2 I BEGINNING_OF TIME IT IS GREENWICH WHICH TELLS US WHAT O'CLOCK IT IS. U:irv'(iiiii luKtruu.uiiiH Kiii|ilnyod by the Select Jut* in Charge of the Greet Ob- Borvutory—The l'oiut Wlioie Longitude it Zero. Doiiolless every student of geogra phy hss had his curiosity aroused regarding Greenwich Observatory, whence longitude is reckoned and where the world sets its timepieces; and has been desirous of learning more about the dwelling place of "Longi tude Naught" and the chronometer that regulates the clocks of the world. The purpose of this article is to grat ify such curiosity; and to deae: be, briefly, some of the wonocrs o! the great observatory. The most Important room of the whole observatory is the transit room. Pour broad stone pillars occupy the greater part of the space of this room. Two of these pillars are tall, as well as broad and massive. They stand east and west of the center of the room and carry between them the Transit circle. Here 13 the home of "Longi tude Naught"; fof the optical axis of the great telescope of the transit circle marks the exact spot crossed by tho prime meridian of the world. Two other telescopes are in the room, one ■ to the north and one to the south ot I the transit circle, mounted on the I two remaining pillars and both on the I line of the optical axis of the transit I circle. npfiiiiwi" ra,ii rfe-HJi mm 1 imMk yS N*t^\ yjrilF. GREENWICH TRANSIT CIRCLE. /£3hore are two somewhat different ■JtWPgses in which the meridian of Green- j Is iho standard meridian of near- j entire world. It coustituiea the ■ ratal line whence distances I BVst and west are measured; and It R HBSives the time to the world. I will he interesting to note hott I Hp time is found. The great telescope, already de scribed as occupying the center of the transit room, is very solidly mounted. Its pivots are supported by the pair oi great stone pillars, whose foundations go deep down under the surface of the hill; and It turns but in one plane, that of "Longitude Naught." On the west side of the telescope, and rigidly connected with it, is a large wheel, with a number of wooden handles fas tened to if, like the steering-wheel ol a large steamer. This wheel carries the setting circle, which is engraved on a band of silver let into the face and back of the wheel near Its circumfer ence. Eleven mki oscopes penetrate through the pier, and are directed al the jpicle on the sack of the wheel, These are the instruments used in finding time. Time is usually determined by th£ watching of passing stars. The stars are used for This purpose, because thej are many and the sun is but one. Ii clouds hide the sun at noon, the on!} time when It can bo observed to de termine time, a day is lost; but If ons star is covered by a cloud there are still many others than can be ob served. Star transits can bo taken ai various times throughout the day and night, while the sun can be used on!} once a day. About two minutes before the ap pointed time the operator takes h;s place at the eye-piece of the telescope As he looks in he sees a number ol vertical liues across his field of* view These are spider-threads placed in th focus of the eye-pierce. Presently s bright point of silver light comes mov ing quickly, steadily onward. Th watcher's hand now seeks the side 01 sue te'lxcpe till hia finger finds a little button, over which It rests ready tc strike. On comes the star "withoul haste, without rest" till It reaches one of the gleaming threads. Tap! The finger falls sharply on the button. Is three or four seconds later the star has reached another thread. Tap! Agait the button is struck; and so on until the ten threads have been passed and the transit is over. Now what have the finger taps donel Each tap completed, for an Instant, an electric circuit and recorded a mark on the "chronometer." This is a large metal iylinder covered with pa per, and turned by a carefully regu lated clock once In every two minutes A similar mark Is made once in ever] two seconds by a current sent b> means of the standard slderial clock of the Observatory. If, then, one 01 the clock dots and one of the observer'i dots come exactly side by side, it li known at what precise second the stai was on one of the wires, as the spidei threads are called. If the observ er's dot comes between two clock dots it is easy, by measuring its dlstancs from them with a dividing scale, to teli the instant the star was on the wire tc the icnth part of a second. Since th< transit was taken over ten wires anc the distance of each wire from th< center of the field of view is known, practically ten separate observation! have been made, and the averago of these gives the time of transit. At the Observatory there is a great clock, culied the sluorial clock, which registers twenty-four hours in tho pre cise time that the earth rotates once on its axis, or the time when a given star Wuu.u again appear on a hxed merid ian. Hence, since the exact time is known \v hen the star ought to be on the meridian, this clock can be read ily checked by itie observations of star j transits. I % ■■■; '< ■' ' "'a. v/ j ' f\ji I J 1 ? i si! f". "M f i'J, ... - r : 'II it'll?- ~ f (■ THE CHROXOORAPn. The error of the clock Is determined twice a day, shortly before ten o'clock i in the morning and shortly before one j o'clock in the afternoon. These two ; times are chosen because, at ten and I one o'clock signals are sent to all ths | great provincial centers. Also at one ] o'clock the time ball at Greenwich and j at Deal are dropped, so that the cap- j tains of ships within sight of the drop- | ping-mast may set their chronometers, j Thus is time found and regulated a; I the great Observatory. | The rating of chronometers for tho Royal Navy is one of the most import', ant duties of the Observatory. Hero they are carefully tested until theh j time keeping qualities are as perfect ■ as human skill can make them. ! There Is little of the picturesque or j sensational in the regular routine work j of tho Observatory. The daily observa- ( tion of the sun and of many stars—call-, ed clock stars, the determination of tha j error of the standard clock and its cor rection twice a day, the sending out; of time signals, tho care, winding and ' rating of hundreds of chronometers ■ and the determination, from time ta time, of the exact longitude of foreign I and colonial cities make a ceaseles; round of work. Yet there is a charm in it all to those who delight in tha ] handling of delicate and exact instru- ] ments which renders its dreary routins fascinating. _ ' A Cautions Man. "It's a good thing to be cautious; when among strangers," said the pre- • clse-lookiug man to a tall, angulai, old fellow, to whom heAas talking on 1 the deck of an Atlantic liner. "Yes," was the response, "you can'l always tell who you're talking to when ! you don't know, and strangers throws ■ together, as we are, are very likely to j make mistakes if they don't look out." "That's what 1 think about it," salii tho precise one. "There are several j people around that I'd like to know j v, bo tiicy are, hut I feel a delicacy in j asking." "Who, for Instance?" asked the tail ; party, letting his eyes wander about the deck. "Well, there's a lady standing there by that door, talking to a young fellow who looks as if he might be her son." "That far door?" inquired the tall party, stretching his neck around. "Yes." "She looks as it she might bite a nail in two?" "Ve3." "Got a jaw on her like a vice!" "Y'es." "Keeps it going all the time, a3 ii there wasn't any such thing as an: eight-hour law?" "Yes." "Got a bonnet on that locks as if II might be a bigu for a vegetable gar- { deuer?" "Yes." "Got a complexion like a slab of tan bark?" "Y r es." "Got clothes on that look as II they'd been made out of last year's circus posters?" "Exactly—she's the one! Who is she?" The tall party got up to have a bettei lock before committing himself. "She's a jay from Westminster, ain't she?" he said, with a laugh, as he sat down again. "Yes. Who Is she?" "Oh, she's my v/ife. I.et me take you over and introduce you." Ilut the cautious man declined, anil managed to.lose himself in the crowd as quickly as possible. t Solillmc and tlie Rldlciiloae, A sentimental gentlemnn, out for an hour's sail', was rhapsodising in the following terms: —"When we contem plate the heavens, under the brilliant light of day, or again in the fading shades oi the evening, when the stars begin to appear one by one with in creasing splendour, are not our souls impregnated with a sense of sublim ity, of rapture, of mystic awe? Oh, my friend" —turning to the man at the helm —"oh, my friend, what do you think?"—"Think?—why, 1 thinks it's wery lolkely." Thousands of Egyptians live In old tombs, eating, sleeping, wooing, lov ing, laughing, dancing, singing, doing all their deeds of daily life and house hold work among tho mummies and sarcophagi. 9 A 12 a " """ THE COLUMBIAN, BLOOMSBURG, PA. AS TO THE FOOT. Some Thine, About It that Arn Said to Indicate diameter. It is surprising the little Interest we take in other people's feet. Our own command the whole of our attention; and very worrying they are some times. Have you ever noticed the shape of your feet? It may astonish you to know that one's feet are a3 much an index to one's character as one's face, or one's lines and wrinkles therein, 't his is the opinion of a foot surgeon whom P. W. has interflowed on the subject, "Palmistry, physiognomy, and the like, are beside the mark compared with the value of the study of the feet lti the formation of a man's character," said he. "There are three classes of the human foot—Aryan, Scandinavian, and the Anglo-Saxon. The first two are pure; the third is the blend of the former. There is also a nondescript type. ; "The Celtic or Aryan foot was the foot of the old Phoenicians, and is the highest type of the human foot. It has many characteristics which stand out from all other feet. "You may know it by the big toe being shorter than the next one to It, the big toe joint being large and long, the arch being short and high-pitched, and the heel-bone, being irregular in form. The man with the Celtic foot will perform what he says; he will be strong, healthy, moral. It is the foot of the soldier, of the conqueror, and the trustworthy man. "In the Scandinavian foot the big toe stands far away from all the others. The arch is flatter and longer than the Aryan; the heel Is very symmetrical In relation to the general outline; the toes are longer; the tread is: narrower. It i 3 the more elegant of the two. but the Celtic is the stronger development. The man with such a foot ad this will be no less sincere than the Aryan-foot ed mail, but he will be slower in com ing to a decision, and will perform his duty or a promise usually with less grace. For swimming It excels the Cel tic; but the latter Is all for long dis tance walking, mountain climbing, rapid and quick movement. "The Anglo-Saxon may he termed the general all-round foot. We pas 3 into degeneration from this, the foot that fills our prisons, hospitals, work houses, and supplies us with the foot pad. "Even the prospects of marriage may be gleaned from comparison of the feet. "The Anglo-Saxon foot Is that of the business men. The big toe and the one next to it are brought on a line. Tho arch is not so accurate a3 the Aryan, but an improvement on the Scandina vian. The displacement across tho tread is greater than the Scandinavian, but not equal to the Aryan." ! How the Sultan's Wives Bathe. ; The secret of the Sultan' 3 harem Is one which has been kept inviolate for ! a long time. The arcana, or hidden she has revealed the process which goes on within the bathroom, which she says is the only recreation in which the wives of the Sultan are able to in dulge. The first room is the place in which the ladies take off their garments, and it is presided over by a woman who is a sort of overseer and chaperon, as well as a caretaker, for every one of the ladies, as she takes them off, hands her the jewels which she has been wearing. Her greeting to all and each as they enter is the Turkish equivalent of "I hope you will come bad pleased." All along the side of the walls are low couches, while in the middle of the room is a clock, and near it an open stove which is called a "mangal." This stove not only keeps the apart ment warmed to the proper tempera ture, but it also serves the second of fice of perfuming the room. The bath itself Js of white marble, and contains perfumed water in which the women plunge and play like the children at any of our own seaside places. After the splashing about period they go through a course of treatment with ordinary soap, and then comes a course of massage whose refreshing and revivifying powers are known to all. After the bath, a cup of coffee is served from a huge bronze pot, which is kept on the top of the mangal in the disrobing room. In this room, too, there are cradles consisting of a pil low suspended by means of a ropa at each end. On these pillows, tied by means of silken scarves, are the chil dren of the bathers, and they sleep or crow away the time which i 3 enjoyed by their mothers in tha only recreation which is permitted to them, and here the women play with their offspring in exactly the same way as do the moth ers in a less exalted, but probably much happier, station in our own laud. A Singular Find. A very singular find is recorded In a London magazine. Some Ivory cut ters, while at work upon an elephant's tusk, discovered the head or an asse gai or African spear embedded In it. This tusk was being cut up for knifa handles. It is surmised that the spear was thrown at a young elephant, and that the head broke otf and lodged in the hollow part of one of its tusks. Then, as the tusk grew, the eeeari head was pushed further and further towards the tip, and at length tne ivory grew round the steel buile r self. Doliiir Good. She who does good to another, does also good to herself; not only in the consequence, but in the very act of do ing it; for the consciousness of well doing is an ample reward. Sixty thousand elephants are an nually slaughtered In Africa lrt the take of their ivory. ILI,!,HM,IH [ uAoTOllln , w For Infants and Chifen. ting theStomachsandßoweisof Jj6£irS til© m t ■fi6#fi56558fi555556555*fi Mw A / *ll iMftWraWilHMiHMl n . Jr\( f\l* —. Signature / A ir Promotes'Digfes&on,ChEerful- / A / lu 1 mess and HestGontalns neither n f V* /JP Opium/Morphine oor£(iQeral. U1 #ly'\ \J Not Nabc otic. £ W . 1/^ now* or old a-sxMUZzimwa i \/A^ SmJL" ■ VI ALx.Stnna * ] 1 A RockdUSlts- I XII _. AnittSetd ♦ I a | TL a as?- f (V l/t Tne -/ /ft VinH Apcrfecl Remedy forConstipa- | ll TO IVI II U tion, Sour Stbmach, Diarrhoea, I liF Worms .Convulsions .Feverish- 1 W* , W II i§ _ ncss and LOSS OF SLEEP. V_f j TOll HBV6 TacSimite Signature of Alwavs Bou&rht, EXACT COPy OF WEAEEEB. IMH|I I II I■ RSm "A handful of dirt may be a house ful of shame." Keep your house clean with STOVE NAPTHA, the Cheapest and Best Fuel on the market. With it you can run a Vapor Stove for one-hall cent per hour. Give us a call and be convinced. W. O. Holmes, Bloomsburg, Pa. Eshleman & Wolf, L. E. Wharey, " W. F. Hartman, " STRAY PARAGRAPHS. Catch the flag stealers. Accommodation trains never go out of their way. Silk hats are conceded to be the heighth of fashion. The water has been turned on the Market Street fountain. A "pony" has been known to be the forerunner of a nightmare. A sudden sting on the foot often forces one to acknowledge the corn. It begins to look as though ex plorer Andree and his party has been sent, up for life. Politics are not very lively in Columbia County at the present time. Things may take a turn later. It is said that a canvass of the town would reveal the fact that there are several Spanish sympathizers in our midst. In a Bad Condition. "My blood was in a very bad con dition and I had boils, pimples and carbuncles. My stomach was out of order and I had no appetite. My food did not agree with me. After taking a few bottles of Hood's Sar saparilla my blood was purified and I was completely cured." P. D. WHITE HEAD, Mahanoy City, Pa. Hood's Pills are the only pills to take with Hood's Sarsaparilla. Easy and yet efficient. Reduced Rates to Scranton via Pennsyl vania Railroad, account Gorman Cath olio Parade. The Pennsylvania Railroad Com pany announces that, for the parade of the German Catholic State Con vention at Scranton, Pa., Wednesday, May 25, it will sell excursion tickets from points on its line within a radius of one hundred miles to Scranton and return at rate of single fare for round trip. Tickets wilt be sold May 24 and 25, good to return until May 26, inclusive. 2t. If you want lithographed bonds, certificates of stock, checks, drafts, diplomas, or any thing in that line, the COLUMBIAN office can furnish them. See samples. Picking Out a Husband. A contemporary gives the follow ing advice to its fair readers: "For | a man's birth, look to his linen and finger nails, and observe the inflec | tions of h;s voice. For his tastes, I study the color of his ties, the pattern . and hang of his trousers, his friends | and his rings—if any. For his pro pensities, walk round and look care fully at the back of his head. A J symmetrical cerebellum, with well j trimmed hair, is an indication of self | control and energy. If you want a , successful man, see that he has a neat j foot; he will move quicker, get over I obstacles faster, than a man who falls I over his own toes and trips up other folks with 'em, too. For his breeding, J talk sentiment to him when he is I starving and ask him to carry a band- down the public street when you've just had a row. To test his temper, tell him his nose is a little on tone side and you don't like the way his hair grows. There are other ways which will suggest themselves natural ly to a bright woman. Au Opportunity You Now Have of testing the curative effects of Ely's Cream Balm, the most positive Cure for Catarrh known. Ask your drug gist for a 10 cent trial size or send 10 cents, we will mail it. Ful' size 50 cents. ELY BROS., 56 Warren St.. N. Y. City. My son was afflicted with catarrh. I induced him to try Ely's Cream Balm and the disagreeable catarrhal smell all left him. He appears as well as any one.—J. C. Olmstead, Areola, 111. Tni* Catches the Girls. A set of swindlers are sending out circulars promising in oruer to intro duce their goods to send to any ad dress, postage prepaid, ten yards of red, brown or green silk for $l. The eager victims, who are many, receive ten yards of thread cut from the spool. A young lady not far from here sent nice big hard earned dollar recently and got in return ten yards of baby ribbon worth about one cent per yard. It is quite likely she will catch on to the next just as readily.— Hazleton Sentinel. Fine PHOTO GRAPHS and CRAYONS at McKillip Bros., Bloomsburg. The best are the cheapest. i l x>wn\s * ' ' ~ CCPVM.o.rr TID-BITS FOR MA' HONEY! and tender little juicelets for the chil dren, ate all light, but papa and "the boys" want a good, big, juicy steak, roast or chop when business or school duties are over, and we can cater to them ail. Our stock of prime meats is unexcelled for quality, and we send them home in fine shape. J. K. KEIFF.R. THK MARKETS. RLOOMSBURG MARKETS. COUHICTID WXXILT. BXTiIL PBIOIB - Butter per lb $ , 20 Eggs per dozen ,ia Lard per lb 07 Ham per pound .10 Pork, whole, per pound ,06 Beef, quarter, per pound.... .07 Wheat per bushel , 00 Oats " " Rye " Wheat flour per bbl 5,75 Hay per ton 9 to $lO Potatoes per bushel, „... ~0 o Turnips " " . „ 9 >a e Onions " " * 100 Sweet potatoes per peck .35 Tallow per lb Shoulder " " .09 Side meat " " >o g Vinegar, per qt Dried apples per lb 'O5 Dried chemes, pitted Raspberries '' \ ta Cow Hides per lb Steer " " \ CalfSkin Sheep pelts , . Shelled corn per bus co Corn meal, cwt *" ,*- e ;; ..." Chop " no Middlings " , 00 Chickens per lb new.... I 2 w " "01d...".*.* Turkeys " " la i Geese " " .14 Ducks " " "" " c g COAL. No. 6, delivered a .60 " 4 and s " ,' 8 . "6 at yard a . 3 j " 4 and 5 at yard 3 .60 The Leading Conservatory of America CARL FABLTBN, Director. Founded i n 1853 bj -CVVfli*- - Riving full information. FRANK W. H alh. General Manager. Weak | Bfclladcrwva \ I TOUCHES 77 I THE I SPOT ! I PATENTS" Caveats and Trade Marks obtained, and all Patent business conducted tor MODERATE OUR OFFICE IS OPPOSITE THK D. 8. PAT ENT OFFICE. We buvc no suo-agencles al business direct, hence can transact [latent bual ncss la IPSS time and at Less Cost than those re motelrom Washington. Send model, drawing or photo, with descrlp tlon. We advise If paientable or not, free of charge. Our fee not due till patent Is seruii A book, "How to Obtain Patents"' wltb refe? ences to actual olleuts la your State,county.o town sent free. Address "amy, o C. A. BNO W co„ Washington, D. C __ _ (Opposite I'. 8. Patent outceT) HAIR R BALSAM and beeutiOe, the JNovep Tails to lts Youth||ul r QpkirT ewil £2si^££^2£^ESKiSeiei ft-iwit-d. SHOPPING MADTEASYT Samples sonL lY No of references. Circulars sent on application. MISS E. B. EATON, 156 Fifth Ave., N. T.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers