Page:The City of the Saints.djvu/272

254 of days, sunrises, sunsets, eclipses, etc., with advertisements on the alternate pages; and it ends with the denominations and value of gold and silver coins, original poetry, "scientific" notes concerning the morning and evening stars, a list of the United States officers at Utah, the number of the planets and asteroids, diarrhœa, and "moral poetry," and an explanation of the word "almanac," concluding with the following observation:

The only signs of sanctity are in the events appended to the days of the week; they naturally record the dates of local interest, and the births and deaths of prophets and patriarchs, presidents and apostles. Under the head of "Time," however, some novel information is provided for the benefit of the benighted chronologist.

"—There is a great mystery about time as recorded in the Bible. Authors differ as to what length of time this world has occupied since it came into being. Add 4004 to 1860, and we have 5864 years.

"Again, some authors allow, before the birth of the Savior, 5509 years, which, added to 1860, gives 7369 years since the beginning.

"The book of Abraham, as translated by Joseph Smith, gives 7000 years for the creation by the gods, one day of the Lord being a thousand years of man's time, or a day in Kolob. This important revelation of 7000 years at first shows 5960 years since the transgression of Adam and Eve, and 40 years to the next 'day of rest,' if the year 1900 commences the return of the 'ten tribes,' and the first resurrection; or 13,000 years since the gods said, 'Let there be light, and there was light,' so that the fourteen thousandth year will be the second Sabbath since creation.

"A day of the Moon is nearly thirty of our days, or more than ten thousand of earth's time. Verily, verily,

The judge then showed me an instrument upon which he had expended the thought and labor of years: it was that grand desideratum, a magnetic compass, which, pointing with a second needle to the true north, would indicate variation so correctly as to show longitude by inspection. The article, which was as rough-looking as it could be, was placed upon the table; but it would not, as the inventor explained, point to the true north unless in a particular position. I refrain from recording my hundred doubts as to the feasibility of the operation, and my own suspicions concerning the composition of the instrument. I presently took leave of Judge Phelps, pleased with his quaint kindness, but somehow suspecting him of being a little tête-montée on certain subjects.