TO KNOW THE STARRY HEAVENS 
US 
145), Granite Peak, Montana (12,850) 
and San Francisco Peak in Arizona 
(12,611 feet). Compared with these 
mountains, the lowest point of dry land 
in the United States is Death Valley, 
California, which reaches a depth below 
sea level of 276 feet. Therefore, the 
state of California possesses both the 
highest point and the lowest point of 
dry land in our country. Of the forty- 
eight states, Louisiana possesses the 
flatest surface, its highest point being 
only 180 feet. 
The Interest in Astronomy is 
Increasing. 
We hail with delight the announce- 
ment by “The Youth’s Companion” 
that beginning with their December 
number they will have a department on 
the stars with simple and easy sketches 
for learning the constellations. It has 
also been noted with joy by every lover 
of the starry heavens that “Popular 
Science Monthly” has for several 
months had a similar department. We 
have greatly enjoyed that as well as the 
one in the “Scientific American.” 
“The Monthly Evening Sky Map.” 
Leon Barritt, 367 Fulton Street, Brook- 
lyn, New York, seems to be prospering 
more than ever. In addition to the ex- 
cellent maps it issues each month a 
chart showing the positions of Jupiter’s 
satellites. Mr. Barritt publishes by far 
the best star and planet finder that we 
know and at the moderate price of four 
dollars with thirty cents additional for 
expressage or postage. It is really a 
joy, in these days of the high and in- 
creasing cost of living, to find that the 
price of the finder has been reduced 
from the former five dollars. 
The standard astronomical magazine 
of the country is “Popular Astronomy,” 
published at Northfield, Minnesota. 
The excellent publications of the As- 
tronomical Society of the Pacific are 
readily available; address: San Fran- 
cisco, California. It is also to be noted 
with pleasure that several of our larger 
newspapers are devoting considerable 
attention to astronomy though a few 
of them seem to be living in the past 
centuries. They are publishing fool 
stuff on astrology, and seem to expect 
their intelligent readers to believe it. 
We hope that the pressure of these 
publications in plain, common sense as- 
tronomy will discourage the publica- 
tion of so much that is rank foolish- 
ness. Probably the most pernicious of 
this kind of literature are the Patent 
Medicine Almanacs that continue to 
publish pictures of a nude man with a 
trapdoor in his abdomen so one may 
look in and see how the wheels go 
round. All about this remarkable crea- 
ture are radiating spokes directing to 
the signs of the zodiac, but what the 
signs of the zodiac have to do with his 
internal arrangements we have never 
been able to discover, but they prob- 
ably show the reader that he will “get 
it in the neck” if he swallows any of 
that kind of medicine. 
It is greatly to be regretted that in 
the list of these foolish publications, a 
relic of the myths current in the child- 
hood of the race, should be such a re- 
putable, standard organization as the 
Armour Company of Chicago. In Ar- 
mour’s Farmer’s Almanac is an elab- 
orate drawing of these signs with an 
even more astonishing weather predic- 
tion for each month. In the interests 
of education and especially of youth, 
we hope this standard concern will dis- 
continue such a pernicious publication. 
Probably they are shooting at some of 
the old-fashioned, superstitious farm- 
ers, if any such are left, but none the 
less the young folks may be misled. 
Armour’s Almanac contains much good 
advice for the farmer, but it is unfortu- 
nate that the book should be vitiated 
by astrological nonsense and weather 
predictions a year or more in advance. 
Like Trumpet Call. 
Like trumpet call to waken, 
Where on balsam bed we lie, 
The galaxy of glory 
Across the Southern sky. 
Behold there, etched in jewels, 
Orion, before the dawn; 
The Pleiades, the Hyades, 
Sirius, Procyon. 
As if to “paint the lily,” 
Trails after, the crescent moon; — 
But the sun, with its greater splendor, 
Brings daylight all too soon. 
— Emma Peirce. 
Few persons who have admired the 
common “rose quartz” realize how very 
rare is the crystallized form. Only 
two specimens are known. 
