[meteorite-list] 1896 Newspaper Article, The Aerolite Did Not Fall

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From: Mark Bostick <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:52:18 2004
Message-ID: <OE28ynrvDOv5y4FypKs0000dc23_at_hotmail.com>

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Paper: New York Times=20

City: New York City, NY.=20

Date: Monday, October 26, 1896

THE AEROLITE DID NOT FALL

A Western Brakeman's Yarr That Deceived Many

>From the Chicago Record

OSAWATOMIE, Kas., Oct. 22. - People in Ozawatomie date events from the =
falling of that aerolite. They say they Mayor vetoed the dog license two =
years before the aerolite fell or that Mrs. Dusenberry's twins must be =
eight months old because they were born about three years after the =
aerolite fell. And so it goes. The falling of the aerolite forms the =
basis of the Osawatomie calendar and is to Miami County what the French =
Revolution is to Europe.

This will seem the more remarkable when it is known that no aerolite =
fell.

During the Spring of 1893 - the Spring in which the aerolite didn't fall =
- the heavens vouchsafed that section of Kansas not even so much as a =
rain. The precipitation of a hailstone would have been greeted as a =
meteorological marvel. April 8, 1893, was the day on which George David =
discovered in himself talents which his duties as freight brakeman =
failed to exercise. That was the day J. W. Joplin, Superintendent =
Dunaway's negro porter, acquired that sobriquet of "professor." That was =
the day on which the aerolite didn't fall and didn't breah the left arm =
off the statue of John Brown.

In brief, a newspaper story was to blame for it all. It emanated from =
the fertile brain of George Davis, brakeman on a Missouri Pacific =
freight train. He had been in the habit of sitting in the cupola of his =
caboose and studying the stars untill finally he acquired a superficial =
knowledge of astronomy. One day it occured to him to put his learning to =
a practical use. He wrote a story, of which this is an epitome:

"OSAWATOMIE, Kan., April 9. - This little town is in a furor(?) of =
excitement over the falling of an aerolite. The heavenly visitant struck =
about 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, shattering the member. Thence it =
passed through the dome and nave of the edltice(?) supporting the =
figure, traveling in a slightl southeasterly direction, and entered the =
ground. Workmen employed by Prof. J. W. Joplin of the State =
Mineralogical School and United States Assayer exhumed this strange =
tramp of the heavens after digging through nine feet of clay. The =
professpr hurriedly analyzed the meteor. He foumd ot tp possess a =
specific gravity four times greater than that of gold and to show lines =
on the spectrum that same as those seem on the spectrum of helium, the =
substance of which the sun is supposed to be composed."

This remarkable production was printed in half the daily and weekly =
papers in Kansas and Missouri. Of course the Smithsonian Institution =
heard of it, and "Prof." Joplin was the recipient of flattering offers =
for the loan or the sale of his treasure. The Institution volunteered to =
put up a bond of $10,000 for its safe return. Scientists in the East and =
West wrote him ???dite letters concerning it. At first Joplin would sit =
down upon his inverted scrub bucket and try to read them, but he soon =
gave it up, as they were Greek to him, and besides, their number was =
increasing. Despairing finally of receiving replies many of Joplin's =
correspondents came to Osawatomie in person. They went away again, =
knowing no more about aerolites, but vastly wiser the science of human =
frailties(?).

All this was milk and honey to Osawatomie, which derived most of her =
revenue that Spring from parties of visiting savants. The town =
acknowledges the debt she owes to Davis. As to Joplin, on each recurring =
8th of April he is made the recipient of a new set of strings for his =
banjo or some similar testimonial to his service.

In the meantime the marbel shaft erected in the memory of Capt. John =
Brown and other heroes of the battle of Osawatomie on Aug. 30, 1856 =
stands unscathed in the centre of the town common. At the entrance to =
the Inclosure a bold-lettered sigh, designed to dissuade any stray =
aerolite or small boy inclined to vandalism, reads that the "Major will =
give $3 for evidence necessary to convict any one of defacing monument

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Paper: New=20
York Times=20

City: New York=20
City, NY. 
Date: Monday, =
<FONT=20
size=3D2>October 26, 1896
 
THE AEROLITE DID NOT FALL
A Western Brakeman's Yarr That Deceived Many
From the Chicago Record
OSAWATOMIE, Kas., Oct. 22. - People in Ozawatomie date events from =
the=20
falling of that aerolite. They say they Mayor vetoed the dog license two =
years=20
before the aerolite fell or that Mrs. Dusenberry's twins must be eight =
months=20
old because they were born about three years after the aerolite fell. =
And so it=20
goes. The falling of the aerolite forms the basis of the Osawatomie =
calendar and=20
is to Miami County what the French Revolution is to Europe.
This will seem the more remarkable when it is known that no aerolite=20
fell.
During the Spring of 1893 - the Spring in which the aerolite didn't =
fall -=20
the heavens vouchsafed that section of Kansas not even so much as a =
rain. The=20
precipitation of a hailstone would have been greeted as a meteorological =
marvel.=20
April 8, 1893, was the day on which George David discovered in himself =
talents=20
which his duties as freight brakeman failed to exercise. That was the =
day J. W.=20
Joplin, Superintendent Dunaway's negro porter, acquired that sobriquet =
of=20
"professor." That was the day on which the aerolite didn't fall and =
didn't breah=20
the left arm off the statue of John Brown.
In brief, a newspaper story was to blame for it all. It emanated from =
the=20
fertile brain of George Davis, brakeman on a Missouri Pacific freight =
train. He=20
had been in the habit of sitting in the cupola of his caboose and =
studying the=20
stars untill finally he acquired a superficial knowledge of astronomy. =
One day=20
it occured to him to put his learning to a practical use. He wrote a =
story, of=20
which this is an epitome:
"OSAWATOMIE, Kan., April 9. - This little town is in a furor(?) of =
excitement=20
over the falling of an aerolite. The heavenly visitant struck about 3 =
o'clock=20
yesterday afternoon, shattering the member. Thence it passed through the =
dome=20
and nave of the edltice(?) supporting the figure, traveling in a slightl =

southeasterly direction, and entered the ground. Workmen employed by =
Prof. J. W.=20
Joplin of the State Mineralogical School and United States Assayer =
exhumed this=20
strange tramp of the heavens after digging through nine feet of clay. =
The=20
professpr hurriedly analyzed the meteor. He foumd ot tp possess a =
specific=20
gravity four times greater than that of gold and to show lines on the =
spectrum=20
that same as those seem on the spectrum of helium, the substance of =
which the=20
sun is supposed to be composed."
This remarkable production was printed in half the daily and weekly =
papers in=20
Kansas and Missouri. Of course the Smithsonian Institution heard of it, =
and=20
"Prof." Joplin was the recipient of flattering offers for the loan or =
the sale=20
of his treasure. The Institution volunteered to put up a bond of $10,000 =
for its=20
safe return. Scientists in the East and West wrote him ???dite letters=20
concerning it. At first Joplin would sit down upon his inverted scrub =
bucket and=20
try to read them, but he soon gave it up, as they were Greek to him, and =

besides, their number was increasing. Despairing finally of receiving =
replies=20
many of Joplin's correspondents came to Osawatomie in person. They went =
away=20
again, knowing no more about aerolites, but vastly wiser the science of =
human=20
frailties(?).
All this was milk and honey to Osawatomie, which derived most of her =
revenue=20
that Spring from parties of visiting savants. The town acknowledges the =
debt she=20
owes to Davis. As to Joplin, on each recurring 8th of April he is made =
the=20
recipient of a new set of strings for his banjo or some similar =
testimonial to=20
his service.
In the meantime the marbel shaft erected in the memory of Capt. John =
Brown=20
and other heroes of the battle of Osawatomie on Aug. 30, 1856 stands =
unscathed=20
in the centre of the town common. At the entrance to the Inclosure a=20
bold-lettered sigh, designed to dissuade any stray aerolite or small boy =

inclined to vandalism, reads that the "Major will give $3 for evidence =
necessary=20
to convict any one of defacing =
monument</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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