The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-05-03

ashamed 70 look comet In the eye
however Let us pay up our newgpa-
per subscriptions and lead such lives
that when the comet strikes We will
be ready
Bhst W the Universe.
Some worry good deal about ne
chances Tor q be comet to plow into
the sun some dark rainy might anl
thus bust up the whole universe. I
wish that was oil = had to worry
Iabout. II any responsible man WIN
agree to- pay my taxes and fnnegal
lexpehses. j viii agree t.. do his lTorgys
ling about TIE comets crashing into
the bosom Of 1.-THE SIM and knocking
| lts ,daylights out 4. H. 4.
There Is much IN the great field Of
astronomy that,ojs. discouraging the
savallt who hasn't the time or means
Ito rlimmage around through the heayi
ems. AT times Lam almost hopeless
andfeel ike sayingt to the great
lyearnfuL hungry world: "Grope. on
forever. DO not ask me for another
scientific fact, Find it out yourself.
Hunt up your own new-laid planets
and let me have a rest. Never ask me
again to sit up all night and take care
lot the newborn world. while you lie
| in bed am reck not
get NO salary for examining the
trackless void night after night when
| i ought to be. in he'd. l sacrifice my,
heath in order that the public may
know me at once of the presence Of q
red.hot comet, fresh from the factory.
And yet what thanks do get?
Is it surprising : that every, little
while L contemplate withdrawing from
scientific research to go and skin an
eightmule team, down through the
dim vista of relentless years? R
Them again, you take a certain style
Of star, which you laarn from Prof.
I'simon Newcomb Is SUCH a distance
that it takes 5eOac years forits light
| to reach Boston. Now, we viii sup,
| pose that after looking over the large
stock Of new and secondhand stars.
land after examining the spring cata-
logue and pricelist, decided that one
of the smaller size will do me, and l
buy it. How do l know that 1t was
there when / bought,it? It's cold and
lsilent rays may have ceased $4,000
years before 1 wac born and the in,
Intelligence be still on the way, There
lis too much margin between sale and
delivery. Every now and then an
other astronomer comes to me and
says: .sProfesaer,;lE have discovered
another newsstar and intend to file'it
Found It last night, about mile and
| q half south of the zenith, running
Iloose. Haven't Heard Of anybody who
\ has lost star Of the fifteenth magni-
tude, about thirteen hands high, with
Hight name and taikt have you" Nov
how do IlSnow thatche has discovered
| a ..brand.nsw starAs How lcan Lids.
] cover whether he 4s.pr Isl no playing
an old, threadbaregstar on me for a
new one? ~. st,a * $3.50 = s;4g
Star Business Is Slow. IS
We are told that there has been no
perceptble growth or decay in the
lstar business since man began to roam
around through space, In his mind,
land make figures On 1.-The barn door
with chalk shpwlngthe celestial time,
table. aa &
No serious accidents have occurred
in the starry heavens since began to
observe and study their habits. Not a
star has waved, not a star has waned,
to my knowledge. Not a planet has
season.cracked or shown any Of the
Injurious effects of our rigorous oil.
mate. Not stsr has ripened pre-.
maturely or fallen OF the trees, The
varnish on the very. Oldest stars !
find, on close and critical examination,
to be in splendid condition. They will
all. no doubt, wink on, long after we
,have ceased to, wink back. u
In 1860 there appeared suddenly in
the Northern Crown star Of about
the third magnitude, and worth at
least $3.50. It was generally conceded
by astronomers that this was a brand,
Inew star that had never been used,
but star that had never been used,
catalogue and price list it was found
that this was not a new star at all,
but an old, faded;ont star Of the ninth
magnitude, with the front breadths
turned wrong side out and trimmed
with moonlight along the seams,
After a few days OF phenomenal
brightness it gently ceased to draw
salary as star Of the third magni.
tude and walked home with an "tJnCle
Toms Cabin" company: a,;
1t Is such things as this that make
IS.,