The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-12-04
ANI0KO AsrRONOMER.
Something Aboat Benjamin Banneker
Last Century Scientist.


Calidie World.
He was never married, and, alter his
parents death, wasthe sold occupant Of his
little cabin. Though obliged to labor for
his bread, azd being besides his own cook,
chamber-maid and hostler, Banneker, by
retrenching his wants, made little serve
him, every ingenuity being exercised to
secure more leisure to devote to his books
and his observations. His fayorite time
for study was, OF course, at night, when he
could look out upon the stars and planets,
whose laws he was gradually but surely
mastering. As 1t was during the hours Of
darkness that Banneker was at his real
labors, and as he was forced to sleep during
the greater part Of the day, he lost among
his less appreciatiye acquaintance the
reputation for industry that he had
won in earlier life. Those who saw
little OF him In his fields, and
found him sleeping when visiting bis
house set him down as lazy fellow who
would come to no good, and whose old age
would disappoint the promises Of youth.
This dislike was followed by attempts to
impose on tho humble genius, and even by
attacks on his property, with various threats
against his person. memorandum in his
handwriting, dated Dec. IS, 100. states:
u informed me that stole my
horse and great-coat, and that the said
intended 10 murder ms when opportunity
presented. gave me caution TO
let no one come into my house alter dark"
The names Of the parties were originally
written in full, but they were aiterward
carefully erased, as though Banneker had
flscted that it was wrong 10 leave an un-
authenticated assertion on record against
any one. The amateur astronomer did not,
however, because OF his studies, cease to
visit the mills. He is described by gen.
tleman who frequently met him at this
time ''as OF black complexion, medium
stature, Of uucommonly soft, gentle man
ners, and Of pleasing colloquial powers"
Whatever others thought OF him, the
friendship OF George lalicott, the owner
OF the mills, himself q mau Of high literary
attsinments, never faltered. E!licott's Wis.
its 10 Banneker were frequent Finally
he induced our timid atar-gazer to venture
such calculations as are set down in alma
macs. But what was E,licotts chagrin to
and that his black friends first prediction
Of an eclipse was false; an error had slipped
into his calculations. Ellicott drew his
attention to II. To his mingled surprise
and delight, Banneker answered by letter,
pointing out that he had been misled by q
discrepancy between the two authors, Fer:
son and Leadbeater. Nov, MIR. Ellicott"
runs the letter, "two such learned gentle.
men as tho above mentioned, one in direct
opposition to the other, s.agnate young be.
ginners. But hope the stagnation will
not be OF long duration" In the same let
ter, speakingof the greatness Of the task,
he thus writes at Is an easy matter Tor US,
when diagram is laid down before US, to
draw one in resemblance to II; but 1t is
hard matter for young Lyro in astronomy,
when only the elements Of prediction are
laid down for him, 10 lay his diagram with
any degree Of certainty. OF the labor
OF his work few OF those can form
an idea who would nowadays at
TEMPT such task with all the assist.
ance afforded by accurate tables and well.
digested rules. Banneker had no aid
whatever from men or table,; and Mr..
George Ellicott who promised him some
HSLIOQOtHlCEl lhDlG5 AhN tObh thVhh ~ hAhIt
declares that he had advanced unaided for
in the preparation OF the logarithms neces.
cary for his purposes. A memorandum In
his calculations point out other errors oil
Ferguson and Of Lesdbeater, both oil whom,
no doubt, would have been amazed had
they been informed that their elaborate
works had been reviewed and corrected by
negro in the then unheard Of Valley Of
the Patapsco. The first almanac prepared
by Banneker for publication was for the
wear 1902. The almanac publishers oil
Baltimore gave a very haItering praise to
the compiler: "They 1.-THE publishersl feel
gratiiied in the opportunity Of presenting
10 the public through their press what
must be considered as an extraordinary
effort OF geniut--a complete and accurate
ephemerls for the year 1902 calculated by a
sable son OF Africa" &c.