The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-18
Inc.d ..ss in a Philosophers Boyhood.


Prof. Joseph Henry, one of the most
eminent Of American scientists. died
| MAY 13. 1873. On the 10Th of April.
his memory was honored by the unveil-
ing at Washington of magnificent
bronze statue, made by w M. Story,
and costing SO, 900.
Among the interesting "reminiscences
of his boyhood is the story of his first
pair of boots-a true story, often told
| by himself in later years.
When he was boy, it was the univer-
sal custom to have boots made TO order,
and his grandmother, with whom he was
| living, indulgently allowed him to choose
the style for himself There was no
| great variety of styles. Indeed, the
choice was limited to the question OF
round toes or square toes. Day after
| day Joseph went to the cobbler's and
| talked over the matter without coming
| to decision, and this even after their
manufacture was begun, until at last
the shoemaker, fairly out of patience,
took the decision into his own hands
and made "a most remarkable pair of
boots-one boot round toed. and the
other square toed.
Later in life Prof. Henry often came
deliberately to his decisions, with the adj
casion to abandon them
While Joseph was a schoolboy he ae-
quired taste for reading in this peculiar
way: One day he chased pet rabbit
through an opening in the foundation
wall of the village meeting house. While
crawling about among dirt aud rubbish
gleam of light enticed him through the
broken floor, and he found himself in a
room containing the open bookcase OF
the town library. The title OF one of
the books struck his fancy and he took
it down. 1t was Brooks Fool of Quail
ity, and he read, coming again and
again through the hole in the floor, I'M
til access by the door was finally granted
him. From this first book that he ever
read with relish, he passed on ca
gerly to other works of fiction in that
library
Afew years, later, in way almost
equally accidental, his mind was turned
to an entirely different class of reading
Confined at home by temporary i'll |
ness, he took up book casually left on
the table by a boarder, and entitled |
Lectures on Experimental philosophy, |
Astronomy. and Chemistry intended |
chiefly for the Use of Young Persons. |
By q. Gregory. 1t began with a few |
questions: You throw stone, or shoot |
an arrow into the air. why does it not
go forward in the line or direction that
you give it? Why does flame
or smoke always mount upward, though
no force Is used to send them in that /
direction? And why should not the
fame of a camille drop toward the floor
when yon reverse it or holdit downward?
Again, You look into n clear
well of water and YOU see your own face
and figure, as if painted there. Why is
this? You are told it is done by the re
Election of light. But what is the re-
fiection of light?'
The trifiing incident of taking up this
book may be said to have turned the
whole course of this lad 5 life
After his death this book was found in
Professor Henry library with the fol-
lowing entry upon the fiy-leaf, written
in his own hand;
This book, although 10y no means a
profound work, has under Providence,
axerted remarkable influence upon my
life. 1t accidentally fell into my hands
when [ was about sixteen years old, and
vas the first work | ever read with at
5ention. 1t opened to HE a new world
If thought and enjoyment; invested
hings before almost unDoticed with the
highest interest; fixed my mind on the
tudy of nature, and caused me to re-
solve at the time of reading it that L
would immediately commence to devote
ny life to the acquisition of knowledge.
Many young men quit school at six
cen years OF age. They should take
esson from Joseph Henry. and regard
ducation as not completed, but just be-
run,- Scientific A27aerieoR.