eJMfflgwwtHJff MtJUieaW!wrK jgajww Tragra mMUCWSggS J. J. '. UL '. ftartfapx MV 1 Iwv Volume XVM-Ne. 130 LANCASTER, PA., TUESDAY, FEBRUATtA 1, 1881 Price Tm Crate. M3BJU gga&HlgyjJ JT?gWWIg Sh WATCHES, . Wc call attention te a lew very desli-able articles at uiiasually low prices Uey' Silver Hunting Cased Watches at $ G.25 Ueys' Silver Hunting Cased Stem Winding Watches lr-.OO Gentlemen's Silver Hunting Cased Full Jeweled Watches. 5.00 Gentlemen's Silver Hunting Cased Stem Winding Watches 15.00 Ladies' 10 and 11 Carat Geld Hunting and Half Hunting Cased Watches at 18.09 We call attention te our fine Movement for Ladies' Watches Full Jeweled, even in centre pivots, which we will case te order In nandsernc Bex-joint Monogram Cases or otherwise. Gentlemen's is Size Movements Cased and Knirravcd or Monegruramcd te order. A special new lincolgeods U j ust received, cousiirfir.gef Gentlemen's Silver liox-jeint-Cased Watches, the Iland&emcst Silver Watches ever brought te this city. We invite an inspection of these goeiU, feeling cenlldent wc can show inducements te buyers net te be found elsewhere. H. Z. RHOADS & BRO., Jewelers, 4 "West King Street, - Lancaster, Pa. EDW. J. ZA.HJVT, Manufacturing Jeweler, Zaiun's Cerner, - Lancaster, Pa. Things in our stock that mulct. Beautiful and Durable Christmas Gilts. WATCHES, DIAMONDS, CLOCKS, SILVERWARE, SPECTACLES, JEWELRY, GOLD BRONZES, GOLD HEAD CANES, GOLD THIMBLES, SILVER HEAD CANES, SILVER THIMBLES, OPERA GLASSES. GOLD PENS AND PENCILS, HANDKERCHIEF AND GLOVE BOXES, GOLD BRONZE SMOKING SETS, FT-SEI CIGAR SETS, ".' BACOARET VASES. ALL THESE AX I) MANY MOKE AT ZAHM'S CORNER. LANCASTER, PA. CLOTH1XU. GREAT SLAUGHTER IN GLOTHING. GRAIB MASK DOWI AT CBITTEE HALL. Will be sold in sixty days TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH of HEAVY WINTER CLOTHING, Without regard te enct. New is your time te secure a geed Suit el Clothing for very little money, Ucady-umdc or Made te Order. OVERCOATS IN GREAT VARIETY, Fer Men. Youths and Reys. Men's Dress Suits, Men's Rusincsi Suit, Youths' Suits in every wtyle. Rey.-,' Clothing, u very Choice Variety. Sir Don't fail te cull and secure some of the bargains. MYERS & RATHFON, Ne. 12 5: AST KIXU STREET, FOJl FOE SALE CHEAP. A FIRST-CLASS THREE-STORY BRICK DWELLING HOUSE, WITH A GOOD STORE BOOM. This 1'reperty i.- .situated en the corner et Mulberry and Lemen streets ; with nine geed room ami large cellar : also het and cold water and gas through the house. This l'repcrty will be sold cheap or exchanged ler a small house or building lets. Ale, a FIKST-CLASS JSIUCK STABLE in the rear of the house, and occupied by Samuel Kccler, for :-alc new. Fer lurther particulars call en BAUSMAN & BURNS, Or at HOUGHTON'S STORK, 25 North Oueen Street. flfltXITUKE. TIK;UAMKi: LOOK! LOOK!! Loek le your interest. Yeu can buy at HEXNITSH'S, 15 EAST KING STIiEET. Parler Suits Library Suits Walnut Chamber Suits Cottage Suits Lounges Patent lteckcre &e., ttc., c. $15 te $550 .... 75 te 15U .... 40 te 23) ....2210 45 .... 5 te 40 ..$S.."0lO 40 We will continue te give prices successively of goods in our line. Leeking Glasses, Picture Frames, and FIXE GOLD FUAM ES spcclaltiesat prices that defy competien. It is always a pleasure te show goods at the CHEAPEST FUKMTUBE STORE IX THE CITY. All goods guaranteed according te merits.; HBINITSH, 15 i;ast king street, :inS4imd Over China Hall. ?OB RELIABLE FLTRNITURB Call at the Old Established Stand of Widmyer & Ricksecker, S. E. Cor. E. Kin? ami Duke Sts. PARLOR, CHAMBER AND LI BRARY SUITS. HALL, DINING ROOM AND KITCHEN FURNITURE. MATTKESSES AXI) BED Sl'KIXGS. The Largest and Finest Assortment, and mestyall HOME-MADE WOKK. Personal Attention given te UNDERTAKING. WIDMYER &RICKSECKER S. E. COR. E. KING AND DDKE STS. f 1 RAIN SPECULATION S. Injajpcer small amounts. $25 or $20,000. Write W. Tl SOULK CO.. Commission Mer chante, 130 Ln saUc street, Chicago, ill., ler cii ulars. m2S-ii'd .JEWELRY, te. LANCASTER, PES.V4. SALE. GKOCERIES. 205 WEST KING STREET. THE PLACE FOR Wines, Liquors and 95 per cent. Alcohol, Fresh Groceries, Pure Spices, and l$C3t Cigars in town. All at RINGWALT'S. JUST RECEIVED A LOT OF PINE FLORIDA ORANGES AT BUBSK'S. A FEW MORE DARRELS OF THOSE White Grapes at 20c. Per Pound, AT BUBSK'S. B AKEK'S & llRUHPU CANNED CORN :t 13 cents ; Winslow at 18 cents, AT BUBSK'S. F OR A snOKT TIME ONLY WE WILL sell you 2 Cans of the Celebrated G. & R. TOMATOES, the Best in the Market for 23 cents, AT BUBSK'S, 17 East King Street. "fTE OF ER SPECIAL INDUCEMENTS. Yeu will save money te buy at BUKSK'S, Ne. 17 EAST KINO STREET. sleighs, &v. Carriages I Carriages ! AT. EDGERLEY & CO.'S, Practical'Carrlage Builders, Market Street, Rear of Central Market Houses, Lancaster, Pa. We have ou hand a Large Assortment et BUGGIES AND CARRIAGES, Which wc offer at the VERY LOWEST PRICES. " All work warranted, uive us a call. 49-Iicpatrinfr promptly attended te. One set of workmen especially employed for that purpose. m-trd&w BOOTS AND SHOES. 1 A CV OOTS. SHOES AND LAST liJKJ X iniidc en a new principle, insur ing comfort for the feet. !! II 1yd Lasts madj te order. iJVilJlO mmcB, tcbll-ttd 133 East King street CLOIUIXO. The Clothing Bargain Reems. The mass of the stocks selling be low cost is se great that we may say . there is no change from last week, ex cept that a very few lines are exhaust ed net enough te mention. Large anil complete slecks of new clothing of all grades, from common te fine, arc here, going for less money than their original cost. Remember, larger, though stocks arc net though, that still net mere complete marked down at all. Yeu can liny may prefer. out of either, as you These stocks have been separated for convenience in selling ; but they are made together, in the same way, for the same purpose, and alter the same standards. Bring back whatever you don't waut at the mice. AVAKA MAKER & BROWN. Oak Hall, Market and Sixth. OVEPxCOATS! Clo?ini;eul at agreal ivd net ion on line of Novelties in Overceatings. miim-n-e Fur Beavers, seal Sian, B!ysian; Mentanak, Ratina and Chinchillas. All the Xcw and most Desirable Styles STO0KANETTS, IX SEW COLORS ASI) CHOICE STYLUS Why net leave veur order id once ami secure un Elegant. Sty!i-h, Well Made and Artistic Cut Garment as low us "e. A LAUGH LINE OF CHOICE MM ifl Scei AT GREATLY REDUCED PRICES, J.KSMALING'S. rrv 'HE ARTIST TAILOR, 121 N. QUEEX STREET MW&S A RARE CHANCE ! Tlu Grcati'Sl Beduetinn ever made In 1'IXE WOOLENS for GEX1V WEAlt at H. GERHART'S Fiie Taficriii EstiMmt A Large A-ertmcnt of Genuine Eiiglisli & Scotch Suitinsr. sold during the Full Sea-en lreui !S30 te JS40. A Suit, will be luadn up te order in the I!c-.t Style irem ae te ?30. HEAVY WEIGHT DOMESTIC Suiting and Overceating, KcdiiO'd in the t-ainu propeition. All goed.s warranted us represented. The above reduction will ler ca-h enlv. aivl ler the next THIRTY DAYS. H. GERHART, Ne. 5 North Qacsn Street. Special Auiieuncement ! New is your time te secure bargains in CLOTHING! Te make room for our large lock of Cloth ing for Spring, new being manufactured, wc will make sweeping reductions throughout our large stock of HEAVY WIGHT CL0TH1B, COXSISTIXG OF Overcoats, Suits,.&c, FOR MEN, BOYS AND YOUTHS. ODDS AND EXDS OF CLOTIIIXG IX COATS, PANTS AND VESTS, BELOW COST. Call early te secure the best bargains. D. B. Hostetter & Sen, 24 CENTRE SQUARE, Slip, e-?ya KAIfCASIEB, PA. Hamastrr rntelh'tjrnrcr. TUESDAT EVENING, FEB. 1, 1881. CELESTIAL DISTANCES. l-ECTCRi: BV It. C1TT SUPKK1NTESDKNT K. IIUUHKLU. Fourth Kegular Meeting of Star Club. Mrlus the Iik Star l'rocyen Caster i'ellux Ciipelia "Starlight," i:tc. ami The fourth regular meeting of the Star club of the Yeung Men's Christian asso ciation was held lat evening. Semu twenty additional stars were given and their positions indicated in the prominent constellations of the Great Deg, the Little Deg, the Twins and the Charioteer, all these star groups being new in the eastern sky in the early evening. The special topic for the evening was the Mathematics of Astronomy, or rather the u-e made of the triangle in determin ing Celestial Distance.-.. This was dis cussed very clearly by Mr. R. K. Buehrle, city superintendent of public schoejs. In illustration of the successive steps in the development of his subject, he used large and earel'uliy-prcpared diagrams, which are of necessity emitted from our report as well as references in explanation of the same. Mr. Buehrle is a gentleman well up in scientific studies, as well as an able executive in the administration of our school uti'.iirt. Remarks of 31 r. ."ilct'askey. Cauis Majer, the Great Deg, has long been widely known. It is one of the very old constellations. In it wc find Si;ius,the largest and brightest of all the stars te be i seen during the round el the year, it is familiarly known as the - Deg Star."' As there are some people .who knew the North Star by name, but would be unable j te point it out m the neithern sky, se 1 there aic these who have heard d the Deg I Star by name and no mere than this I I Though it has blazed above their heads all winter long, each year of their lives, I they have never jeeognized it in the heavens. They aie familiar also with the ' phrase the deg days," without any knowledge el" its mcaniiijr. A few word will make this clear, ami an intelligent glance into the sky will make them ac quainted with the star itself. The ancients were very observant of the star-saml know ing lh.it Siiius was shining at the same time yith the Sun during a part of the hummer, they attributed the increased heat of mid-summer te its inlluenee. These dujs were therefore styled by the liemans dies caniculares, or "the deg days.'" Siiius bcinji also known te them i by the name of Canicuia, or Deg Star. j The Itemans yearly sacrificed a deg te. this I star en behalf of their decks and herds, as well as their lands, that these might net I suffer iiem the drought of the het .-eafcen, when this blazing orb, wlucli was no brighter then than new, shone in conjunc tion with the Sun. Siiius may new be recognized at once at 7 o'clock in the seuthcatein sky, in a clear night, sparkling with extraordinary bril liancy, about twenty-three degrees south east from the J5elt of Orien. It is some twenty live degrees from IJeteiguc-e the 1 bright star in the right shoulder of Orien. and about the same distance from Proeyen, a bright star towards the astein horizon in the Little Deg. Thc&e thiee stars are ill! of the lirst magnitude mid form a beau tiful equilateral triangle -which is readily traced. It also forms a triangle nearly similar t,e the south with Phact in the con stellation of the Deve te the southwest and Xaes in the Ship, te the southeast, thus completing the " Egyptian X." Sii ius being at the crossing of the lines and IJetelguesc and Procyen te the north. This ligure can new be seen best about 10 o'clock in the evening. The motion of Siiius is estimated at iiib miles per minute and the spectroscope shows that- it. is niev- , ing away from our system. j The Moen is ever 2,000 miles in diameter, the Eaith about 8,000 miles, Jupiter ever S0,000 miles, ti.e Sun about 880,000 fig ures that are appalling te the imagination, bnt whose approximate accuracy even the elementary work of the astronomer amply attests. Accepting as correct this eaer meus estimate of the Sun's diameter, nearly a million of say of Siiius who-e miles, what shall wc diameter is rated at meieinan in teen times tnatei tueeun : ami whebc awful mass hi sunk into space se far that it requires nearly twenty-live years for its light moving at the rate of 11,000,000 miles per minute le reach our dark little e.uih ! And ct thistame linht i comes te us in such quantity as te make Siiius hcein the largest star in all the sky. In speaking of stars, it should perhaps be -said that we never include among them the planet, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus or .Mars, all of which seem of greater size than the stars, because they are, compara tively, se very near our eaith, just as a glebe a feet in diameter near at hand may seem larger than the Sun. l'ive ether stars in this constellation are named : Mirzam in the forepaw, five and a half degrees from Siiius, a star which is said te have disappeared in 1070 and was net ell again for twenty year.--, but which lias been distinctly visible ever since that time ; and the thiee stars form ing a conspicuous triangle some twelve de grees southeast from Sirius, of winch that at the vertex is Wesen, te the west in the base of the triangle is Adliara, and te the cast Aludra : these two stars being about six degrees apart. Canis Miner, the Little Deg. of which the star Procyen, has already been men tioned, is cast, of Orien. The word Pro Pre Pro ceon means "before the deg." rising a lit tij before Sirius. The triangle which it forms with Sirius and lletelguese has al ready been given. Some live dcgi ees west of Procyeu is the faint star Gemelza in the neck of the Little Deg. TJiese two stars make a long and narrow i aralielegram with Caster and Pollux sem! twenty-live degrees te the north. Gemelza also forms a right-angled triangle with Peliux and Betelgucse, Gemelza at the right angle. Leeking due east in the early evening at this time of year, we see somewhat te the north two stars of like brilliancy, live or six degrees aparr, which make, :.s has already beeu said, a long and narrow par allelegram with Procyen and Gemelza of the Little Deg. There arn stars Caster aud Pollux ii; the well-known in the censtella tien of the Twins. They mark the heads of the Twins, Pollux being about five de grees cast of Caster. If wc draw a line from Pollux te Betelgucse, we find upon it two stars readily distinguished. That nearest Pollux is Wasat ; the ether, which marks the feet of Pollux is Alhcna, twen ty degrees from Pollux and about four teen degrees from Betelgucse. Tejat, a short distance west from Alhcna, com pletes the rude parallelogram with Caster, Pollux and Alhcna, and the star en the line fro n Tejat te Caster, nearest Tejat, is Mebusta. These are the six sta:s named and easily recognized in the constellation Gemini, the Twins. With the skrgle exception of Tejat they are all multiple stars. Caster is double, with the smaller sun i evolving around the larger once in 442 years. Wasat and Mebusta are also double stars ; Alheua is a triple star, and Pollux, most interest iug of all, is quadruple ! In ancient my thology, Caster and Pollux were invoked as the patron divinities of sea-faring men. One mere constellation and our list for this evening will be ended. It is Auriga, the Charioteer or. Coachman, which con tains one of the most beautiful and inter esting stars in the nethern heavens, Capel la, which is new nearly overhead at S o'clock in the evening. This bright star is found about half-waj between Betel guese in Orien and the North Star. A short distance from it is a slender isosceles triangle of faint stars which are known as the Kids, the name Capella meaning "she goat." Iu the chart et figures, the Coach man is represented as carrying this animal against his left shoulder. The five promi nent stars in this constellation form an ir regular pentagon, shaped somewhat like a boy's kite. Diagonally across this penta gon from Capella is Auriga or El Nath, which is also the tip of the western lieru of the .Bull. It is nearly half-way between Caster and the Pleiades. The most north ern star iu the pentagon is net named, while that in the right shoulder, eight de grees from Capella, is Menkaiina. These two stars make a long aud narrow paral lelogram, its length live times its breadth, with the two stars, Betelgucse and BelJatrix, in the shoulders of Orien. The distance of the bright star Capella is estimated at seventy light years, that is te say, the light which we see from it te-night left its distant source two generations age, long before any of us were born before the era of steamboats or railroads or telegraphs and all that thee have meant te the world iu the quickening of its intellectual activity and the development of its material resources while an infinitesimal part of the light which leaves Capella te-night will probably reach our earth in the year 1030, long after " lire's fitful fever " shall have ended for most of us, and for many of us its beams will fall coldly upon our forgotten graves. Our numerical list, is there! ere continued as fellows : Ne. 17 S'irius : 18 Mirzani ; 10 Muliphen ; .10 Wesen ; 51 Adliara ; .12 Aludra these six in Canis Majer, the Great Deg ;.7J Phact in the Deve ;i4 Na-.s in the ship, both in the Egyptian X, Ji."i Procyen, and 5(5 Gemelza both in Canis Miner, the Little Deg; 57 Caster; 53 Pollux; 59 Tejat; GO Alhcna; 01 Wasat ; (!2 Mebusta, these six in Gemini, the Twins; (: Capella; 01 Auriga or El Nath ; and G Menkaiina in the Char ioteer. Before leaving the Star list for the evening let me read Celia Thaxtcr's beau tiful peem entitled Starlight, in which Ca pella is the bright particular star, and its light-year period se effectually used as te be impressed upon the memory. The poem may be new te many of you. Sturiltit. The chill, cad eveninj? wind of winter Mews Acre-3 tile liy:i'.ly:ul. lileakandliaivandh'l', Kiitli!i the thin, dry yias that sp.ir.-ely i;revs. And, shivering, v. hUpcra like u ln:iii,;n si-jh. The sky isthiek with stars that sparkh- kt-cn. And jriviit Capella in the clear north. -ust Hulls slowly up the cloudless heaven sercn, And the tdcrn uproar et the sea ha t craved. A Heeling moment and this earth seems dead Se-till. .-e sail, se lonely and se eehl '. Snow-dust beneath me, and nhrivemv head ;lar-dut in blackness, like thick snriiikl- d Held. The slurs et lire, tint tiny Slav el ice. The awtnl whirling worlds in s-p ua lh.it wheel. The dniaty crystal's delicate device One Kami has fashioned both and 1, who kneel Here en lids winter night, twist :.'.uiv smd .snow As timi-iciit us a sne'.vil.-ike and as 'ak, Yearning like all my tellewnien te knew jus mueeu purpose mat no voice may spc-aic, In silent awe I watch His worlds : I see .Mighty Cupcllu's siun I, and I knew The steady beam et light that reaches me Left the great orb lull seventy years age. A tinman life time ! Reason strives In vain Te grasp at time and space, and evermore Thought, weary grown and banted, must again, Retrace lis slew step te the humble deer Ol wixtful patience, there te watch and wait Devoutly, till at last Heath's certain hand, Imperious, opens wide the mv-tic gale Itetween us and theluture lie has planned. Vi.il, Death id'.'iie. liut shall IJeath conquer an 7 i.eve lights snair. and pleads in anguish of ee- isoencrsliall great Capella waveiimr fall Than any voice respond te his wild prayer And yet, what fim divine makes hope te Blew Through the pale ashes et" our earthly f.ite .' Iianierlai hope, above ail joy, tview All depths or pain wherein we strive an.' wait. Hull i our sense ; hearing we de net hear, Ami seeing see net : jet we vaguely feel Somewhere iscomSei l in the darkness drear And, hushing deiibtsand fear.-, we learn te kneel. Starlight and silence 1 Omul are sky and sea ; - iient as ilea; h t hs awful spaces lie ; i-'peechle-sthe bitter wind blew- iivrnii1, -ad a- the breathing of a human sigh. 7Ir. It. K. Buehrle was then introduced who spoke much as fellows : tUeiusii'il IJI.siiiti::-!-. Only the civilised and enlightened na tions of antiquity have handed down te modern times, a knowledge of the science of astronomy. Primitive, rude, uncul tured tribes, possess no science. They see the stars, indeed, but they de net knew them. Neither their physical nor their mental activities are worthy of lite pen of the historian, and although the'r acquisitions may be useful te succeeding ages, they are, like the foundations of thu pyramids, beneath the surface and hence invisible te the ordinary observer. It is net only interesting but also highly in structive te trace the progress of any science from the earliest feeble, uncertain, hU'ting, at times retregrading,stcps of the infant, te the later, firm, steady, at times rapid and triumphant strides of the giant ; for if we attentively observe the progress of human culture, we can easily see hew the mind grows mere acute witii the growth of the field offered te its in vestigation. Te these who have been wafted en the wings of the imagination te the remotest nebula:, and who have revelled in the glories of the heavens, it may seem rather mosaic te return te mother Earth, but when it is remembered that the science of the heavens depends en that or the Earth, that astr-onemy is founded en jc-emetry, and that alter we have seen the operation of the wonderful celestial mechanism, wc naturally inquire 7iew all this is knewr, and are anxious te understand and net merely te wonder at and admire the pro priety of this evening's work will prob ably net be questioned. Who first arrived at a knowledge of the form of the Eaith, will most likely nevtr be known, notwithstanding that the dis covery that the Earth is net a plane has been ascribed te Thalcs of Miletus (born about 010 B. C.) who believed it te be a spherical figure. The beginnings of every science are shrouded in obscurity se deep as te defy the pen of the historian, aud it is only after great progress has been at tained, that the results', with the names of these who have contributed te their at tainment, are inscribed en the scroll of fame. The votaries of every science may be classified as these that arc forgotten, these that arc martyred, and these that are glorified. If we believe Dr. 621 s, Abraham, or Jeb, or Melchissdck, was possessed of a greater knowledge in astronomy, than modern scientists ; but as the only record of their 'astronomy is said te be wrought into and embodied in the Great Pyramid, and as the characters are variously inter preted, wc will rather confine ourselves te these records concerning which there is very little, if any, difference of opinion. Net knowing who discovered the fact of the rotundity of the Earth, we must be content with the names of these who at tempted its meaturement, well knowing that they must have been acquainted with its true form. Before attempting te explain hew celes- tial distances are determined, it may net be entirely superfluous te briefly refer te the means employed te measure distances en the Earth. Everyone knows that te measure anything, is simply te compare it with something else well-known. Thus, we say, for example, that a front of a house or let, is sixteen feet, comparing it with the length of a well-known measure of our body, taken as a unit of measure ; and, in the same manner, we say that the line A Fig. 1 is twelve inches, which means that it is twelve times as long as the line B, or that the latter is contained, as a unit of measure, twelve times in the former. Fer our purposes this evening, it is also necessary te understand hew the difference of direction, or the divergence of two lines, called their angle, is measured. Mathematicians haye also found that if they knew the length of one side, and the size of two of the angles, they can find all the sides and the remain ing angle of any triangle. History informs us that Eratesthenes, a Greek mathematician and astronomer, born at Cyrene, in Afiica, B. C, 27(5, called by Ptolemy Euergctes te the charge of the Alexandrian library, which con tained all the Phoenician, Chaldaic, Egyp tian aud Greek learning of the time, first wrestled with the problem of measuring the Earth. Accepting the theory of the globular form of the Earth, he reasoned that if he could determine the length of one degree, he could measure the distance through and around the Earth. He knew that at Syene ( the modern Asseuan ) the Sun was vertical at neon in the summer solstice, while at Alexandria, at the same moment, it was below the zenith by the fiftieth part of a circumference. Neglect ing the solar parallax, and ignoring the dilicrcucc in longitude, if, indeed, he knew that there was an he concluded that the distance from Alexandria te Syene is the fiftieth part of the circumference of the Eart It. This distance he estimated at 5,000 stadia, which gives 250,000 stadia for the circumference, a result containing an error of seme importance, yet showing a won derful degree of knowledge for that age. We will new endeavor te show hew we may find the length of a degree, and hence the size of the Earth, en this same principle. Let P, in figure (!, represent an observer at the North Pele, A the centre of the earth, II I the plane of the horizon at the North Pole, and Z a star that is directly overhead, say the North Star ; this star is then said te be in the zenith and a line from it te the observer at P is perpendicu lar te the plane of his horizon ; i. e., at rizht angles with it. New, if an observer at, say, Philadelphia, in latitude 40, ob serves this same star, he will see it, be cause of the great distance, in a line paral lel with the observer at P but net in the zenith, that is, net immediately overhead. The line from tits star S te the observer at O will form an angle with a line per pendicular te the plane of lm horizon equal le as many degrees as he is removed from the North Pele, in this case 503. We thus find that for every degree south that the observer is removed, no linds a change in the elevation of the North Star, of one degree, hence if he observes hew far north or south, in miles, he travels te pro duce a change of one degree in the eleva tion of the star, he will knew the length of a degree in mil s. Multiplying this by i0 will give him the circumference of the Earth, and dividing this by e.MtO will give him the diameter and the product of the diameter and the circumference will give him the entire surface of the Earth. Half the diameter is called the radius, aud having found this, we are new prepared te find tlie distance te our nearest neighbor the Moen. Before passing te this subject, however, I will state briefly that a difference of opin ion between Sir Isaac Newton and certain French suvtints, iu regard te the shape of the Earth Newton having announced, as the result of his studies in natural philos ophy, that it is flattened towards the poles, making it an oblate spheroid, while they, en the ether hand, maintained, as the re sult of actual measurements of an are of a meridian made by Picard La Hire and Cas sini, that it is a prelate spheroid led te extended measurements of meridians by the French and ether governments, which conclusively proves that Newton was right. About one-fourth of the circumference of th E.trlh has new been actually mea sured. Tne first historical measurement of the distance te the Moen which has come de we te us. was attempted by Ilipparchus. the ! "Patriarch of Astronomy," born at Nicici in IJithynia, about 200 B. C. By observ ing that, eclipses of the Sun de net appear te be of the same exteutcvcrywhercenthc surface of the Eaith, he learned that the parallax of the Moen must be large enough te admit of measurement. With the im p3ifect instruments at his command, how ever, his results arc of ceuise wide of the mark, but his method was correct in prin ciple. Aristarchus of Sames, a Greek astrono mer, who flourished about 270 B. C, who first maintained that the Earth revolves around thn Sun for which opinion some thought him guilty of impiety attempted te find the distance te the Sun by observa tions en the Moen, but owing te his ob servations with the naked eye, and te the fact-that the illuminated side is net suili ciently sharply defined for such minute calculations, ha was net successful. Ptolemy, who flourished at Alexandria in the second century A. D., next attempted it, though he probably used the method discovered by Ilipparchus, namely calcu lations based en the shadow of the Earth at the time of an eclipse of the Moeu. Iu this manner he obtained a distance fifteen times tee large. Se far as I knew, Kepler, born iu Wur temberg, 1571, first predicted transits of Venus, namely that of 1631 which occurred during the night, aud hence could net be observed, and that of 1761." Horrex, born near Liverpool about 1616, a peer curate of Heele, predicted r.nd observed that of lfi;)0, watching for mere than 24 hours previous te the time at which he had cal culated that it would take place, se as te be sure net te miss the opportunity en ac count of possible errors iu his calculations. Iu 1725, Dr. Ilalley, born near Londen in 1G5U, explained a method of finding the distance te the Sun by observations made en a transit of Venus, and the next one occurring in 1761 and 1769, the prob lem te be solved was deemed se im portant that the governments of France, England and Russia sent ex peditions te various parts of the Earth te secure observations. It was while en gaged in this business that the celebrated Captain Ccei le3t his life en one of the S.mdwhich Islands. Le Gcntil went te India te observe the transit of 17C1, but by detentions en the voyage he arrived tee late. He waited the eight years required for the next transit, and was then disap pointed by the passage of a cloud ever the sun at the critical time. This transit was observed by David Rittenhouse,of German town, one of Penssylvania's self-taught mathematicians. Frem this transit of Venus, the distance, te the Sun was found te be 95.000,000 of miles. This it U new believed is tee great owing te an error in the calculations. In dependent observations made en the planet Mars gave a smaller distance. Great pre parations were therefore made for the transit of 1874, involving an expenditure of probably a million dollars. The United States took a prominent part ; and stations were occupied in Siberia, China, Japan, the Sanwich Islands, northern India. Per sia, Turkestan and Egypt, in the North ern Hemisphere, ami at a number of islands in the Indian and Southern oceans, from Kerguelen nn the east te Chatham Island and New Caledonia en the west, Australia, Tasmania, aud New Zealand being also occupied in force. The distance found was 02.000,000 of miles, trifling re duction of 3,000,000 miles ou the previous figures. The next transit of Venus will occur December 6, 1332, and is naturally looked forward te with great interest. Mr. Procter will probably be charged with the duty of making preparations and arrangements for its observation, at least se far as England is concerned, where he will, ere long, probably be appointed Astronomer Royal. And new taking leave of beautiful Venus let us address ourselves te the method of finding the distance of the fixed star. It is simply the problem of the triangle ever again, but this time our unit of measure is twice the distance of the Sun or'191, er'191, 000,000 of miles. These calculations give for our nearest neighbor the star Alpha Ccntauri 221,000 times tl distance from the Earth te the Sun. or 3J light years; that is, it would take light which reaches us in a Hi tic mere than 8 minutes from the Sun, 3 years te reach us from Alpha Ccn tauri. " Thus the astronomer, when he conceives a distance in the solar system, must make the radius of the E.irth his shortest unit, and when he attempts te go beyond the Sun aud the planets, the shortest division ou his measuring line must be the diam eter of the Earth's orbit ; and even then he will be borne onward- se far net en the wings of imagination, but of mathematics that this ( uormeus distance has vanished te a point. Even then he has only n a died the nearest fixed star, and of course has only just entered upon the outer limit of creation. He must prepare himself for a still loftier flight. He must reject the diameter of the Earth's orbit as the unit of his measurements, because tee short, and take as his standard the passage of light, at the rate of two hun dred thousand miles per second. With that speed he can go en, until his mind has reckoned up six thousand years of seconds aud he will reach lixed stars whose light, leaving it source at the creation of man, has net yet arrived at the earth. Overwhelmed with the immensity of the works of Ged, he leeks wistfully forward te the time when the Christian philoso pher shall be permitted te resume the study of science iu a future world, with powers of investigation enlarged and clar ified, and all obstacles removed ; when te trace out the shores of that shereless scp, te measure its new measureless extent, and te fathom its new unfathomable depths, will be the noble and the joyous work of eternal ages. if the geutleiuen whose lips pressed the lad uen y tire w ami tans ciujrhl. a severe ceM had but used Dr. Hull's Cough Syrup, no doctor's bill would have been necessary. JEWELEKS. r wuiswkb:-!-. I J WATCH II AKKK. Ne.!.". .!.V.J.VORTH IJUKEJf STKKKT.iiearP. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers