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Show PROVED CURVATURE OF EARTH Scientist Settled Dioputed Question, But Loser Proved Himself to Ee "Poor Sport." It will scarcely be believed that the S?.cstIon of the shape of the earth could ever have disturbed the peaceful peace-ful atmosphere of the law courts. Yet In 1879 the question, indirectly, indeed did come before three learned judges, and the case excited a deal of interest inter-est and amazement. The circumstances were as follows : The plnintiff, one Hampden, entertained enter-tained the opinion that the world was not round, and issued an advertisement advertise-ment in a paper challenging philosophers, philoso-phers, divines and scientific professors to prove contrary from Scripture, reason rea-son or fact., He deposited $2,500 In a bank, to be forfeited to anyone who could prove to the satisfaction of any Intelligent referee that there was su'-h a thing as a convex railway, canal or lake. The challenge was taken up by no less a person than the late Prof. Alfr-d Russell Wallace, who proved to the satisfaction of the referee the curvature curva-ture to and fro of the Berford level canal between Whitney bridge aild Welsh's dam (six miles) to the extent of five feet, more or less, and the $2,-500 $2,-500 was paid over to him. But he did not keep It. The plaintiff plain-tiff apparently began to see that he was making a fool of himself, and brought an action and recovered back-his back-his deposit on the ground that the whole affair was a wager, and therefore there-fore Illegal. Springfield Republican. |