Brenham Daily Banner. (Brenham, Tex.), Vol. 18, No. 103, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 19, 1893 Page: 2 of 8
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lltf-?-V >f
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BK&?*4
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AN ENGLISH BILLION.
FEW APPRECIATE THE REAL SIGNIFI-
CANCE OF THE WORD.
An English Writer Endeavors to Give a
Illustrations In Order to Convey to
the Reader a Comprehension of the Enor-
mity of an Expression.
It would be curious to know how
many of your readers have brought fully
home to their inner consciousness the
real significance of that little word "bil-
lion." which we have so often seen useil
in your columns. There are indeed few
intellects that can fairly grasp it and di- j
?est it as a whole, and there are doubt-'
less many thousands who cannot appre-1
date its true worth, even when reduced j
to fragments for more easy assimilation, i
Its arithmetical symbol is simple and
without much pretention. There are j
no large figures—just a modest 1 fol-
lowed by a dozen ciphers, and that is all.
Let us briefly take a glance at it as a
measure of time, distance and weight.
As a measure of time I would take one
second as the unit and carry myself in
thought through the lapse of ages back
to the first day of the year 1 of our era,
remembering that in all those years we
have 365 days and in every day just 86,-
100 seconds of time. Hence, in return-
ing in thought back again to this year of
grace, one might have supposed that 1,-
000,000,000.000 of seconds had long since
,elapsed, but this is not so. We have not
even passed one-sixteenth of that num-
ber in all these long eventful years, for it
takes just 3l,6b7 years 17 days 22 hours
45 minutes and 5 seconds to constitute
1,000,000,000,000 seconds of time.
It is no easy matter to bring under the
cognizance of the human eye a billion
objects of any kind. Let ug try in imag-
ination to arrange this number for in-
spection, and for this purpose I would se-
lect a sovereign as a familiar object.
Let us put one on the ground and pile
upon it as many as will reach 20 feet in
height. Then let us place numbers of
similar columns in close contact, form-
ing a straight line and making a sort of
wall 20 feet high, showing only the thin
edges of the coin.
Imagine two such walls running par-
allel to each other and forming, as it
were, a long street. We must then keep
on extending these walls for miles, nay,
hundreds of miles, and still we shall be
far short of the required number. And
it is not until we have extended our
imaginary street to a distance of 2.386J
miles that we shall have presented for
inspection our 1,000,000,000,000 of coins.
Or in lieu of this arrangement we
may place them flat upon the gronnd,
forming one continuous line like a long
golden chain with every link in close
contact. But to do this we must pass
over land and sea, mountain and valley,
desert and plain, crossing the equator and
returning around the southern hemi-
sphere, through the trackless ocean, re-
trace our way again across the equator,
then still on and on until we again ar-
rive at our starting point, and when we
have, thus passed a golden chain around
the huge bulk of the earth we shall be
but at the beginning of our task. We
must drag this imaginary chain no less
763 times around the globe.
If we can further imagine all those
rows of links laid closely side by side
and every one in contact with its neigh-
bor, we shall have formed a golden band
around the globe just 52 feet 6 inches
wide and this will represent our 1,000,-
000,000,000 of coi^s. Such a chain, if laid
in a straight line, .vould reach a fraction
over 18,328,445 miles, the weight of
which, if estimated at one-fourth ounce
each sovereign, vo«ld be 6,975,447 tons
and would require for their transport no
less than 2,325 ships, each with a full
cargo of 3,000 tons. Even then there j
would be a residue of 447 tons, repre-
sen ting 64,081,920 sovereigns.
For a measure of height let us take a
much smaller unit as our measuring rod.
The sheets of paper on which The Times
is printed, if laid out flat and firmly
pressed together as in a well bound
book, would represent a measure of
about one-three hundred and thirty-
third of an inch in thickness. Let us
see how high a dense pile formed by a
billion of these thin paper leaves would
reach. We must in imagination pile
them vertically upward, by degrees
reaching to the height of our tallest
spires, and passing these the pile must
still grow higher, topping the Alps and
Andes and the highest peaks of the Him-
alayas, and shooting up from thence
through the fleecy clouds pass beyond
the confines of our attenuated atmos-
phere and leap up into the blue ether
with which the universe is filled, stand-
ing proudly up far beyond the reach of
all terrestrial things—still pile on your
thousands and millions of thin leaves,
for we are only beginning to rear the
mignty mass. Add millions on millions
of sheets and thousands of miles on
th«®,'and still the number will lack its
due amount
Let us pause to look at the neat plowed
edges of the book before us. See how
closely lie those thin flakes of paper; how
j many there are in the mere width of a
j span, and then turn our eyea in imagina-
tion upward to our mighty column of
accumulated sheets. It now contains its
appointed number, and our 1,000,000,000,
000 of sheets of The Times superimposed
upon each other and pressed into a com-
pact mass has reached an altitude of 47,-
348 miles!
Those who have taken the trouble to
follow me thus far will, I think, agree
with me that 1,000,000,000,000 is a fearful
thing, and that few can appreciate its
real value. As for quadrillions and tril-
lions, they are simply words, mere words,
wholly incapable of adequately impress-
ing themselves on the human intellect.—
Sir Henry Bessemer in London Times.
I.Ike Father, Like Son.
'This is my youngest boy, Mr. Cyni-
cus," said the distinguished novelist.
"They say he is very like me."
"Does he go to school?"
"Yes. He can read quite well, but as
yet he can't write."
"He's very much like you," said Mr
Cynicus.—Harper's Bazar.
In the Moon
i.' l-.e could have a supply of
✓Jsis
The Angler of the Seine.
The old type of angler, according to
Balzac, was silent, meditative and
crusty. His descendant is, on the con-
trary, loquacious, closely observant of
everything but his fly and line and care-
lessly amiable. Who would have dared
address the hoary and respected Pierre
when in the act of landing—fo^ he really
used to land something else besides tad-
poles and old boots—or when cajoling
with a fish from his time honored corner
beneath the Pont Royal? No one, I ven-
ture to say, but the sharp tongued gut-
ter urchin may chaff the seedy yet im-
perturbable individual who has succeed-
ed him, and, what is more, he receives a
return volley of repartee garnished with
puns.
Old Pierre, who was perhaps one of
the best known figures 20 years back
on the quays, breakfasted, dined and
supped off his takes of Seine fish, which
were mostly dace, carp, barbels and
tench. He had a varied assortment of
recipes in his possession, and many a
cordon bleu has received a hint for cook-
ing the finny tribe from this ancient fish-
erman. No one knew exactly where or
how he lived or how he managed to ob-
tain funds for the purchase of bait, yet
he was always well supplied with the
most expensive kind of gentles, greaves
and paste, where his successor contents
himself with roe and ill made flies.-
Westminster Review. #
Cool
Fragrant
and Soothing
well's Bull Durham
Smoking Tobacco
For over twenty-five years the standard smoking tobacco of the world.
, To-day More Popular than Ever.
fcjjf * £?°d sm(*<: anytime and everytime it is only necessary to
get Bull Durham. It is aH good and always good.
BLACKWELL'S DURHAM TOBACCO CO.
DURHAM, N. C.
I will stand at the fair ground
in Brenfaam my
STANDARD BRED SADDLE HORSE,
hermaninTfischer
WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DEALER IN
I
Western and Texas Produce,
Imported and Domestic)
wmm, liquors, cigars, tobaooo,
Delicacies, Candies. PreserTed Vegetables, Fruits, Meal,
Fish, Pickles, Canned Fmi*;. Fmts, etc.
BRENHAM TEXAS,
&«ent of An&ausar'a dele orated St. Ltmis Beer
10* Cl in QUAMTITIES AT LOWEST RATES
1®*Lowest wholesale prices to the trade. Pays the highest market
for Cotton ando^ber produce. '§,nesi market
PATRICK DENMARK
-AN D-
STANDAKD BRED TROTTER
CHATTEETOF,
AT $25 EACH
Also Highly Bred Kentucky
Jacks at $ | 0.
I have also some fine Stal-
ions, Jacks and Jennets for
sale. All iny stock is direct
from the best breeding farms
in Kentucky and as fine as
any in Texas, and I here-
with solicit the inspec-
tion and patronage of those
that contemplate breeding.
A. 0. H. SCHWEISS.
Wall Papers.
• Wall papers were little used in Europe
before the eighteenth century, though
they had been long before that applied
to house decoration by the Chinese.
Those that were first manufactured in
the west were adaptations of design from
Italian brocades, and at first they were
used in an unobjectionable manner, just
as hangings of the costlier material were
employed—namely, to fill spaces between
obvious structural Jines-and so applied
no* objection could be made to their use.
On the contrary, the invention brought
it within the means of almost every
householder to fill blank wall spaces
with agreeable tracery and harmonious
color.
The cornice, frieze and dado remained
intact. Coigns were protected with
molding or plaster work, and the in-
mate might feel that he was living in a
built room and not in a bandbox. But
gradually the wall features disappeared,
paper crept oyer everything except win-
dow and door openings, even into the
very angles of the walls, and it is noth-
ing uncommon now on entering a sa-
loon of considerable pretension and pro-
portions to find the walls closely cov-
ered with paper from floor to ceiling,
save a narrow skirting board to protect
the plaster from the housemaid's broom
and a cornice reduced to a meager mold-
ing.—Blackwood's Magazine.
JOSEPH TRISTRAM.
—OlAXlE IK—
DRUGS, MEDICINES,
Toilet Articles, Etc.
MOUTH S.D* PUBLIC SQUABS .... BRENHAM, TEXa:
patent medicinu. Toilei articles mid fine tw
prescriptions carefully and accurately com.
J- L. AMNIONS
Merchant Tailor
Northeast Corner Public Square,
BRENHAM. TKXA.3,
Suite and garments made to vHer and &
m guaranteed
A full supply of all the popular
fumeries in endless variety. Physician?
pounded at all horns, dav or night
R- E. LUHN,
E, FXTSOHMAXr,
CONrBCTIONBn.
—and dealer in—
Fancy Stationery,
West Side of Squa-e. Brenham, Texas.
Has the largest and most complete stock
of tablets, writing paper, ink?, pens, slates,
pencils, ladies' money purses, blank and
memorandum books, fruits, candies and
fancy goods, and a largo assortment of line
tissue paper and material for making roses,
etc. Come and convince yourself. Thank-
ing you for liberal patronage in the past and
soliciting a continuance of the same' assur-
ing you that the above named goods will be
offered at reasonable prices.
MAIfl STEEET, BRENHAM,
Staple Dim Fine faicals, Patent Mims,
Finoat Perfumery and Toilet Soaps, Oombs, Stair, BSfail
and Tooth Brashes in Bodies* Variety.
p.pp.
Heber Stone, President.
„ ,r A. Wangemann.
H. h. Harrison, Cashier.
1st Vice President.
First National Bank, Brenham, Texas.
Capital and Surplus, $175,000 00.
Director#):
THOS. DWTIR. HENRY nnnni .
♦ hoddk, . a. wangemann,
i. a. low. y w wood '
HEBER STONE, ED ^MSLER n *' GIDDIN°8.
' ■ * amsler' h. k. harbison.
M°rCh*Ut8 S°d b"8i"e88 f-U, ,e
Chrpfllc Ulcr. tb»t h». ro.l.Ud »U
ULCERS
SCROFULA
RHEUMATISM
BLOOD POISON
Sentenced to Matrimony.
A young man and a young woman
were contesting possession of a piece of
property, the one claiming under an old
lease, the other under an old will.
"It strikes me," said the justice, "that
there is a pleasant and easy-way to ter-
minate this lawsuit. The plaintiff seems
to be a respectable young man, and this
is a very nice young womaa They can
both get married and live upon the
farm. If they go on with the law pro-
ceedings, the property will all be frit-
tered away among the lawyers, who, I
am sure, are not ungallant enough to
wish the marriage not to come off"
The lady blushed, and the young man
stammered that they "liked each other a
little bit," so a verdict was rendered for
the plaintiff on the condition of his prom-
ise to marry the defendant within two
months, a stay of execution being put to
the verdict till the marriage ceremony
should be completed.
This is about Hue first couple ever sen-
tenced to matrimony In a court ef law
—Gripsack.
FINEST WINES AND CIGARS. BILLIARD AND POOL TABLES.
LONE STAR BEER ALWAYS ON TAP.
OX&TERb served to order. Hotels and families supplied.
OSXZiI OONCAR1VII.
TOSE A BUECHERL. Proprietors.
Gr. HERMANN,
mam *HOl«Ull AND 1KTAIL DliLK IN
Furniture and Carpets
A TVT • - - w * _
And ever
Book on Blood and Skin Disss*!, nulled fn»
THB SWIFT SfEOiFlO QOm
*o Extract Gold
Gold has been found in the sand erf
the oceaji beach at various places aloof
the Pacific coast, but only in rerrfow
doe" " ***** in paying quantities.
a company has now been formed in Ta-
coma to extract the supposed gold bom
the sands of the Pacific ocean by a secret
process. 7
I3WTT A TVT _ _
«•" Parlor Sets, Chamber Sets, Houio Furnishing Goods.
0IL CL0TH3» " HATflBG,
iJISSOaa, HATTSBS3SS, mHITDBB POLISH
We are prepared to ftunish your honss from top to bottom, at short nn««« ru *
west Sandy Street TEXAS.
LOUIS BRONENKANT,
SDmJLsh? iaa CIOC3D3)
. watches, jewelry aid pliteimmhe,
Spectacles!
■in FOB THE BYES Mr attention givsn to «J^->Kepairiaf o
. n Wstcbe^ Jewelry, Clocks and Begulatdirs
•ad Goods ^Guaranteed. West tide OourtBouse Square BRKNHAM, TEXAS
CURES
1
r/-. u-
• • p. U ' DOTnrfnl fcmi.. and mi urallint uuilu.
saEeiiaaasatti,
■cures!
ALARIA
„ p. p. p.
Cures dyspepsia
DrwiiS^nJS*' "oprxawn,
ngim, TJmnsa* Block, SiVllIAB. OA.
Sold by J. TBI8THAM.
wmm
I
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Brenham Daily Banner. (Brenham, Tex.), Vol. 18, No. 103, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 19, 1893, newspaper, April 19, 1893; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth483166/m1/2/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Library Consortium.