Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-14

the SUMS horizontal parallax has been |
found from numerous observation to |
be about 8 seconds. IL It were "less |
than 1000 miles away" parallactic !
motion observed at stations remote |!
from each other in latitude. would evil
IDENTIFY be great: and there are stars
that have almost no parallax what |
ever. II I supposed the two observers
to be on q concave surface, and the
object only one-eighth Of the diameter
OF the cell,-one-eighth of 5000 miles
away, and our observers widely sep
arated. parallax became something
fierce" With telescopes SO finely adj
justed that the difference Of one-tenth
OF second, which would mean but
ten feet at 1000 miles,-and our moon
Is supposed to be less than 1000
our two observers, in telegraphic COM
munication, at the same absolute mo.
ment direct their telescopes to the
moon, and measure the angles their
telescopes make with their plumb
lines. The rest Is easy. am unable
to reconcile another fact with the
theory. II one of the large telescopes,
magnifying many times, be turned to.
ward the moon: If 1t were less than
1000 miles away. it seems to me 1t
must be exceedingly small, or 1t
would appear much larger than 1t
does. II stars and planets were but
1000 miles away, the sides of our
triangle would converge at the rate
of ten miles to the 100, If our observ-
ers were stationed only 100 miles
apart. Halley's comet. requiring sew
enty-fye years to complete its jour
ney, must be drawn by an OK team,
while the comet of 1880. whose period
is SIS years must travel In an orbit
whose spiral sinuosity beggars de-
scription. Again, If but 1000 miles
away. the apparent angular interval
between any two stars seen overhead
would be much greater than when
seen near the horizon and the constel-
lations would appear to enlarge as
they rise higher in the sky The
incest measurements performed at
any point Of the earth's surface mani
fest no variation whatever. Take an
other example. II an observer walk
around circle not more than few
yards In diameter, and make observa-
tions with the aid of a theodolite, such
circle is rendered sensible, Is found
to have an ascertainable place, by
reference to objects distant 100000
times its own dimensions. The same
principle applied to the stars proves
them distant not less than
100000 times the diameter of the
earth. II the surface Of the earth be
concave instead of convex, how ex-
plain the dip or drop Of the horizon?
These are just few reasons why l
am unable to accept my preceptor's
system Of astronomy, while regarding
the Copernican as a merely probable
theory,-though am neither an as
tronomer nor mathematician. If my
preceptor will kindly elucidate these
points. perhaps may be able to solve
many other difficulties have not pre-
scented. / have said nothing of plan
etary transits; Of oculation; OF the
earth's orbit; the alteration Of light;
extended measurements of the earth's
surface, beside which the Koreshan
survey is a mere point, and other
data. Upon reading my preceptor's
predatory remarks, with the ancient
Greek / shouted Eureka! "Soon the
light will break upon me-! AS laid
down the paper, after reading his re-
ply, was conscious of keen sense
OF disappointment. had asked him
to point out the fallacy in the chain
OF reasoning by which proved that
the universe is not eternal, and he
has not done So Instead, he does
me honor overmuch by attributing to
me knowledge do not possess.
Matter is indestructible according to
physical laws only. The science Of
the physicist does not go beyond
these. Continuous operation is not
identical with eternal existence. Ny
preceptor admits the non-eternity of
matter. AS no number of flnites can
be infinite, the non-eternity Of the uni.
verse follows. There is but one inf
mite, one eternal. shall not try to
reconcile eternal existence with limi-
tation Of physical form. That which
is eternal is infinite. That which Is
infinite in any way is infinite in every
way. It SENS to me that the social
ed axiom is no axiom: is groundless
assumption. Matter and spirit, though
inter-acting, are not convertible or
transmutable. The continuity Of my
existence and identity is correctly ref
cradle to the persistence of the spir-
lLu6l part OI my ndIuAC, HWuACh 10 q
simple substance, not composed of
parts, and, therefore. not subject to
decomposition. MY physical body is
not the same I had eight years ago.
II the continuity of matter and spirit
in union Twill probably finally be
broken" how can they be "insepara-
ble"? Time is the measure of dura.
ton Of created things; the measure
of successive changes Of changeable
things. It is divided into past, pres
ent and future. Take away these and
you destroy the idea of time and re-
place it with that Of eternity; an. eter-
nal, unpassed and unpassable ever
present now. -Senex.
CONCERNING APPLE PIE.
Kansas City Journal.-"We trust
that there was no cinnamon or nut
meg in Aunt Delia's apple pie" says
Franklin P Adams in the New York
Mail. adding: Nothing so spoils apple
pie as the lily-painting attempt that