River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-05-08
AN INDIANA SCIENTIST.
The Quaker Shoemaker Who Has Made
Himself an Astronomer.

founded by the Society of Friends, and
it is the place where Miss Susan RUSSELL
hves-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 az asylum for feeble-mlnded children.
But Spiceland has another distinction.
II has the beat practical astronomer In In
diana, in the shape of a shoemaker, who
earns his daily bread Qor he is poor by
cobbling. | found every circumstance
so interesting connected with this as
tronomer, that / am sure the readers Of
the Journal will also lind an interest in
q 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 ! WAS invited to deliver a
course of lectures in Spiceland, aud when
walking with ClarksOn Davis, TIE prin-
cipal of the academy, | noticed house
constructed withi dome. l inquired OF
MI Davis if that was an observatory con-
nected with the academy? He replied:
mo, it is private observatory, built by
very excellent and worthy man, shoe
maker, William Dawson, who constructed
his own telescope, and is truly prof
cient in astronomy"
| asked for an introduction, and III a
few moments | was talking with quiet,
plain l3oking, intelligent man, who was
half-soiing pair of rough cowhide boots,
for rustic customer, who sat By In his
stocking feet | dc not know when /
have more enjoyed an hour than when
listening to this humble, unpretentious
Quaker shoemaker, who most unOstehta-
tlously and learnedly discoursed of as
tronomy and meteorology as Upon his
cobbier's form he stitched and ham
mered," like Whittier's cob5ler Keezen,
that slough old Teuton'' Of the old colo
NAL days.
! 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 hal access to the New Castle Courier,
and the weekly religious paper of the So
ciety of Friends. His thirst for hnowl
edge, was, however, intense, and not one
of the characters which figure in Smiles
"Self-help" ever struggled more bravely
in the acquisition of knowledge. He
began early to study the phases of the
weather, to observe clouds and winds,
and to note the degrees of heat and cold
on common thermometer. His atten-
ton went higher, and sun, moon and
stars in their diurnal and annual revolu-
tons intensely interested him. AS he
grew older, and by his trade of shoe
maker and cobbler he obtained little
means, lie studied optics, and finally
could command small telescope. But
his means were limited. He informed
me that in the most flush times ne
never made more than $500 in year
and that in the last few years, on ac-
count of the heavy Importation of ready
made boots and shoes from the East, he
has rarely reached $500 with which to
supply himself and family altogether
four persons.
In 1854 he began to keep a regular
record of thermometIical and barometri-
cal observations. Six wears later the
Smithsonian institute heard Of him and
wrote to him, asking him TO make and
keep observations for the meteorological
bureau. After the first year the officers of
the bureau found his report so accurate
and reliable that they begged him to
send them a copy Of all his operations
since 1854: He received a few instru-
ments and the annual reports of the
Smithsonian institute, ana this has con-
stitutcd all his compensation fer years
and years of nights and days OF regular
observations. Unfortunately. when he
began his contributions for the institu tie
the powers that be at Washington had
cease to grant to their observers certain
instruments necessary for accurate OBJ
among these are the psychom
eter and some other instruments. Since
the bureau of meteorology has been trans
ferred to the war department the powers
at Washington are not more liberal, and
am sorry TO say that VIM. Dawson, who
cannot afford to buy these instruments,
suffers for the want Of them.
learned many interesting facts from
Mr.. D. in regard TO the weather in the
last quarter of century. In answer to
my question "What have been the coolest
day In Henry county since 1S542" he
replied without turning to record, and
without ceasing hammering his leather.
18th and 10th Of January, 1855, when at
7 A. NJ. nv Fahrenheit thermometer indi-
Gated 25 deg, below zero and on the Sd
of January, 1879, when at Z A. NJ. my
present accurate thermometer gave %
deg. below Zero sBnt,n he continued,
Il would inform thee that the Their
mometer employed in 1856 was an ordi
narv Fahrenheit, and not the present
more exact instrument which J |
and have found out that there
Is tendency in ordinary thermometers to
mark higher degree of heat and lower
degree of cold than the fine and proved |
sent fran Washington"
Henry county, he informed me, is the |
highest land in the State of Indiana, the |
observations showing that |
is about 500 feet above the
level OF the sea, while Spiceland is 1,025 |
feet above the plane where the Mississip- I
pi waters mingle with those of the Gulf /
IF Mexico, My brother Calvin had in |
formed me that Indianapolis is the low |
EST place in the interior of the State. Mr.. |
confirmed this The lowest t
place absolutely IN the State is New liar i
NOR v, which is only $50 feet above the /
gulf Of Mexico. Aurora, Dearborn county !
Is SOP fee. above the level of the sea.
But the most interesting portion Of /
any OF my interviews with Mr., y. was /
hat which related to astronomy. Here, /
oy his own sharp economies, in which /
bis whole family shared, he managed TO
save enough 20 order Of Avian Caik
6 SON tthe famous telescope opticians
# Cambridge, Mass. , object glasses. ere
glasses and rejecting eye pieces. These
aione cost him between 5000 and $500. lie
sept 10 Dublin and Knightstown, Ind.
in zinc. brass &c, and with these con
.tructed the tube Of his telescope.
mounted 70 ms observatory with him.
Tais observatory lie planned 80 that u
.ests unon The central T0Ei1on Of his
longe The dome. Of cou ge, reyo,vss at
si!l, so that be can bring any part .. the
7eavens in view. I had glorious view
# the sglf on bright day near the end
If February. and was intensely inter-
,sted as he narrated to me the various
lie made Of eciipses, of spots
IN the sun, aad OF the planets aud fixed
tara. He said that to him the sight
which, Of all Others, be could call
splendid sublImity sas the transit Of