Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-04
AN INDIANA SCIENTIST.
The Quaker Shoemaker Who Has Made
Himself an Astronomer.
]. L. Fletcher in the indianapolis Journal.

The Quaker Shoemaker Who Has Made
Himself an Astronomer.
j. L. Fletcher in the indianapolis journal.
Sp;celand, Henry county, Indiana, has
long been celebra, ed for its academy,
founded by the Society Of Friends, and
it is the place whele Miss Susan RUSSELL
lives that philanthropic Quaker lady who
was instrumental in inducing Representa-
tive Charles s. Hubbard, in the Indiana
Legislature, to bring forward and carry
through successfully the project of found
ing an asylum for feeble. minded children.
But Spiceland has another distinction.
It has the best practlca' astronomer in In
diana, in the shape of q shoemaker, who
earns his daily bread (for he is poor) by
cobbling. l found every circumstance
so interesting connected with this as
tronomer, that am sure the readers of
the Journal will also End an interest in
sketch of his pursuit of knowledge
under more difficulties than those of the
Elder Herscbell, or of James Ferguson,
the Scotch astronomer. William Dawson
is the name of the Quaker shoemaker
and astronomer, who made his own tele
scope, constructed his own observatory,
and who for more than twenty years has
furnished the Smithsonian Institute and
the Meteorological bureau at Washington
with valuable statistics and observations.
Last month I was invited to deliver
course Of lectures in Spiceland, and when
walking with Garrison Davis, the prin-
cipal Of the academy, I noticed a house
constructed with dome. inquired of
Mr.. Davis if that was an observatory con-
nected with the academy? He replied:
"No, it is & private observatory, built by
very excellent and worthy man, shoe
maker, William Dawson, who constructed
his own telescope, and is truly prof
eient in astronomy"
/ asked for an introduction, and in a
few moments was talking with quiet,
plain looking, intelligent man, who was
half-soljng a pair Of rough cowhide boots,
for a rustic customer, who sat by in his
stocking feet I dc not know when I
have more enjoyed an hour than when
listening to this humble, unpretentious
Quaker shoemaker, who most unostenta-
tlously and learnedly discoursed of as
tronomy and meteorology as upon his
cobbler's form he stitched and ham,
mered," like Whittier's cobbler Keezen,
that slough old Teuton" of the old COLO
NAL days.
I learned that Dawson was born IN
Stark county, Ohio, but was taken by bis
parents when two years old to Cadiz,
Henry county, Indiana. He had only the
advantage of a common school education
For his reading, the books were few. but
he had access to tine New Castle Courier
and the weekly religious paper of the So
ciety of Friends. His thirst for '1nowl
edge, was, however, intense, aud not one
of the characters which figure in Smiles
"Self-help" ever struggled more bravelJ
in the acquisition of knowledge. HI
began early to study the phases of The
weather, to observe clouds and winds
and to note the degrees of heat and colo
on common thermometer. His atten
ton went higher, and sun, moon anl
stars in their diurnal and annual revolu
tons intensely interested him. AS h.
grew older, and by his trade Of shoe
maker and cobbler be obtained it'll
means, be studied optics, and fnall,
could command small telescope. Blu
his means were limited. He Informed
me that in the most "Aush" times h
uCVCI HlauS HUH tldu POOV LII d yea
and that in the last few years, on &C
count of the heavy importation of ready
made boots and shoes from the East, b
has rarely reached $500 with which
supply himself and family-altogethe
four persons.
In 1854 he began to keep a regula
record of thermometrical and barometri
cal observations. Six years later tn
Smithsonian institute heard of him an
wrote to him, asking him to make an
keep observations for the meterologics
bureau. After the first year the officers {
the bureau found his report so accurat
and reliable that they begged him
send them copy of all his operation
since 1854. He received few instrl
ments and the annual reports of til
Smithsonian institute, ana this has COZ
stituted all his compensation for yea
and years of nights and days OF reguls
observations. Unfortunately. when /
began his contributions for the institute
the powers that be at Washington ha
ceased to grant to their observers certai
instruments necessary for accurate o.
servations; among these are the psychon
eter and some other instruments. Sin,
IAS cuASSo Va AAACIOOJ Has O6e IL CTdu
ferred to the war department the powe
at Washington are not more liberal, al
am sorry to say that VIM. Dawson, wi
cannot afford to buy these instrument
suffers for the want Of Them.
I learned many interesting facts fro
Mr.. D. in regard to the weather in t
last quarter of century. In answer
my question :"Nhat have been the cold,
day in Henry county since 1852"
replied without turning to record, a
without ceasing hammering his leath
10th and 10th Of January, 1856, when
IA. M. my Fahrenheit thermometer in
Gated IS deg, below zero; and on the
of January, 1879, when at 7 A. M. ]
present accurate thermometer gave
deg. below Zero" "But," he continu
II would inform thee that the til
mometer employed in 1856 was an OF
nary Fahrenheit, and not the pres
more exact instrument which
possess; and have found out that tn
is tendency in ordinary thermometer
mark q higher degree Of heat and lo1