The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-03-26
MARS POINTS Us THE WAY
a Scientific Paper BY Or. r. r. Snow
den, Former Citizen Of ocaIa

Los Angeles, Cal, March II, 1890.
To the Editor Ocala Banner:
| While scientific men are discussing
the possibility of interpIanetary com
munication by means of ethereal vi
brations, beg to call attention to a
signal CD that is positively known to
come from Mars. and to hazard a
rational Interpretation of this signal.
Professor Claypole in lecture on
Life in the Solar System says that
the blue sea which forms around the
melting polar cap, the polariscope
proves almost beyond REPUTATION IS
water and that the lines from one
hundred to two hundred miles wide
striking out from the new polar sea
across the surface of the planet, often
in accurately paralleled pairs ARE
shown with equal positiveness to be
not water
These lines are formed on the arcs
OF great circles with mathematical
precision, suggesting they are the
work of profound engineering skill.
Professor Claypole remarks: No
chance could have produced the
things that were seen on our neigh
boring planet at the last opposition.
ITO explain these things, astrono-
mers,-not because they fancied the
conceit, but because stern logic led
them to it-have theorized that the
canal system of irrigation; that the
water is brought from the melting
snow cap and carried to the various
parts through these canals, and that
the blue that grows over the surface
is irrigated district
1t is easy to understand that vege-
tation is made to cover the parallel
stripes running through the desert
lands, and this is what we see.
Finding it necessary to irrigate on
so gigant scale, it seems to me
tie Martians designed to use the oc-
casion and means to announce annual
" by twinning the canals, to any
other planet which should observe the
signal that two planets are inhabited
Now, what could be more fitting
or effective response than imitation
of the signal, thus showing to the
Martians, if they are still living
that we recognize their efforts2
In the event our response is under
stood how natural it would be for our
neighbor to reply by extending their
sustem of signaling to three lines,
thus indicating to any still other OBJ
server the fact, and to us the posi-
bility that these planets are inhabit
ed.
We need not go far to find a method
of executing our signals to planetary
neighbors, for the Martians the n
selves have shown US just how to do
it.
A level tract of land suitable area in
an arid region of the world could be
So lctlu OuL Will CdudiS duu lIllSdllOh
bitches as to permit efficient irriga-
ton of stripes in pairs of adequate
Dimensions These could be seeded
from aeroplanes with the quick grow
ing cotton wood which cover the
ground with vegetation in the early
spring time, just as we observe upon
the Marian plains. Or we could use
alfalfa with equal effectiveness and
thus make the effort at once a source
of profit.
It would Of course cost large sum
to prepare this demonstration and
provide the necessary water, but the
lands void be permanently reclaim
ed: and when the administrations
shall have been sufficiently prolonged,
the timber or alfalfa would have con-
siderable value and the lands fitted
for profitable agricultural operations.
Doubtless some millionaire with
scientific inclinations would be viii
| ling to make the investment and at
the same time perhaps gain for him
self undying fame from having achiev-
ed the first practical proof of the ex-
istenee Of sentiment beings other than
/ tho dauszn,4s IF fhn earth