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About The Plattsmouth daily herald. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1883-19?? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 1887)
1 I i i ... AtvtvtttiTrT WttliP AU" A WlUKSb'AY. 1)KCKMRER 1, 1S87. n".n.' i a i i v i h if i i i i'i.a i iniwiiu i 11. iiiiiJikiiuiiiii 0 THE CANALS OF MARS. WHAT ASTRONOMER SCHIAPARELLI SAW THROUGH HIS TELESCOPE. Komo Remarkable Appearance Which II Xotett I Man Iuhablted? Fact Which 8eeia to Call for un Affirma tive Answer. It was in 1877 during a fuvorable conjunc tion of Mars that is to say, at tbo t imo when 2ls.VH vas unuinially near to tbo earth that Kt hiaparelli fb-at saw the canals. It w ill bo rocclliH-'twl that in that same yar Professor Hall dincoverl the two tiny moons of Mars witli tho great teh-scojie at Washington, an instrument in comparison with which Bchia pnrclira telescope in a pigmy, and yet, no far as wo are aware, tho canalt were never seen with tho Washington telescope. This fact, however, id Ly no means decisive, for in the first pl.-ice Schiaparulli'a teleacopo. though comparatively small, ia of acknowledged grcut excellence; secondly, and more impor tant, tho skies of Milan are incoinarably clearer and hotter suited to delicate telescopic ol?rvation than thoso of Washington; and lastly, Bchiaparelli, who possesses exception ally siiarp vision, like the celebrated Dawes, of F. i.';land, was engaged in the Hpocial study of tho features of Mars' surface when he mud the discovery. It may be added that last year three observers M. Perrotin and M. Pollon, at Nice, and Mr. Denning, in Eng land Hueceeded in feeing the canals of Schi aparcl'i, and detecting some of the excep tional appearances which he noteL When Bchiaparelli first saw tho canals in 1877 they appeared as single lines, but subsequently he found them double. Ho even watched tho process of doubling, which was a very cu rious phenomenon. I?ut we will let him speak for himself, as quoted by M. Flammarion: "There are upon that planet great dark li:;i s, traversing tho continents, to which may Lo given the nanio of canals, although wo do not yet know what they ai-e. Various Astronomers have already detected several of them, notably Dawes in 1804. During tho Lifit three oppositions I have made a special study of them and have recognized a consid erable number, more than sixty. These lines ran f roia one to another of tho dark spots that wo regard as seas, and form a well de-' fined network over the light or continental regions. Their position appears to be inva riable r.r.d permanent, at least according to tho judgment I have been able to form by four and a half years of observation; never theless their aspect and their degree of visi bility nre not always the same, and depend upon circumstances which tho presentf stato of our knowledge does not yet permit us to discus with certainty. In 1S7U many were n-oii which wero not visiblo in 18S7, and in tlioo that had already been seen wero detected again, accompanied by new ones. Several of these canals present themselves under tho form of vague, shadowy liues, while ethers are clear and sharp, like a mark jnrulo by a pen. In general they are recti li:;; ar, that is to say, drawn upon the sphere as lii-es of givat circles. They cross one an otl:cr obliquely, or at right anglc3. They r.ra fully tiro degrees broad, or 120 kilometers, and a n umber extend over a distance of eighty degrees or 4.S00 kilometers. "Their color is very nearly that cf the seas of Mars, but a trii'la lighter. Every caurd ends at its two extremities in a sea or jii another canal ; there is not a single exarapla of one extremity ending in the middle of the solid land. That is not all. Ia certain sea sons these canals split up or, rather, become doable. "Thti phenomenon appears to occur at a fixed time, and is produced simultaneously over t':o whole extent of the continent pf tho" planet. No indication of it was shown ia 1577 during tho weeks which preceded and followed tho southern solttico of the world. A single isolated case was presented In 1S70; the "0th of December in that year (a little be fore tho 6pring equinox, which occurred on the J; 1st " January, 1880), I remarked the dividing cl the Nile between the Lake of the Moon and the Ceraunique gulf. These two regular markings, equal and parallel, caused me, I adinit, profound surprise, the greater because some days before, the B3d and th 31th of December, I had observed with care this same region without perceiving any thing of the kind. I awaited with curiosity the return of the planet in 1881 in order to learn if any analogous phenomenon would present itself, and I saw the samo thing re appear the 11th of January, 1S&?, a month after tho spring equinox of the planet (which occurred on the 8th of December, 1SS1) ; the division was still more evident at the end of February. On this same date, the 11th of January, another doubling manifested itself, that of the middle section of the Cyclops ca nal, on the side of the Elysee. "Greater yet was my astonishment when, the 12th of January, I saw the canal of Ja-' rnuna, which was then in the center of the dLsl:, divided very accurately into two straight, parallel lines traversing the space which separates the Niliaque lake from tho Golf of Aurora. At first I thought it to bo an illusion, caused by fatigue to the eye and a scrt of strabismus of a now kind, but one must i;oeds yield to the evidence. After the lOih cf January I simply passed from one surprise to another: in succession the Oron tes, the Euphrates, the Phison, the Ganges and more of the other canals showed thenv selves very clearly and incontestably split in two. There were not less than twenty ex amples of doubling. "In certain, cases it has been possible to ob serve same precursory symptoms which are not kicking in interest. Thus the 13th of January a light and ill defined shade extend ed along tho Ganges; the ISth and 19th only usuries of white spots was distinguishable there; the COth the Ganges showed itself in the form of two indecisive parallel lines, and the 2Ut the doubling was perfectly clear, as I observed it up to the 23d of February, "T1.C23 doublings are not an optical effect deperulg upon the increase of visual power, as happens in tho observation of double stars, and liclthcr is it the canal which divides itself in two lengthwise, Notice what it is that appear to the right or left of a pre-existing lino, v Uhout any change in the course or po sition cf that line, one sees another line pro duced equal and parallel to the first, at a dis tance varying generally from 6 to 12degs., that i.i to say, from SoO to 700 kilometers; there even seem to bo some produced still ner-.-r, but the telescope is not powerful e:ici:h to cruiblo one to distinguish them wUh c: -lainty. Their tint is a rather dark red ; :4 lrov.-n. These twin canals are recti lircir or very slightly curved. There . is Both!:.' analogous in terrestrial geography, Everything points to the belief that it is a peculiar periodical phenomenon of the planet Mars, and intimately related to the course of . the seasons. " Jlcre, then, ere observed facts; the in. crease i i tho distance of the planet and the prevalence of rains prevented the continua tion cf tho observations after the end of re-rr.!y. Jt is difficult to decide quickly Ht--.ii the nature of that geography, assur edly very different from that pf our world. n lc Vork Sun. A c-ercJ cmile was caused at a .Buffalo railway viatica tho ether day by an innocent countryman who asked for accommodations "hi ono of tVem bed room cara.n LIFE' IN JERUSALEM. CHRISTIANITY AT ITS WORST, 'MO HAMMEDANISM AT ITS BEST. A IU-turiifd MlMttlonury' IntereitUnjr Ac count of the State of Afiulra in tlio Holy City UcHtitute Jew from Arabia The Aui-'rlcaa Colony. Rev. T. F. Wright, who has returned from Jerusalem recently, talked with a reporter in regard to the condition of affairs there at the pnwnt time. "The state of religion in Jerusalem is very interesting. I remained five weeks in the city, and was brought into contact with per son! of every class. It must be confessed that Christianity in seen at its worst there, and Molwmiiiodanism at its best. The Mo hammedan i:i the early morning hears tho cry: 'God is great, prayer is letter than slwp,' arises, prepares himself, puts on hia white outer garment and goes up into tho inosquo ground where Solomon's templo for merly ttoxl, and there goes through with his devotions, bowing down before God and ask ing that ho may be guided through the day. This means to him that ho mast be strictly temperate, truthful in every statement, kind to all men, and that ho will in no case bow down to any idol. In all Mohammedan lands, idols, images and pictures are utterly ex cluded. Tho single exception to this rule is an equestrian statue of Mehemet Ali in the great square of Alexandria in Egypt; and tho erection of this stat.uo was strongly-op-xfricd on the grounds that it might become to faoMie of the iicoplo an object of worship. "The Christians in Jerusalem are in a state of bitter j-eotarian conflict. They are not egrecd among themselves as to tho sacred sitcii, and they have more than once come to bloodshed in acting together in tho celebra tion of some of the Christian festivals. In tho Cave of the Nativity t Bethlehem, whero n s ilver star in the pavement marks the j'laee whero our Lord is Ixjlieved to have Ijeen born, a Mohammedan soldier of tho Turkish army stands always with loaded musket to keep tho Christian worshipers from ' slaj'ing each other. In tho Church of the Holy Sopulcuer, in Jeru salem, the traveler notice: at once a group of Turkish ofilcials who have no interest in tho place and spend their time smoking and drinking coilee and chatting with each other, but whose presence i-t needed to keep tho monks from actual warfare. At the time of Easter the Turkish guards are increased to a whole regiment, so that it is difficult to make one's way through them to reach the Interior of tho church. VARIOUS IiiVAb SECTS. "In the church the Lvitin Franciscans al ternate with the (tree!: monks in tho perfor mance of masses, and sometimes simultaneous masses are performed by priests standing within a few feet of each pthcr. Tho lamps with which the shrines are decorated have boon apportioned to tho different bodies L.':tin, Greek, Armenian and Coptic so that they nny not coma into conflict in lighting tho place. Tho greatest and most unpleasant excitement i-; reached at tho time of tho descending of tho holy five, which is believed by the more ignorant to descend from heaven, and to bo received by a priest. It always arrives at a certain hoi:r of a certain day, and its arrival is waited for by a crowd which surrounds the place, waiting for many hours. Vv''hc:i received, evory ona present seeks to light his candle in the flame; and ranners immediately set forth to every part of the laud, seeking to obtain the prizes which are offered to those who fk'st arrive at the outtyhiz villages. "The le! Is on the Church of the Holy Sepul cher and on tho Mount of Olives are rung by tho rival sects, apparently only for the pur pose of expressing their unkind feelings. They never sound in harmony ; they never ring a chime, although they are fitted to do so, but tho3r continually raise in the ears of the contemptuous Mohammedan their un pleasant sounds. "There is in Jerusalem at the present time a remarkable American colony, which it was my privilege carefully to examine. About twenty persons arrived in Jerusalem in the year 1SS1, having gone mostly from the city of Chicago, where some of their number hat been active Christian workers under Moody, and where they had been led to think that they could do more good by going to the Holy Land, On their way out they received some accessions from England. Among their punc her is Mr. II. J. Spafford, once a leading Chi cago lawyer; another, Capt. Sylvester, was formerly of the English army; another was a clergyman of the Church of England, who visited tho Holy Land in company with the late Gen. Gordon, and who decided to remain with these people; another is a venerable lady, tho widow of a colonel of the United States regular army. All are most deeply interested in their work, and share and have a common purse, and now have become known far and wide through the region, be cause they make no profession of faith, but simply acknowledge thcir'allegiance to Christ and cyprcc- by constant deeds their desire to love their neighbors ns themselves. JEWS B'AOM ARABIA. "TThen they first arrived in Palcstino an in teresting migration of Jews had just taken place from Arabia. About 300 Jews, called Temanitca, p.nd believed by themselves to ha tho-renmant of the tribe of Gab, had moved from tho desert in which the tribe had long had its horn?, and had come to tho Holy Land. They are small in stature, delicate in fea tures, wholly free from the money changing disposition, grateful for every kindness, and eminent!- childlike in their characters. They were lying, when tho Americans arrived, ih the fields outside of the city with no one to care for them. Tho Americans immediately began to prepare daily rations of soup for them, to tend tho sick and in every way to watch over them according to. their ability. At tho present time the Tenianites have es tablished themselves vi a prosperous colony south of the village of Eiloam, and in their synagogue, every week they have a prayer in wnieh Horatio Spafford and his friends are mentioned, aud tho divine blessing is invoked uK:i them for their many good deed "Tho houss of. these Americans is daily vi.-ited by persons coming from all parts of tho land, to inquire into this wonderful phe nomeaon. The Bedouins of tho desert lean tL- -ii- tall spears against the wall, and are cordially welcomed, and occupy a room in tho house as long as they desire to remain; and the Americans, going fearlessly across -the Jordan, have returned these visits and l.-ec-i received with the utmost kindness, and have had an inSuence over the lives of tho Dciouiiis. They deal especially with the Ail wan tribe, long known to be the IWi-est class east of tho Jordan. Tho fella kz:i. or peasant class of the co'.intry, find al ways here a cordial welcome. Kb. evening passes without seeing its company of poor and rich, of peasants and Turkish effendis gathered in the salon, to listen to the hymns which the Americans sweetly sing; and every one. on leaving the room, expresses his grai itude for what he has come to regard &g the greatest comforfc pf his. life. In this way Mohammedans and all classes in jerusaleib are reached for good, and a lesson is taught in regard to t h epirit in which Christian nussion? 6homd ne ea: tied an.n-cBgst(m Ad- FARM AND GARDEN. A GRAIN CHEST FOR POULTRY THAT PREVENTS WASTE. A pouble Deconla. That Promjaea to Be come Popular For and Acainat shoe ing Farm IIor A Clever Coutrl-auce for Tightening Wagon Tlrea. The extreme drought and lieat of last summer caused much trouble with wagon tires, which would often get clear off the wheel before the driver suspected that they were loose. Ia the cut is represent ed a convenient device for replacing a tire when any amount of pounding with a 6tone or ax would fail. Thia device, which was originally illustrated in Rural New Yorker, may bo made aa follows: DEVICE FOR TIGHTENING A TIF.. Procure a horseshoe with long heel, calks to catch on the edge of the ire; af ter putting the tire on as far as possible with the hands, then put a strong stick or iron rod through the horseshoe and under the felloe of the wheel. By pry'ng down ward the tire is drawn on. Country Maiio Soap. The alkalies for sale at the stores v.'ill make a very fair soap, with less trouble than the ohr time method with lye from wood nshes, but the product of the latter is much stronger and in every way more satisfactory. The ashes f;:om hickory ia tho very best of all for soap making pur poses, although ashes of any hard wood make excellent soap. In sections, there fore, where wood ashes are plentiful it will pay to make soap from their lye, ns the leached ashes will still be of value for fertilizing purposes and all refuse" grease utilized that would otherwise be" wasted. "When saving ashes for tho leach be care ful not to burn any decayed or unsound wood. Old barrels may be placed on an inclined platform for the leach or one can be cheaply made for the purpose. Shipping Ap;tlcs to England. The experience of T. S. Gould, secre tary of the Connecticut Board of Agricul ture, in shipping apples to England is not very encouraging to small shippers. Tho first cost of barrels, freight to New York and truclting expenses iCcross the c ity, and the injury to the condition of the fruit in consequence of rough handling, are liable to consume the ampunt of sales in a mar ket so fluctuating. The export trade may prove profitable to large shippers with good judgment in the selection of fruit and of the time to market it. Small ship pers, however, Mr. Gould saya, !;ad Letter not engage in this rather venturesome business. Fine Variety of Tuberous Begonia. The fine variety of tuberous begonia shown in the accompanying illusti-ation is one which, as a window plant, the well known New "York florist, Vick, tbjnks will soon be cultivated. It bloomed on his grounds at Rochester this spring for the first time, and proved very attractive. Tho plants are about a fqot n height, quite bushy and neat in habit, and the flowers are borne in great abundance, os lonj, slender stems, by which they ar usually pendant. The staminate flower3 nv3 double, while the female ones are single. The color is. a bright scarlet. BEGONIA LOCIS BOUCIIET. Novelties as a rule are looked upon with Incredulity. However, when Vick aud the English florists who have been instru mental in introducing it to notice agree that the above named double begonia is the coming plant, and will, within a short space of time, be seen in every market and window, as is the fuchsia and gera nium, it is time tho public should be told something about it. All the culture it seems to require is propagation like dahlias. The begonia Louis Bouchet ha.9 gained in England at "the Royal Botanic shows first class certificates as a striking novelty, and connoisseurs, both abroad and at home, are encouraging tho pultiva tion of begonias with monstrous Jd001 Laving grown tired of the ordinary blos soms. Shoeing Farm Horses. Numbered with other questions that are argued by practical, sensible men, aud likely never to come to any decided settlement, is the one, "Shall farm horses bo shed or not?" That this, controversy must be settled by each man for himself lies ia the fact that some horses under certain conditions can go without shoes, and in truth are better without them; but that no horse under all conJiiions can work or travel barefooted. In an article on this subject ia The American Agricul turist appears the testimony of various in dividuals in different sections of the country. A correspondent writing from Iowa considers it an unnatural proceeding to shoe a horse. lie says: "If one examines the hoof of a colt that has never been shod it will be found that there is a sharp edge on the under side. The object of this ia that the animal may go on smooth roads. If the horse is never shod this protection remains aa long as the animal lives, but in shoeing it has to be cut off and it will never grow as per fect again r.s it was naturally." This correspondent believes that unshod horse3 can do all necessary farm work in both winter and summer. A correspondent from Ohio writes: '.'My advico is don't shoe your horses. Keep the colt's feci p-ornly trimmed while trowing, yc-: woid shape a fruit cr ornamental tree, kti. when he. is eld enough to. work h&' will be able to do without shoes, unless It be for some special pur pone. From Wisconsin h correspondent writes of his experience with both tdiod and bare footed horses: "Our roods are not very hard, being country roads, where gravel is not plentiful. My horses are sound aud their feet good, but when I tried to work them without shoes I found it would not do; their feet soon became tender and sore. If I wero obliged to use them every day, even in winter, I should have them bIhmI; for there are days when tho roads are in such condition that it would not be safe, neither could they draw a load with out them." Many farmers do not give sufficient at tention to their horses' feet, though they may curry and rub their hide well. The feet, however, should have close insjx'C- tion and care, for if these become uu sound there is little work to bo gotten out of the animal. To this end the floor anil bedding should always be kept dry und clean, that manure may not become caked under the foot, and every morning the hoofs should be examined and freed from any such accumulations. A soft frog should be guarded against, for it cf. lines an animal to go l?m With very slight cause. A little alum water and brine applied once a week burdens the frog. Suggestions About Squirrel and Gopher. In Texas, we auM told, the ranchmen kill pruirie dogs by saturating balls of cot ton rags with bisulphide of carbon, push in; these well down into the holes and firmly packing earth into the entrances. The preparation, being extremely volatile, quickly evaporates, nnd forms a heavy, fatal gas, which occupies every chamber and gallery of the dog's dwelling. I he same course is pursued- with rabbits in Australia, and with good success. Why not, asks Minnesota Farmer, try this on ground squirrels and gophers? The ma terial is quite inexpensive. Economical Contrivance for Fonllry. In the cut here given is shown an economical grain chest for fowls, recently described and recommended in Stockman. GHAJX CHEST FOR FOWLS. It will be observed that the trotigh 1) is two inches high. The front of the chest extends downward no further than theto. of the trough, tlms leaving a free passage for the grain from the chest .into the trough. The dotted line (7) shows the position of a board in the chest, placed there to conduct the' grain into the trough ns fast as it is eaten out by the fowls. The platform (3) is for the fowls to f tand upon while eating. It should not be wide enough to induce them to form a habit of sitting upon it. A board (4) is fastened to the front p the chest nnd extends over the trough to prevent filth from falling into it. The cover of the chest (5) should extend a little over the front, that it be handily raised, and should rest inclined to prevent iowLs fron roosting on it. An extension of the back of the chest (C) with two holes in it, is provided so that it may be hung on corresponding wooden pins. If it is hung up in that way it will be necessary to put some kind of a key through each of the jins'l to prevent its being Jarred pff fim them. It should be hung go that the platform will be at least two feet from the floor. It may be madt any length, A square chest, for a post in the yard, can to made ou the same prin ciple. How to Use Fertilizers. There remains not a doubt about the economy of supplementing the manure pile of the farm with commercial fertiliz ers. On few if any farms in the older states is there enough manure made to keep the soil in good tilth, consequently resort must-be had to green manuring and artificial fertilizers. In the use of the hit ter much money is saved by men who sit down and do a little thinking before or dering suph fertilisers r.s arc to be bought. First should be decided as nearly as is pos sible what dements rc specially deficient in the soil; second, what elements of plant food are specially required for the crop to be grown; and, lastly, how much of these lacking elements can be supplied from the manius heap and compost pile at home. ' Some crops, as Irish potatoes, for instance, thrive better in soil that is enriched by an artificial fertilizer than with barnyard manure; and these crops, therefore, are more economically fed by a commercial fertilizer, the manure being reserved for crops that needed more. In green manuring "the value of pea vines "at the south and clover at the north, as an improver of soils, has been repeat edly proven. Ppa vines and limo fumiih a very effective means of improving aud maintaining tbs productiveness of soils in whif-b phosphoric acid and potash are not too nearly exhausted. The sugges tion is made that some gain is effected by utilizing as much as possible pea vines, clover or any other valuable forage en p as feed for stock first, by turning on the cattle to crop, it, and then their droppings are saved along with the roots and stub ble that are eventually plowed under for a fertilizer. fhinjf'i Told by Farmers. The honey crop is a poor one. Manitoba boast3 of a big potato crop. Professor Beal advises skillful green manuring for sifting 6andy soils, F. D. Curtis, New York, says blue grass caught to be mixed in all pastures. Joe Harris regards clover as the great renovating crop of American agriculture. AH experienced poultrymen aver that provisions for dust baths are a necessity to fowls. P. H. Springer assert3 that nothing on tho farm can be raised with greater profit than swine, Professor Bucld, of Iowa, advise3 plant ing the south side of all trees in this cli mate to the south, W. D. Philbrick, of Massachusetts says that potatoes and roots of all kinds keep best in pits out of doors. To dispute the excellence of milk made from good ensilage is to fly in the face of facts, says John Gould. . Attention is called to the dairy school opened at Hougbtgn, farm, Mountainville, N. J., by Mr- Valentine. It is a benevo lent underiaking, the first of its kind jn this country, Mr. Cushman, of the Ohio Horticultural society, pays; "There is no other berry that can be planted in our section of coun try that will bring C3 much money to the rrower as the early harvest blackberry." C2IHIIE3.IF BOOTS' The panic quality ot gootls 10 j.rrcciit. cheaper than any limine wet-t ot the .Mississippi. Will never be ur.deirokl. Call ar:tt btconvincul. ALSO MZlEJi: JBLXnSTCSr PETER MERGES. mlm v,LGtf sm VOll ALL TEMT ojS- FUBNITuPiE Parlors, SSrdrooiiis, I0ini2H -rooms. Kitchen, Hallways and OHlr.cvs, (JO TO Where a magnificent stock of C.J cod ami Fair Prices abound. UNDERTAKING AND Er 'ORNER MAIN AND SIXTH n (SCCCE8SOK TO Will keep cocKtantly c;i h:uil "Wall Paper ami PURE L '.. G. Dovey & Son. IMS 9 Ev5 F. Ffl it S 2 J MS and Me We fqlrjG ploqstii'o ii sqyiiir lt v?e rmvG Hie Ftillesi aiui Hcind- ie i sonGs n i an aim Ever brougjil to this Unrtivl and shall be please to show you a linn ul! Uu a Wool Dress Goods, and Trimmings, loisery and Underwear, Blankets and Comforters ' A splendid assortment ol Ladies' Aliases' and Childit ns CLOAKS, VILP8 AND JERSEYS. We have also added to our line of carpets k me new pattuns, Tloo Oil Clomps, Aqfts qqd Ijtigs. ' In inch's heavy and fine boots ai d s-hocs. al.-o in I adi'tV, 3Ism s and Chiklrens Footgear, we have a complete line touhich we INVITE yonr inspection. AlWIepartments l ull an J Complete. wmm. m an & on SHOE JE3i EMPORIUM I 'wii) BECRDGIV! SET I CLASSICS OF- JrETB TICSJ .Ms kW FOR BALKING A SPECIALTY I'Latt.-moi'i if. m:i:!:asi:a 15 r v.- It L .1. ii 1 I I ; a fail a rut Jit.p'e'f -r !: r .!.-; 0 PA diciens. Paint Oils i ) i uuku; a Full L,ii:o of IQU O RS. E. G. Dovey & Son. Biffin I ii LI 3 H trC H si ft a n tjiies qii liqe of X inter Goods OF Line