ervation the
three following mornings, I found always precisely the same
result.

He then continues in the same vein to show that learned persons did not
believe him and to point out the difficulties which the pioneer
encounters. He brought out the vital point by showing that if he had not
been awakened so early he would have slept six hours longer by the light
of the sun and in exchange he would have lived six hours the following
night by candle-light. He then mustered "the little arithmetic" he was
master of and made some serious computations. He assumed as the basis of
his computations that a hundred thousand families lived in Paris and
each used a half-pound of candles nightly. He showed that between March
20th and September 20th, 64,000,000 pounds of wax and tallow could be
saved, which was equivalent to $18,000,000.

After these serious computations he amusingly proposed the means for
enforcing the daylight saving. Obviously, it was necessary to arouse the
sluggards and his proposals included the use of cannons and bells.
Besides, he proposed that each family be restricted to one pound of
candles per week, that coaches would not be allowed to pass after sunset
except those of physicians, etc., and that a tax be placed upon every
window which had shutters. His closing paragraph was as follows:

For the great benefit of this discovery, thus freely
communicated and bestowed by me on the public, I demand neither
place, pension, exclusive privilege, nor any other regard
whatever. I expect only to have the honor of it. And yet I know
there are little, envious minds who will, as usual, deny me
this and say that my invention was known to the ancients, and
perhaps they may bring passages out of the old books in proof
of it. I will not dispute with these people that the ancients
knew not the sun would rise at certain hours; they possibly
had, as we have, almanacs that predicted it; but it does not
follow thence that they knew he gave light as soon as he rose.
That is what I claim as my discovery. If the ancients knew it,
it might have been long since forgotten; for it certainly was
unknown to the moderns, at least to the Parisians, which to
prove I need use but one plain simple argument. They are as
well instructed, judicious and prudent a people as exist
anywhere in the world, all professing, like myself, to be
lovers of