Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-06-19
Unknown ScholarS.

D.
NOS: proficient scholars in some one
b-,c.h of knowledge have been men
uh9se investigations have been pursued in
-1ies: way more from the love of truth
:-s1 wi:h any view to fame. Men who's
;=: business has been to earn in som"
t:-5,e occupation 8 livelihood have yei
:--l time for intellectual pursuits. and.
il he course Of 4 lifetime. have accumu-
!A.41 m amount OF knowledge q1iie sur
p-i>ing There is said to Be q farmer in
Rhode Island who has mp'oyed his leis
ure time in the study Of philosophy
When one of the recent works Of Prof
Huxley appeared, he published review Of
the work. which the professor himself
acknowledged to be the most searching
criticism which his book had called out.
NJ; long since the president Of the Lon
Don Geographical Society discovered, in
-snote part Of scotland. = profound geolo-
IS. kn0wn a Robert Dick. He was an
2aSuown, humble pers1n. supporting him
ss,f in the occupation Of baker. Be
:.les a very accurate knowIedge of the ge-
o,ogical strata Of his own country which
be had acquired. be had also made very
II sykei a;.ainmen:s in the study Of bo;a-
NJ. He h..l collection Of all oG. twenty
or thirty specimen: OF fjver., beautifully
arranged and classified according TO their
scientific properties.
Sometimes these obscure scholars have
b=.ome known TO fame. Almost every
b1IT has heard Of the learned cob5ler AMI
tie learned blacksmith.
Not les Interesting is the fact tina: men
whose abilities and abors have been such
l.. TO make them famous even in dist.n:
..als have been entirely unku3wn by
:l1se Of their immediate vicinity. While
Water Sco.: and 4 large reading public,
5}:h English and American. We're delight.
:-- themselves with the writings OF Wash
l. -:on Irving, his simple neghbors of
sunny 5 De had no: the remotesL idsa tha;
ID :aei. midst was q writer whose fame ex-
:ea!-i over two continents.
Recently Chicago has discovered in her
Eii,. one Of these modest scholars in tue
lerson OF Mr. 5. W. Blrnham. an astron-
omsr. Mr.. Burnham has been known in
Chicago for several years as = reporter in
;ae courts, by which employment he earns
Z living: but no one seems to have sus-
pec:ed tha: he had any knowledge Of AS
:ronomy. And yet, while chiefly occu-
pied as a law reporter. ne has contEived
% acquire al amount Of knowledge
which, in one branch OF astronomy places
h.m among the first astronomers of the
world. Though unknown At home. his
observations and discoveries have been
such as to give him m enviable reputation
A9rv.i The Astronomical society OF both
E-g n! nd Germany have found him
ol.. a-t I'VE conferred on him high hon
o.. II : a regular contributor to the
a5:,.sI reports Of these societies. and
l,, row in priu: q, Washington q Gen
egAl Catalogue o; Double S.Ars." which is
70 a. pear as . quaJto volume of five hun
d--d pg-s. His special work is the staiy
g: !5uoe s.ars, and he is said to have dis
c27-rei more double stars than any other
Per,on living.
Uae Of the most interesting featares of
til, case is the exceeding simplicity OF the
L. aus with which he has attained such
.p-i>ing results. Though residing with
n ,So blocks Of the great equatorial tel
c>.yge anI well equipped observatory OF
Chicago, all his observations have been
made with small. six-inch telescope,
mounted OF something like ch-ese-box,
II hi. back yard. Ie; here. without any
s..-,isl c.ock o: tran>i: instrument, this
AeeL,eyei observer has obtained results
TIE accuracy OF which has given him so
much fame in England and tested the rec
ccis Of many larger telescopes.
Il Is matter Of some surprise tha.
more DO not follow lhe example Of these
r1.a5wn scholars. There are many men
ot leisure who, If they could once become
Interested in literary or scientific WORK,
7old ind increasing delight in pursuing
s1-- branch Of study. Even among The
-; n rity Of those whose time must be
--=5T lvcupied with daily cares and Ia
.@'', !. IS surprising to see how m1ch
-.-4. BE- accomplished in only an hoar 4
a-? ,.-at in Wei directed study.
Ii The odd moments Of each day were
wisely employed in the search after truth,
mea Toull come to old age with \ won
'-r:ui rjehn~s, Of Snowle.lge. They
Toud have the satisfaction of having At
iainei some permanent and real posses
sion l0s'ea.! of having worked wholly Tor
whH is exterior to the real man.
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