The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-10-01

"Our Periodic Earth is the title Of
a very valuable essay just completed
by Charles A. NJ. Taber, and the read
ing of the pamphlet cannot but con-
vince one that the author has made
deep study of the geologic changes
that all the time moving forward in
all parts of the earth. While only a
pamphlet of fifty-four pages the essay
is almost monumental in the extent in
which it treats of the earth changes of
the past and the probabilities of the
future. 1t deals not with the age of
man or generations of men, for the
work is treated on the basis of the
great periods of earth changes, from a
long period before the birth of Christ
and back to the very formation of the
world. The information concerns the
great glacial movements OF prehistoric
times and the gradual changes that
have come about since the present for
nation of the earth's surface was
wrought Mr.. Taber is a pure scien-
fist in the researches he has made for
knowledge of these changes and some
critics might find fault with him for
taking liberties with the plans of the
designer of the world. For Mr. Taber
undertakes to point out that the chang
es in the formation of the world are a
part of the plan of the Almighty in
making this a better world in which
to live. But before the ultimate per-
lection of the world is brought about
Mr.. Taber predicts two more glacial
periods with a long period of mildness
intervening, during which time the
earth may be peopled with different
class of living beings
1t is an interesting TACT mat Mr..
Taber completed his pamphlet when
he was eighty-seven years of age, a
period of life when most men do not
concern themselves with such stu
pendOus task Mr.. Taber, however,
has a mind as alert and as keen as
a much younger man. Other than
some difficulty in hearing and seeing
he has all of his faculties. The value
of his contributions to the science
that deals with the periodic changes
of the earth has been attested by
well known scientists, who have
| sought him out for information. Mr.
in front of his name, for he is an
old whaleman and most of his voy-
ages were sailed in ships out of New
| Bedford
Mr.. Taber went his first voyage on
whaler in 1899, when he had just
turned fifteen years of age. He sailed
| from Fairhaven in the Ansel Gibbs, in
which his uncle, Captain West, was
the master. This was three years
voyage to the Indian ocean and Mr..
Taber grasped the opportunity offered
| him of studying navigation.
While out in the bark Minerva the
knowledge came of the discovery of
gold in California and like many 9TH
ers Mr.. Tabor was fired with the am
bition to go to the Pacific Coast. He
| purchased a small vessel of forty tons
and took the vessel up the Pacific
Coast There he purchased another
small vessel and these two with the
| Minerva, which had reached the west
ern coast, made up the greater part of
tonnage then on the Pacific coast. He
engaged in trade and did some whal-
ing off the Alaska coast. Later he
engaged as a contractor and built the
first frame building in Sacramento
city, a building that was still standing
as an L to a larger building when he
was last in the town. Mr.. Taber re-
ing home for the benefit of his health.
Mr.. Taber gave up whaling in
1862 and that same year he went to
visit his brother, l. w. Taber, then in
Syracuse, N. Y. He remained there
fourteen years until 172, when the re-
moved to Wakefield, which has cou-
tinued to be his home since that time.
| His brother, who formerly lived in Sy-
| racuSe, has Tor forty years Deen
resident of San Francisco.
While he gave up the sea so many
years ago Mr.. Taber has continued to
retain a deep interest in marine sub
jects. The information that he has
given in the numerous essays that he
has published was gained while he
was a navigator of whale ships. 1t
is his opinion that with the decrease
of sailing ships and the greater use of
steam vessels, depending less on the
ocean currents and winds for their
propulsion, that the world will be the
loser in the matter of knowledge. To
: the whalemen, he says, belongs the
credit for much of the knowledge we