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About Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1915)
I AIICIEIinEfJPLES Mighty Structures of Old Dwarfed by Modern Skyscrapers. TOWER OF BABEL A MIDGET. It Would Not Reach Two-thirds of tho Way Up to tho Top of tho Eiffol Tow er. That Sways 984 Feet In the Air. Big Buildings and the Pyramids. It has long been the popular impres sion that the modem effort to pierce the clouds with skyscrapers ls but a feeble Imitation of the work of those - ancient sons of Noah whose memory Is perpetuated In the Bible. Beading In the eleventh chapter of Genesis, where it tells of the people attempting to erect the Tower of Babel, "whose top may reach unto heaven," It strikes one that they must have gone farther toward realizing their ambition than we of today may ever hope to do. But as a. matter of fact when the Lord baited building operations by confounding the workers' language and scattering them broadcast over the earth the summit of the tower was but one stade, or 606 feeJO inches, from the Jevel of the plain. The Zlggurrat, or temple tower 'of Babylon, Is described by Herodotus as saving eight stages, each somewhat narrower than the one directly beneath it The top was reached by a gradual ly rising spiral ascent, and on the top most tier was a shrine wherein the god Marduk was supposed to dwell. Dlo dorns says this shrine contained three colossal golden Images one of Bel, one of Beltls and the third of Rhea or Ish tar together with two golden Hons, two enormous silver serpents and a golden table forty feet long and fifteen feet wide. The tower, as the Bible sets forth, was built of brick, with slime for mor tar. This slime, it is believed, was natural aspbaltum obtained from near by springs. Ages after the building operations bad been Interrupted by the Maker's wrath Nebuchadnezzar under took, with indifferent success, to restore the ruins to their former state. The modern ruins of Babel were sup posed to be represented by the great pile of Blrs Nlmroud, which stood In Borslppa, eight miles from the ancient city of Babylon. Its sides were from 375 to 643 feet long, and the edifice still rises to a height of 1S3 feet The next structures in point of an tiquity are the pyramids of Egypt These are the oldest and most mysteri ous of man's works still existing. But they are not really so tall, considered in the light of present day achieve ments. The greatest known as the Great Pyramid of Cheops or Khufu, was originally 481 feet 4 Inches high and ,700 feet square at the base. The seconijf that of Chephren or Khafra was 472 feet high and 700 feet wide. The third that of Mycerlnus or Men kaura was never completed, but it stood, nevertheless, 215 feet high and 840 feet square ut the base. In all nearly seventy of these pyra mids have been located, and, inasmuch as they all appear to have been royal sepulchers, it is the belief that the dynasties of the builders covered a pe riod of at least a thousand years. The area of the Great Pyramid is more than thirteen acres above twice as great as that of St Peter's at Home. The passages leading to the chambers con taining the royal mummies defied de tection for thousands of years, only to be torn open at last and their contents ruthlessly made away with. Of modern edifices the tallest by far is the great Eiffel tower of Paris, whose steel webbed structure pierces the blue to a height of 984 feet Then comes the Wool worth building in New York, the loftiest office building in the world, its fifty-five stories rising 750 feet into the air. The height of others is: Metropolitan Life building. New York, fifty stories, 700 feet 3 inches; Singer building. New York, forty-one stories, 612 feet 1 inch: Washington monumeut Washington, 555 feet: Co logne cathedral spire, Cologne, Ger many. 517 feet; Rouen cathedral spire, Rouen, France. 492 feet: cupola of St Peter's. Rome, 409 feet: St Paul's, London, 364 feet The loftiest obelisks ever constructed are those mentioned by Dlodorus Sicu lus, which rose 158 feet and were elev en feet thick at the base and seven feet thick at the top. One of the world's largest domes is that of the Roman Pantheon. 142 feet in diameter and 143 feet high. The ancient peoples were great for their methods of embalming, for their art. their literature, their general cul ture. But when it comes to building skyscrapers they will have to give way to the builders of the Eiffel tower and the Woolwortn building, who have pierced the clouds without their lan guage being confounded In the slight est San Francisco Chronicle. Death by the Bowstring. In Turkey and Persia the bowstring is the method of execution. This is stout cord of catgut placed around the victim's neck with two slipknots. Which are suddenly drawn tight by two strong men. This kills the crimi nal by strangulation. London Tele graph. Great Scheme. "I'm going to marry a girl ten years older than I in." says the philosopher of folly, "so that 1 can catch op with her by the time I'm flfty."-Cleveland Leader. ThePfcosy man Is troubled with but oe derfL the idle man by a thousand. Spanish Proverb. SAVED HIMSELF, UNAWARE. Showing How th'a Ce Se&s'More Than - One Thinks It Does. Writing, on' psychulugicu I subjects in the Ladies' Hume Journal. II. Addlng- ton Bruce says: "From Dr. A. H. of Pennsylvania, one of our well known psychologists, I have received this Impressive piece of testimony to the power of the eye to see more than one consciously ap prehends: . ; ' ' "Three summers ag"o, when I was on a visit to my old home town, I took a short cut across familiar fields where a fair growth of weeds covered the ground., I was going along at a rapid gait, with my mind wholly oc cupied with matters other than my path, when suddenly, quite reflexly. my left foot, Instead of going down on the spot where it should, Jerked Itself over to the left, and I went on fully ten steps before I realized that I bad made the sharpest kind of an offset in my path. I wondered what made me do it turned, retraced my steps and found fan adder still coiled and ready to Btrike, exactly, as I Judged, where my root would nave gone.' "Dr. A. H recognizing the correct explanation of his fortunate misstep, adds: , "During THy boyhood summers I used to' go barefooted much of the time." Through sad experiences with stubble fields, brier patches and stony paths I learned automatically to pick my way without giving thought to the matter. As a result, I find myself frequently in my walks avoiding ob stacles which at the moment I do not consciously discern.'" A LESSON FOR THE NURSE. 8he Didn't Like It When She Was Paid In Her Own Coin. A mother overheard her nurse girl talking to the child she was putting to sleep, and among other legends of the nursery in which she was indulged was this: "If you don't go to sleep this very minute a great big. awful, black Dear, with eyes like coals of fire and sharp. white, cruel teeth, will come out from under the bed and e-a-t-y-o-u-a-1-1 up!" The poor little thing nestled down un der the clothes to dream of horrid bears eating her up. That night when the stolid nurse had composed herself in her own comfort able bed and had put the light out there came a sudden rap at the door, and the voice of the mistress called loudly through the' panels: "Maggie! Maggie! Get up as quick as you can! There's a burglar under your bed!" At the word "burglar" the girl sprang screaming from the bed, tore open the door and fell into hysterics in the hall. The lesson was more instructive than the mistress designed, but when the girl's fears bad calmed she said to her: "You did not hesitate to tell my deli cate child, who could not possibly know that it was a lie, a cruel story about a bear under her bed. Now, when I treat you to the same kind of a story, you are nearly frightened to death. Tomorrow you can go into the kitchen and work there. You are not fit to care for little children." St Lou Is Globe-Democrat A Curious Experience. Lombroso, the famous Italian crimi nologist once had a curious experi ence. He was in a printing office cor recting the proofs in his "Delinquent Man" with the chief reader when on 'reaching a page which dealt with a young man who, impelled by Jealousy, bad stabbed his fiancee he made a sur prising discovery. The proofreader was this man. "Suddenly," Lombroso said in telling the story, "he threw himself at my feet, declaring that he wonld commit suicide If I published this story with bis name. His face, before very gen tle, was completely altered and almost terrifying, and I was really afraid that be would kill himself or me on the spot I tore up the proofs and for several editions omitted his story." Thunder. Winter thunder is considered through out Europe to be of very HI omen, but April thunder is considered to be very beneficial. In Devonshire and other cider counties of England there is a saying that "when it thunders in April you must clean up the barrels" in readiness, that is. for a plentiful crop of apples. The French consider April thunder to be indicative of a good yield from vineyards and cornfields. Getting It Straight. It was in the Elysian fields. "I am gratified to see that Shake muirfl 4 Yfifuv ftniipht after than the military heroes." declared a highbrow shade. "I consider this a tnoute to the peaceful arts." Tt Isn't that so much" Dolnted out a lowbrow shade. "Every new ar rival wants to ask him if he really wrote those plays." Kansas City Jour nal. Angel Coins. An "angel" was an ancient gold coin weighing four pennyweights and val ued at 6s. 84 in the reign of Henry VI. and at 10 shillings in the reign of Elizabeth in 1562. It took Its name from tbe effigy of an angel embossed on one side. Desperation. Lady Visitor My poor man. what first drove you to a career of crime? rtesnrrare Criminal Tiring to match samples for my wife. Baltimore Amer ican. There never was sn excuse as Inter esting as a duty well done. Toledo Blade. A WONDROUS LAND The Yellowstone Region -as James Bridger Say It. AND HE WAS A TRUTHFUL MAN His Adventure With an Elk at the Fa mous Obsidian Cliff and the Effect of a Ride Through Alum Creek Sto ry of the Mountain That Waa Curaed. As a teller of tales Munchausen had a worthy rival in James Bridger, the celebrated, hunter, trader and guide,. whose name and career are part of tbe pioneer history of the west. Bridger was thoroughly familiar with the re gion now comprised in the Yellowstone park as1 far back as 1830. ' , In his book, "The Yellowstone Park," the author, Hiram Martin Chittenden, brigadier general United States army, retired, sets' down some of the yarns Bridger told about that land of won ders. Many of the Yellowstone coun try tales ascribed to Bridger have sur vived to this day, probably because they have never been capped. The first Btory General Chittenden tells re lates to the celebrated Obsidian cliff, a mass of black volcanic glass with which all the tourists are familiar. Its discovery by Bridger was the result of a hunting trip, and it happened in this way: "Coming one day in sight of a mag nificent elk, be took careful aim at tbe unsuspecting animal and fired. To bis amazement the elk not only was not wounded, but seemed not to have beard the noise of the rifle. Bridger drew considerably nearer and gave the elk the benefit of bis most deliberate aim, but with the same result as before. A third and fourth, effort met with simi lar fate. Utterly exasperated, be seized his rifle by the barrel, resolved to use it as a club, since it had failed as a firearm. Rushing madly toward the elk, be suddenly crashed into an im movable vertical wall which proved to be a mountain of perfectly transparent glass, on the farther side of which, still in peaceful security, the elk was quietly grazing. 'Stranger still, the mountain was not only of pure glass, but was a perfect telescope lens, and, whereas the elk seemed but a few yards off, it was In reality twenty-five miles away." Another of Bridger's discoveries was an ice cold spring near the summit of a lofty mountain, the water from which Bowed down over a long, smooth slope, where it acquired such velocity that it waa boiling hot when it reached the bottom. This, a later in vestigator of the Flrehole river found. was a case In which a hot spring dis charged into the river bed. Alum creek, a tributary of the Yel lowstone, received its name from an occidental discovery by Bridger. One day be forded the creek and rode out several miles and back. He noticed that the return Journey was only a small fraction of the distance going and that his horse's feet bad shrunk to' mere points which sank Into the solid ground so that the animal could scarcely hobble along. Seeking the cause, be found it to be in tbe astrin gent qualities of the water, which was saturated with alum to such an extent that it bad power to pucker distance itself. Bridger also found a fine place to fish: "Somewhere along tbe shore an immense boiling spring discbarges its overflow directly into the lake. The specific gravity of tbe water is less than that of tbe lake, owing to the ex pansive action of heat, and it floats in a stratum of three or four feet thick upon the cold water underneath. When Bridger was In need of fish it was to this place that he went Through tbe hot upper stratum he let fall bis bait to the subjacent habitable zone and, having hooked bis victim, cooked him on the way out!" The visitor to the region of petrifica tions In the northeast corner of the park and to various points in tbe hot springs districts will have no difficulty In discovering tbe base material out of which Bridger contrived the following picturesque yarn: "A mountain in the park was once cursed by a great medicine man of the Crow nation. Everything on the moun tain at the time of this dire event be came instantly petrified and has re mained so ever since. All forms of life are standing about In stone where they were suddenly caught by tho petrifying influences, even as the In habitants of ancient Pompeii were sur prised by the ashes of Vesuvius. Sage brush, grass, prairie fowls, antelopes. elks and bears may there be seen as perfect as In actual life. Dashing tor rents and the spray mist from them stand forth in arrested motion as If carved from rock by a sculptor's chisel. Even flowers are blooming In colors of crystal, and birds soar with wings spread in motionless flight while tbe air floats with music and perfumes siliceous, and the sun snd moon shine with pertrified light!" It is denied. though, that Bsldger was responsible for the story that even tbe laws of gravitation were petrified in the region. Uncontrollable Curiosity. I don't see bow It is that Mrs. Jor- wsg has so many friends. Sbe gossips terribly." Yes." replied Miss Cayenne. "Every body seems willing to take a chance or being talked sbont for tbe sake of hearing what sbe says about the ott ers." Washington Star. There is only one sort of shabbiness that matters a shabbiness of the son! Edwin Pugh. eo 10) TOTTWIT NEXT WEEK OVEIM AND JACKETS THIS WEEK To start things moving, we offer you a well-made Overall, blue and white stripe, bib, 6 pockets, at 49 Jackets to match at the same price Khaki Pants, to close out Hop Picking Hats -Canvas Gloves, heavy, all sizes, 75c and up 10c 3 for 25c 4 pair for 25c All Summer Underwear Reduced a third Bargains in All Lines of Summer Goods Summer Clean Up at THE DAYLIGHT STORE &4 THE DAYLIGHT STORE TO THE PEOPLE Or DALLAS: An agent, representing a Salem stu dio, has been trying to 8e" coupons here, good for $1 on a $4 order of a dozen cabinet folders and one enlargement. 1 turned this proposition down be cause I did not want to ask the peo ple of Dallas to pay $4 for $3 worth of photographs, as the agent gets the $1 you pay him. If you have one of these coupons I will make you the dozen folders and the one enlargement for $3, and guar antee the pictures to be as good or better than you woudd get at the Sa lem studio. If you did not buy a coupon, yoa have saved $1, as I shall be very much pleased to make you the pictures for $3. Call and see samples. STONE, The Photographer in your town. NOTICE OF FINAL SETTLEMENT. Notice is hereby given that the un dersigned as administrator of the es tate ot Oeihard J. Quiring, deceased, has filed his final account in the Coun ty Court of the State of Oregon, for Polk County, and that Wednesday, the 22nd day of September, 1915, at ten o'clock a. m. of said day, at the court room of said county court in the City of Dallas, Oregon, has been appointed by said Court as the time and place for hearing of objections to the said final account and the settle ment thereof. Dated and first published August 24, 1915. JOHN W. QUIKlNIi, Administrator of the estate of Ger hard J. Quiring, deceased. L. D. BROWN. Attorney for the estate. 50-5t. ADMINISTRATORS NOTICE. Notice Is hereby given to whom It may concern, that the undersigned has been duly appointed admnlstrator of the estate of Tens S. J. Hastings, by the Hon. County Court of Polk County, Oregon, and has qualified. All persons holding claims against said estate are hereby notified to present the same duly verified on or before six months from the date hereof, and all persons knowing themselves In debted to said estate are notified to make Immediate settlement thereof. Dated this S4th day of June. HIS. REUBEN A. HASTINGS, Administrator of estate of Tens S. J. Hastings, deceased. SIBLEY ft EAKIN, Attorneys for estate. l-5t The Observer, a Twice-a-Week pa per, costs no more than a weekly. FREE i To those having their Hop Insurance written by Wal-. I! ter Williams. Represent ing strong, reliable com- panies, he will insure your Hops at the lowest possible I figure, and furnish your I hop checks absolutely free, I thus effecting a saving to jj you of several dollars and which is worth consider ; ing these times. No mat- ter how small your crop may be it is wise to insure i it. It means "safety first" WALTER WILLIAMS DALLAS NATIONAL BANK