized. and
| would nave been lynched but for the inter-
vention OF a Chinese merchant, who rec
| ognfzed that they were not the guilty men
and succeeded in convincing the mob Of
| that fact But the excitement did not sub
that an investigation would be made the
guilty ones punished and the family Of the
4 victim suitably indemnifed INC
| mat investigation Is now going on and
propapie mat our government will be
called upon to pay a sum of money TO the
FAMILY OF the clerk who was drowned Put
| terneid q swfre. who are among the
s ~eai'n mes ana most important merchants
taking an interest In the matter. and the
consuis OF other countries are much cor
cerned about the settlement. because the
nauves are SO thoroughly aroused that
| iney Tear riot like that which rccurreS
| IN 1883. when the foreign settlement Nc.
| attacked by thousands of infuriatad 80
| ues anu nearly everything destroyed
| Demand for Labor Unsupplied
| Employers of labor out west are hor,.
| ming 20 appreciate the necessity OF noiisv-
Ing the Chinese exclusion law. because =,
tne nigh wages and the scarcity Of baras
BUT they are getting no sympathy or an.
courasement from the labor leaders. n
VIII De many years before public sentiment
VIII be strong enough to secure anv con-
cessions. On the farms, in the lumber
camps and wherever labor is needed thar
Is chronic complaint Of its gcarcitv IT, -
| impossible to get sufficient help of any kind
| gentleman In Oregon who is fan,iiiar
with the conditions. described the Situation
| rev weeks ago, when he said:
The rapid cutting OF timber In Wasb,po-
ton and Oregon is leaving Considerably
areas of arabic land in such Condition thai
| 1t Is practically impossible to make any use
/ OF II. owing to the great expense involved in
| clearing 1t of stumps. Some ten or ffteen
years ago. when Chinese labor was compar-
atively plentiful in this section, these Chi
k-v~