The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-09-05
A Useful Life.

Sixtyfve years ago, a boy of sixteen
years, living in Albany, N. Y, who was
very fond of novel-reading, happened to
take up book on natural science, be-
longing to one Of his mothers boarders.
He became deeply interested in it. 1t
turned his mind in an entirely new field
of reading and of study. The owner of
the book gave it to him, and nearly a
quarter of century later, the boy then a
famous man, wrote upon its fy-leat that
the work caused him to resolve that he
would devote his life to the acquisition Of
knowledge.
This was Joseph Henry the master
spirit among all Americans who have
made science their life-pursuit the Sec
rotary of the Smithsonian Institute at
Washington, which has done as much to
advance the cause of science in this coun-
try, as any college or association. Prof.
Henry has just died, being over eighty
years of age. The scientific world mourns
his loss, not only because he was a man
of profound learning and great originate
| ty, but also because of his noble heart
and his gentle manners.
! This life has many useful lessons. Here
was man who gave himself to study.
He was a closet student. His desire was
| to know the works and the laws of nat
ure. A great many people who think
themselves persons of hard. plain COM
mon sense would probably say that his
life could not then have been a useful
one.
Is this true2 For many long years Prof.
Henry kept employed corps of five hun
bred men in all parts of the country,
making a record of the weather, the tenn
perature, the pressure of the atmosphere,
and the rainfall. How useless you say
Let us see. The records thus made were
collected, compared and studied. From
the collected facts, certain laws of the
weather and the course Of storms were
deducted; and when this had been done,
Prof. Henry suggested the establishment
of the weather bureau, which now warns
the farmer of coming storms, and fore
tells the sea-captain when he cannot safe
lv venture out TO sea.
This is one splendid practical result of
the long and patient study which this
man of science gave to columns upon col
umns of the dryest of figures. But his
activity was not bounded by any narrow
limits. He made the discovery which
rendered possible the invention of the
Morse telegraph. He secured to astrono-
mers the privilege of teegraphing their
discoveries free to all parts of the world.
Only short time ago, he was busy,
searching with all the ardor of youth,
into the conditions necessary to make a
perfect fog-signal to protect shipping
along the coast.
He was interested in every branch of
science, and was always ready to impart
the results of his investigations, and to
encourage others. No young man in
search of knowledge ever went to him in
vain. He was foremost in the formation
and management of societies devoted to
science, and yet was never arrogant, and
never occupied position which his fell
lows were not glad to yield him. AS an
other learned man, a friend of Prof Henry,
remarked, he died with no work un-
finished, and with not an enemy in the
world.
Better than all, his thorough know
ledge of nature and science only fixed
more firmly his faith in what is beyond
and above nature,-the God who created
it. In these days, some men OF science
assume to dispense with religion. Prof.
Henry, whose learning, in its extent and
variety, was beyond that of most other
scientists, was both unable and unwilling
to give up his faith. lie accepted ali
that science taught, and saw God through
it all. His example is striking lesson
20. ha ,,h,
their necessarily limited and insufficient
knowledge, that they have fathomed the
infinite mysteries of the universe.