McNairy County independent. (Selmer, McNairy County, Tenn.) 1902-1969, 1916-03-10


Thier zu sein." But what man has
done in finding out the works of the
Almighty shows that he has the Di-
vine spark in his soul. and that in the
ages to come. he will grow better.
Science proves to us that man has
been on the earth at least four hun
dred thousand years. Maybe that
much more time here will Danish wars
and bring man in full accord with the
will Of God. There are signs to indi-
cate that this great war will be fol-
lowed by many advances toward a
better understanding among the
nations. The great empire Of Russia.
for example, which Is such an unknown
country to us, Is reaching out to us
for a better understanding and closer
commercial relations. Glasses for
studying the Russian language are
being formed in this city and in Wash
ington, and the Russians themselves
are said to regard our nation very
highly.
The mysteries of the smaller things
are as great as those Of the heavens.
It is now held by scientists. that the
smallest known particles of matter
are composed Of atoms whirling
around and not touching each other
at all. This is hard to believe, but
the proof is said to be certain. In
other words, the smallest things in
nature are like the largest; the atoms
are like planets and suns revolving
around other bodies. but none of them
in contact. This gives an insight in
to eternity and order such as nothing
else can. In one human body there
are about million Of millions Of cells.
Each cell is 9 body itself, built up of
millions Of atoms whirling, but not
touching. Life holds them in place;
death disperses them SO that they can
assume new forms. The body is NOR
tai; the atoms are immortal. Neither
time, fire nor cold nor any violence
can hurt them; they can only be dis
persed. to be assembled in some new
form. Many believe these ultimate
particles to be nothing more than the
atoms OF electricity, called electrons.
In order to give an idea as to the
minuteness Of electrons, Sir Oliver
Lodge, the great British scientist,
says that if a molecule of hydrogen
gas were as large as St. PauPs Cathe-
dral, an electron would be as a grain
of sand upon the floor Of that building.
And q molecule Of hydrogen could be
compared to grain Of sand in size
as grain Of sand TO the whole earth.
The electron is capable Of going
through most substances like water
through sieve, and it travels along
q copper wire at q rate Of 10000
miles per second. Many believe that
it is the basis Of all substance, and
that the eighty-odd elements which
compose all known matter, are but
different manifestations Of the same
thing. This isthe theory Of monism,
as adranced BY Spinoza. Haeckel and
other famous thinkers. So that the
electricity which destroys life at Sing
Sing prison in this state, is the basis
Of all life and motion. It is with q
feeling Of awe that Hook at the dead
ly third rail in the subway in this city,
which furnishes the current to run
the thousand or more trains daily,
strong enough to kill, instantly, ten
thousand elephants. 1t is covered
with plank all along, and the cur
rent is taken with what is called the
shoe, q fat piece Of steel reaching out
from under the car and rubbing along
the rail. To touch it means instant
death, and there are many fatalities
among the track men, in spite of all
care taken.
All that science has done has been
merely to scratch the surface of ma
ture. Nobody knows what makes the
molecules of copper hold SO firmly to-
gether that their cohesive power is
said to equal the propelling strength,
in a copper cent, to carry q train OF
cars around the earth. Nobody
knows why men, trees, and everything
else that grows, attsins only certain
height or size and shape, nor why an
orange tree, strychnine tree and pep
per plant and sugar cane will grow
side by side, with the same soil and
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