The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, December 30, 1908, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3
ARTFUL MOON HOAXES
Lies That Have Been Told About
the Queen of the Night.
FOOLED THE WHOLE WORLD
The Pamoue Moon Hoax of the New
York Sun That Was Published In
1835 and Was Reprinted All Over the
Globe?German Yarn That Fell Flat.
Oho of tho must curious facts con
corning tho -goddess of night" is her
Inlhunto connection with liars of vari
ous ilk. phe joke of its day and gener
ation was tho famous "moon hoax" of
Ihc New York Sun, perpetrated in
I&'m. Sir John H?rschel had gone to
11,0 Cfl].f Good Hope to take astro
nomical observations. Inspired by too
deep potations or by NMcollet'a sneers
at the moonstruck Arago or by the
baleful rays ?>f the queen of night her
self, I ho idea came io Richard Adams
Locke, a Sun reporter, that a mythical
account of sir John's work would
make a unit class "story" for bis pa
lter. It has boen stated that Louis
G'uylord Clark aided the plot, but this
Is uot probable, aud some doubt cveu
Nlcollet's lutlueUCo and hold that the
whole Hellenic lay between Locke and
his bottle only
However that may have been, there
appeared in the. Sun in September a
long article purporting to be a letter
from Dr. Andrew Grant to the Kdln
htirgh Journal of Sciouce describing
Home wonderful discoveries that Ber
schel hail laade concerning the nature
and Inhabitants of the moon. The
astronomer, it was said, had been ena
bled by a remarkable combination of
powerful telescopes and microscopes to
bring the moon so near that the ob
server could recognize the character of
rocks on her surface, perceive the
color of flowers and delect the charac
i- Istles of men aud animals that he
saw. These observations proved, of
course, the existence of animal life on
the orb. ami It is curious that among
lb types perceived there were several
that Darwinism?had it been born at
that date?might have recognized as
"missing links." All the types of life
..a the lunar surface were inferior,
proving, as the writer of tho article
grandiloquently observed, that "man
may now fold the zodiac around him
wllh a loftier consciousness of mental
supremacy."
The sensation produced by this artl
ele was amtr/.lng. Of the issues of the
Sun containing It edition after edition
was called for until 000,000 copies bad
hen sold. The article was also Issued
in pamphlet form?both in the United
Slntcs and England?and was disposed
? in countless numbers. (In the Eng
lish edition all reference to Dr. Grant
il the Journal of Science was wisely
omitted.) A French translation was
also promptly made by M. Nicollet, of
which over half a million copies were
sold on the continent of Europe.
It may he said that a whole world
was taken in by this magnificent Joke.
Kxcepl a few scientists who perceived
ilte splendid absurdity of tho detailed
descriptions and a few skeptics who
never believed anything on general
principles everylmdy was hoaxed. There
were rather more doubters among ed
ucated persons abroad than here, as
might have been supposed, though even
iberc Ihc numbers of believers formed
i lino tribute to the Ingenuity that
framed Iho "story." M. Arago wast
i ,i |o have i.ii completely taken In,
whereby the malice that lusplrod the
translation of Iho tale by bis political
opponent. Nicollet, was abundantly sat
Mod. This latter gentleman, in fact,
-mined !i -real deal more than he was
;ii ah entitled to?In amusement and
Icrary credit as well as hard cash?
from Mr Locke's imaginative effort.
No oilier Jokes on thv moon?and on
file public base (here been in recent
mes that are quite worth recording.
Uiolll 1S02 a Hosten paper published
i story purporting to be translated
from an article written by a German
astronomer. This declared that "a see
.iii.l satellite to (his earth planet" was
p, make iis appearance within a few
rears, when overy person gazing at
the goddess of night In her resplendent
glot'A would he tempted to quote a line
from an old sonu. "The moon is full,
und so am I " for he would "see dOll
i,i,.-' ihc article gave very elaborate
, , ulations to impart to Its absurdi
i v a semblance of truth, hut all this in
genuity seems to have been thrown
iv. Whether the Boston paper real
\ originated the joke or actually bor
rowed it from Germany seems not to
|,?v0 (.n known, hut In any case it
fell tlat. At that time our civil war
situation did not give the people time
,?? inclination to take Up hoaxes of any
">rr.
Again, in 1^71 the New York World
published a dispatch based on some
mythical observations made by a sup
posed men.her of a British scientific
ocicly, Which stated thaV the frame of
Iho moon was seen to be gradually
cracking and threatened ere long to
fall into separate fragments. This whs
;i "special cable," sent by a corre
spondent, and the worst victim of the
hoax was the piper receiving it.
Agnin, in the Chicago Times.
Il^olf a inker of no mean repute, was
eompletely taken In. This paper pub
Ushod a cable account of a powerful
|.0(lccll011 that hint been erected near
Paris, Which when directed toward the
|noo1l had revealed large buildings on
..?,, ,??!,, also gangs of mon chained
together engaged In various occupn
li. ns If was the theory of the ob
server of these new mnrvols that the
Side of the moon turned toward the
..?nih was used as a penal settlement
hocnuso of Its lack of atuaoephere:
in. Innatl Commercial Trlbu?e.
A VISIT TO THE MOON.
Is Suoh ? Thing Within the Bcjnds of !
Possibility?
Can men visit the moon? In any ago
but the present, says Professor Krnc.n
Oruou DoUgo, A. M.. ii.:; question if
seriously asked would have been nn
swered by a chorus of Jeers. S> fur
beyond the pain of possibilities has the
visiting of other worlds always ap
peared that writers of lietiou have
felt free to treat the idea sportively,
describing thrilling jourueys through
space in Impossible vehicles.
.Nevertheless iho thought of explor
ing distant plaints, pausing 011 route
to view the further side of the moon,
so tftlltldkdngly turned from us. Is one
that (Ires the human Imagination most
profoundly. The worst (but < an he
said is that it now looks as dtllleUlt to
us as the crossing of the great Atlantic
must once have appeared to the naked
savage upon its shore. The Impossl- ?
bility of the savage became the tri
umph of Columbus, and the day dream
of the nineteenth century may become
the achievement even of Cm tvycntlclh.
A body on tho earth's equator is
traveling with the earth's rotation at
a Speed of more than a thousand miles
an hour. If relieved of gravity it
would not fly suddenly < ff, like a can
non ball, nnd disappear into space. For
several seconds its rise from the sur
face of the earth would be so slow
as to be practically Imperceptible ow
ing to ihe small dlii'orcucc betweeu a
straight tangent lino and the earth's
slow curvature. Gradually, however.
Its apparent upward velocity would
Increase so ns to Itfi it sott e sixiy-ftve
yards the first minute and 'core than a
hundred miles the first hoi r It would
travel 230.000 miles, the .Us; a nee be
tween the earth and tie ! ooii, in ten
d*V?, and If suitably oxp <ed to the
earth's attraction, acting * a brake,
while screened from thai of the moon,
Its landing could be made gentle nnd
safe. Strangely enough, the tin turning
attitude of the lunar BUrfllCO In rela
tion to the earth makes the return
voyage absolutely Impossible snve by
n tedious roundabout journey of many
months. Involving the circumnaviga
tion of Murs.
The query may now arise, "What is
the innen good for. even If man suc
ceeds In reaching It?"
We know it to lie a barren, rocky
world, without air or moisture, un
speakably eohl at night am! below the
free/.ing point even al noon. However,
men could abide there for a time In
thick walled, air tight bouses and could
walk out of doors in olr tight divers'
suits. Scientists would find In tho
lunar wastes a fresh fletd for explora
tion. Astronomers could pla it their
telescopes there, free from their most
serious hindrance, the earth's atmos
phere. Tottrl: s of Iho wealthy and
adventurous class would not fail to
Visit the sat; lilto, ami costly hotels
must be maintained f?<r their accommo
dation. Then it Is quit ? probable that
veins of previous metals, beds of dia
monds and an abundance of surphur
n ight be discovered on a world of so
highly volcanic a character.
The foregoing may seem filled with
"the stuff that dreams are made of,"
yet most of the assertions are based
on Ilia hard Hu ts of mathematics ami
physics. History i-> not always par
ticular to follow tin- precise path laid
out for it by prophets, yet in the long
run It rtever fails to achieve larger
things th in tho seer dared to predict.?
New VorU World.
Napoleon anil C.ie Cobbler.
On Napoleon's arrival at Mars-la
Tours th" mayor, a fanner, tried in
vain to make tho speech he had pre
pared How ing ami scraping, be stood
fascinated by Bonaparte's scrutinizing
black eyes an unhappy squirrel in the
gaze of the rattlesnake. Close behind
the trembling mayor stood an old shoe
maker, in flguro a true Doll QulxdtC,
chid in bis working dress. "Why don't
you speak, you fool?" be muttered
from time to (hue lo his leader. At
last his patience gnvo way. He pushed
the mayor aside, advanced, With his
left hand removed Ills greasy cotton
nightcap, with his right lifted the born
Spectacles from bis nose, made his bow
ami delivered the oration: "thnperor,
you are on vom- way to thrash the
Prussian rogues on. u more. I hope
soon to see you return crowned with
glory, and I have nothing more to any,
but that Caesar and Alexander were
botches in comparison with you."
'Ihe emperor laughed and Inquired of
the old mail whether he had any sons.
"Yes; four are In the army two of
these in l^io guards." Their names
were.taken down, und ihe honest shoe
maker soon saw tii ni raised to the
rank of Olllecl'S ami folthd himself pro
vided with a comfortable pension.
Gladstone's Peculiar Eyes.
Gladstone had peculiar eagle-like
eyes. Al a dinner ul which he nnd
Professor Bloeklo were pre. cut the
two men wore opposlle, and when
Gladstone cave in a forcible way his
Idea that Homer was no longer recited,
but chanted, the professor cried out,
"Mr. Gladstone. I doii'l believe a word
of it!" Then he rose to (irgtlo the mat
ter and said ono sentence, but got no
further, lie had met Gladstone's gaze
and seen his outer eyelids widened to
their fullness in a Btendjl glnt'C, and bis
tongue stumbled, and be sank buk
into bis chair in confusion. The w riter
concludes:
"GO to the zoo for II. Take your
umbrella. Make your way lo the place
where eagles, vultures, falcons and sue*
like creatures blink on their per. lies. Se
lect a bird. Stare nl him with insult
and you will see the outer lids e\pand
ns Mr Gladstone's did. Poke at him
with your umbrella, The fllmj vertical
lids through which he looks at the sun
and opens to paralyz" his prey will
part, ami then you will see what
Blacklo saw and understand his feel
logs."
> Altogether now for New Year!
We an- now fully prepared t<> supply tin- wants of < very mer
chant in Laurens County. Our stock of Goods is very large
and brand new. Our prices arc as low as high quality will permit.
To those who have not already bought your full requirements we *$T
would advise you to do so at once, thereby enabling you to avoid ^
J the rush. ^
> J. S. MACHEN & COnPANY. <
5 <
Flannels >
Scarlet Twills Medicated. X
White Wool Twills. A
Plain all wool yard wide in white.
Kxtra heavy yard wide Cotton Flee v.
Hosiery <
Ladies' black wool Hose. ^Ik
Ladies' bl ick fleeced lined cotton. &
Misses' fine ribbed. ^
Ho\s' heavy ribbed extra weiirht.
Under
Ladies' scarlet and white wool in separate pieces.
Ladies1 white fleeced cotton ribbed. ^
Children's Union Suits.
Heavy fleeced Shelland Suits and Drawers l\ v .Men. <i
^W. G. WILSON & COMPANY J
Real Estate Offerings
I>5 acres of land, with dwelling, good
barn and out-buildings, near Owing:..
Price s:'..00(); terms made easy.
100 acres of land, with live room
dwelling) " room It mint house, good
.tui buildings, near Hickory Tavern.
Sullivan township. Price $15.00 nor
'_? acres of land in town of !.au
ord, with live-room dwelling. Price
$ l ,r?oo.
."!! acres of land In town of l.nnford.
.villi tenant hous, at $00.00 per aero.
52 acres of land In town of Gra>
Court, dwelling and outbuildlnga.
Pi ice $50 per acre.
Sil acres of land in one mile of the
own of Gray Court, with two dwell
ilgs, I'riee $10 per acre.
IMS acres of land near Rabun Creek
church, s room dwelling, three tenant
? o ist s. Price $32.50 per acre.
I2G acres lam) 2}fc miles from Barks
dale station will) dwelling and out
buildings; 2-horsc farm in cultivation:
line pasture and well timbered, Price
$3,000.
60 acres of half mile from Dial's
church with dwelling and outbuildings,
with 40 acres in cultivation, 10 acres of
line bottom land. Price $1,800.
17:'. acres of land in Dial's Township,
known as the Wham place, bounded bv
lands of W. M. Deck. Win. Wham and
R. A. Nash, with good dwelling, tenant
houses ami three horse farm in cultiva
tion. See this property for there is a
bargain for you. Price $4,000.
si acres near Friendship church, good
dwelling and outbuildings. Hounded bv
lands of W. U. Cheek, I). Woods and
others. I'riee $2,600.00.
112 acres of land, bounded by estate
of J. It. Switzor and Simpson estate,
with dwelling, 2 tenement houses and
good outbuildings. Price $20pcr acre.
?1 acres land and nine room dwelling,
servant's house, in town of Gray Court.
Price *2<>00.
53acres of land in one mile of Green
Pond church, bounded by lands of K. ('.
Stone, Robert Woods an : others, with
?i six room cottage, tenant house, fine
wiCOd-ln pastures. per acre.
810 acres In Laurons township, bound
ed by lands of W. A. Mills, W. A.
Simpson Ludy Mills and others, nice
dwellings, well supplied with tenant
houses. This farm will be divided into
60 acre lots if SO desired, ranging in
price from .$20 to .Soil per acre or will
sell the whole for $32,000.00
i 32 acres land fronting North Harper
itrcet, just outside corporate limits,
With 7-room dwelling. Price $3,000.
103 acres near Mt. Olive Church.
Waterloo township, known as part oi
tho Washington place, t Wo dwelling and
necessary out-buildings. Price $15.00
per aero,
;Vt!) acres land 2 nrttlos of Tumbling
Shoals, nine room (lolling, good barn
and outbuildings, 10 tenant houses, well
timbered, 14-horso farm In cultivation.
Price per acre $36,
31 acres land bounded by lands of W.
It. Cheek, Jno. Smith. 1). Woods and
others; has good dwelling and oul build
ings. Prieo $1,300.
116 ncros of land Dial's lown:
known as Iho old Wham'; homestead
with dwelling and bul-buildings. Prici
$27.50 poi' .i i ".
200 acres of land one mile of Dial'*
church; ."> Icnanl houses $30 per acre.
Terms made oa iy.
205 -.leres in Knirvicw township Gro< i
villo county, near Cedur Kalls, boilndo<
hy .lehn Tel ry, Clyde Willis, John 1'? d
oh and others, three dwellings close L<
church and lino school. Price $1 .01
per acre.
7 lots suitable f.>r building purp*
in the town of Simpsonville; price:
made rigid.
115 acres land, known a.- (he old
Wham homestead or "Wham's Law::."
with dwelling and nut buildings. Price
$27.50 per acre
ISO acres of land in two miles < '
Waterloo, with dw< hing and o il-huild
ings. Price $2.250.
127 acres land in Suliivan township,
!> room dwelling, good <>ui b'?ildihg . I
tenant house. Price $30 per nor?. I
27 acres land bounded by.l. ( '. Owi '
and .J. Ii. Willis. Price $'500.
30 acres land bounded by land; o!
Thomas Armstrong and John D'raydn ..
Dwelling and outbuildings. Price
per acre.
42 acres bounded by ! mds of (lie
Padgett fai m. J. (?. t Kiemini . W. J |
Copeland, on dwelling nnd out-build'
ing. Price $2,250.00
51 i acres at Gra,v Court, 't-rdo ii h
and out building bound d !>v Ittii i
E. T. Shell and M. II. Liurdlh . Pri ??
???t'.(? per acre,
Seven room house and two ner< :<?: ii
town of Gray Court, modern build,
Price 2,500.00.
500 acres of land within six mi;<
Laufens, live miles of Clinton,
dwelling and four tenant hotisi . 250
acres in cultivation, balance itl ?. od
land. Terms inadcc-asyal ?20pur aero. '
08 acres land near Watts Mi!!?,
hounded by S. t). I.eftk and M. ,\,
Knight, I tenant house. Price $<I0 poi
acre.
200 acres land, l>ounded ley lands of
Mrs. Jesse Teligllo, .1 no. Watt . I?-.
Kuller, dwelling and tennent house ;
llorso farm m cultivation. i\
$5,000.00.
6H acres land ~\ miles Gray Court , >
bounded by lands of J. 11. Godfrey, John
Armstrong and others. Pric< $1,< >o. . >.
200 acres land, Waterloo township,
bounded by hinds of estate Of \V. T.
Sinith..l. ii. Andersort lind Saltldtl riv
er. Pried $2,500.00.
100 acres of land in Youngs township,
11 room dwelling, two letianl holt
good barn. Price ? 1.25 ?.
255 acres of land'') Waterloo town
ship, known as t!,e John Y. (loj d place'
with dwelling ai d out-buildings, PriCo
$1.700.
517 (tcf'CS land 1 miles of l. nir u ,
bounded by land- Mrs. Ihll'geSS, Mob
Brown, Jno, Madden and " her -; fj ten
ant, houses; 7 horse farm in cultivation,
vVi 11 be cut Into lots of 100 acr S i tell,
Price $20 per acre.
J. N. Leak
Real Estate, Stocks and Bonds. Gray Cogvt, S, C,
fi#r\.^^SM^...
IhI l?tpwl 119 uood "Mttturo's Rom? l>" <n? t?bl?l?>iriood Htotnkoth,
matl*tJ) out ..f their JolllUl uood U lo koe|) t! . .r .<?.??,. I.Iv.t, K
nud i?"?. I? In ,:.t ordori n?'''>l for tlio ntr.-n^tli i. i.i vigor u gl?
Let " NATURE'S REMEDY" 82 Your Ductor.
"' ke i? ttxblrt now and thont H will kerp yonr nyfltotn In kne
Condition t'?ti ai?oa?ci enimol tnko In Iii. Every l?>s la gunrnul
VWQh civo ?oUitmt.on, ?>r the uurchaao i ilco r. tunded.
Ill Better Than Pills For Liver His
raara ~r GET A BOX.
For Sale by Palmetto Drug Co.
?eres- ? .vorcjsLU: . i." ~ .;? :.\;.. ?...??.-?.?x;.-,i?e
Before New Year
Now don't $ret rallied, but buy yourToys,
Dolls, Trains, Beds and Tables
Before the Rush
You want Books? We have them from 2 cents to
$3.00?for wee folks as well as Cor
young" and old folks.
Please do not send off for goods until you have seen
our stock. Will be wide open December 1st.
I
I Palmetto Drug Co.
?SSE*- S^^2B^i'--'*3??H
ft
SP
to fie w Hasids at the ife
Si
We have on hand fresh fr< m the long-leaf
piney woods the best line of Siding, Ceil
ing and Flooring ever brought to Laurcns
for the money---!*) 011 $J to $2.50. Call
and sco us on 111 i^" subject and see the nia
terial and we can size you up in both qual
ity and prices. For lime, hard plaster,
cement, laths, shingles, paryoitl Rooting,
sash, door.; and blin Is, Call to sot' us and
We can sal isfy you ; l.4o.
We thank our I iends of every race
and color for their patronage in the past,
and hope to meri! vein- continued favors.
Respectfully,
1
I
E. Gray & Son$
SfcrfS ? dl d jtf d * <? ^_4t "3 ? iJ jfi A j? 0 n_
v 9 v *? 5t rr f r ir * f s * r r v v u> v v r w r r rV
? far
I We give parlicul . 11 ton
,| A checking account wit!
fafnicf should he \\ illioiil.
i )ui so villas deportment
nflordino, ^ it does, the ]>ii
With the n(l van I i^jjc ??I Intel
(iltr < Miiniodioii- odd
customers.
,i Wo c?ftlihllv mvile lh<
1 I '. inking 1 lo;ne.
isiness
()l 1 irmors.
'iiience 110
id feature,
?, lotrether
111 il. ? this their
Enterprise Bank
Laurens, S. C