The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1883-08-01

PROFESSOR ESPY.

PROFESSOR ESPY.
EARLY STRUGGLES OF The FOUNDER
OF THE SIGNAL SExvICE.
His Theories Ridiculed In Congress At
First but AfterWsrds Accepted.
Few are aware of the origin Of the pres
ent efficient Signal Service, nor of the
debt of gratitude the whole country owes
to the late Professor James P. Espv. His
rise to prominence in the scientific world,
~ related by Captain Samuel Eneyis. of
Philadelphia, who was one of his earliest
friends, is one of remarkable interest.
When about ten years Of age, Espy's
father died, and mother and son tramped
from their home near Harrisburg out TO
Ohio. The boy was put at farm labor, at
which he served until seventeen years
of age, for the meagre pay Of fifty bushels
of corn year. A signal incident marks
the commencement of his career. Henry
Clay was then just rising to fame, and
Young Espy found himself one afternoon
within sound of the silvery voice which
was yet to captivate its tens Of thousands.
Espy was entranced by its witchery
and followed the American Cicero as .
needle the lodestone. He got near
enough to Mr. Clay to have some one
mortify him by pointing him out with,
"Here, Mr.. Clay, here's one of your ad-
mirers! He's seventeen years of age and
can't read" Mr.. Clay laid his hand
affectionately upon the lads head and
said, "Come, my lad; let us see if we can
find book store hereabout." A book
store was found. Mr.. Clay purchased
copy of Noah Webster's spelling book;
opened the book at the alphabet, and,
pointing to the first letter with a long
index finger, said: 'This is the letter A.
Do you understand? Yes! Well, there
are twenty-five more of them. You must
learn the rest, and when you have learn
ed them it will not take you long to learn
to read"
A TEACHER IN PHILADELPHIA.
Ten years after this time, Espy was
here in Philadelphia, engaged in teach
ing school. John Troutwine, well-known
to many citizens, was one of Espys
pupils. At that time the Franklin In
stitute had high school connected with
the institution. Walter R. johnson was
the first professor; his specially was
chemistry. Espy was the second, and
taught mathematics. He was hungry for
knowledge, and the motto prefixed to his
first work. ''The Philosophy Of Storms"
published in 1S41, indicates the man:
Fslir qui potuit rerum cognoscere caasas.
There was no great Unabridged" at that
time, and Espy was always unhappy until
he found out the meaning of things. He
therefore applied himself to the study OF
Greek, and soon became master of that
language. Says Captain Erseyis: "Espy
could not write ten-line advertisement
in good and graceful English; but he was
accustomed to note down his thoughts in
Greek and afterwards would translate
them into his vernacular. He cores
ponded with the great Arago, in Greek
as he did with other learned men in
Europe"
He was also a student of nature. Long
before he knew why, young Espy began,
to study the mystery Of the slowly NOV
ing clouds as they gathered their forces
together in elemental warfare; but he
found that he could come no nearer to a
true answer to his question than did the
prophet from the storm that roared
around the cave in Horeb. Failure, how
ever, did not deter him. If the storm
would not call back in answer to him
from the clouds he could reach up to
them by means of Franklin's messenger,
the kite; and, when the strongest cords
were broken in his adventurous attempts,
leaving only blistered and lacerated
hands, he bound his emissary by means
Of strong wire reeled Oh a windlass.
Espy was most patient collector Of
data, and facts were the basis and sup
port of all his theories. He was patiently
industrious in acquiring facts by obser-
walton and comparative experiment. In
hundreds of fields, then vacant, now COW
cred with houses, in and around Phila-
delphia, he studied the laws which gov
ern the winds, the causes Of the storms
and determined upon those artificial
means by which rain may be produced.
But the time was not yet ready for him.
When he went to Washington, asking of
Congress paltry 5000 a year for five
| years, that he might be enabled to ex-
tend his experiments and enlist the aid
of others over larger area than Phila-
delphia's back lots, he was met with
jibes and ridicule. Senator Preston, OF
South Carolina, said Espy wasa madman,
too dangerous to be at large, and the
Senator would vote q special appropria-
ton for prison in which to confine bin.
Espy was in the Senate gallery at the
time. Wounded to the quick, he came
down and found his way back to Phila'
delphia.
HIS FIRST sU0'ER.
Gathering heart once more, he went Ia
New York and put small advertisement
in the Evening Post, announcing lecture
at Clinton Hall, in which he would show
how rain could be produced. Espy ex'
pec:ed to meet q crowd of a thousand
people. The audience was a Miltonlt
one, "it though few" for hardly score
of persons were present. Among them
were William Cullen Bryant and, u
Espy afterwards found, his lifelong
friend, adviser, pupil and lover, Captain
Samuel Erseyis. Espy went through hi
lecture; then submitted to running fir
of questions, and, these answered, frank
" confessed his disappointment. Clinton
Hall had cost him $lS. There wasa hote
bill to be paid, and he had but S. in thu
world with which to pay this vast ant
impossible sum. He had In stock fv'
sets of lectures, price, IS aset. That wa