New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-27
ASTRONOMY AND " HIST.
TALK WITH RICHARD A. PROCTOR.
BOOKS THAT HE is PREPARING on BOTH SUBJECTS
-LFCIURING.

| BOOKS THAT HE is PREPARING on BOTH SUBJECTS
| -LECIURING.
| Professor Richard A. Proctor, the we'll
| known astronomer and whst-payer, spent few days
in town last week looking after the passage through the
Custom House of his baggage and household effects
He had sailed from Liverpool about June / the
America OF the National Line, but the America broke
some of her machinery when 375 miles and had to
put back to Queenstown. Professor Proctor taken
of with some other passengers on the White Star
steamer Germanc and reached New-York on JuGe IL.
His baggage got here before him and in the storage
rooms of the Custom House. and 1t only the delay
in finding It and having 1t examined that kept him from
setting out ut once for HIS home in St Joseph Mo-
II have come over this time TO stay he said to
TRIBUNE reporter who called last Monday at the Vest
minister Hotel MY wic's family, you know, live In
St. Joseph, and shall probably settle there for gooi If
the climate is not too tryag. II get along shall be
naturalizsd after WHILE America has always seemed
a much natural home t. me than England. have
been a republican from my bOyhood and find repub-
iicansm possible here. think, the whole English
men should be as much at home In one country as the
other. mad special purpose, too. in going out to ST.
Joseph to live. want TO get some leisure To write sys
tematic work on astronomy, sort OF ma9"um opTs.
putting into a final form the results OF my studies,
scattered through lectures and magazine art
cles Hope to publish a book which will in the
relation to the science orastronomy Lyels Prn
cpes Of Geology does the science of geology The best
work astronomy all along been done byspecalsts
who restricted subjects with exceedingly keen
insight, but unable to take impartial, sysema-
tized view of astronomy a whole. I want put the
facts OF the science. IN the form assumed.
philosophcaly, to bring QUE their speculative charac
ter and their bearing the theories and ideas that
most.
THE greater number OF writer's astronomy DO not
recognize its relation to philosophy religion They
give only the dry details and Ignore their theoretical
value altogether Biological evolution. for instance is
oil
astronomers still blind to the aspect the
take under the pressure OF the evolution theory
The astronomy OF our day brass before minutes OF
space, time and power 1t suggests thoughts ana asp
which have place in the astronomy OF former
times The scope is far wider and its speculative inter-
est far more intense. Hope TO give connected
OF astronomy In its form and of its
applications to religious and other ideas
| have all the material hand and
expect to get 1t into good shape three four
The title of the work will probably be The Principles
Of Astronomy. have been working twenty years for
cnauce 10 write such a book | shall continue, of
course. 10 contribute and short articles The
CoT7tW aud otter English magazines, AMI shall prOOa
oily write some for tho American scientific journals
Thon have my owh pIpef hno~edge. winch VIII he
kept goug Us usual
tie bother about living st. Joseph Will be that
shall have ob,erva 20 use. should Ike to have
OF my own. but the expense Is SO great that fear
that Is Impossible Tho people OF ST. Joseph were talk
something may OF that. A good observatory
Is ono OF the most desirable thugs In the world
houd be glad 10 nave charge OF for the or it,
without a salary romemner last year looked through
tho observatory belonging u the University OF Virginia
at Charlottesville. and The University authorities told
that they would bave gwen me call to the asro-
noInca professionally hpl tncy afraid or my
putting too his price my services should have
taken just for the saks OF having control OF good
instrument don't believe IN using such very large
telescopes Professor Young, Of Princeton. has done
much less work since lie has had hs large refractp
THIS may be because he has had to give
to his casses but biz instru n"ns. rule hard
to handle aud not much OF u success. Huyghsns. of
ENGLAND, has not done nearly well with his large
telescope AS with his smaller old one
Astronomy rs whole has not been advancing much
during ton years-1t least Ia the way OF discoy
The promise OF tho ten years before has
however, America has made great progress. In Eng
land twenty years ago hardly ANYTHING done by Aneri
say that WAS tho hrst to s.i special attention IN
Henry Draper. Young Lansoy. Newcomo Burn.
ham, the doubl-star observer. and PICKERING
application OF photography both to direct observation
ana TO spectroscopc analysis Henry Draper had boen
leading the way toward this, and now Mrs. Henry
Draper pairing survey made OF the enare
heavens by what may be called Photographic spectro
scopy. not likely that Henry Draper would have
been forgotten but had there been any fear OF Mrs
Drapers enthusiasm IN carrying out her husbands
The subject OF whist aud whstpayng was then
thussstic as ever over the game. When l was
last In America | wrote some essays on How |
British presumption mad no idea Of rejecting on
knows, IN England as here. wrote little book LIST
February on Home Whist and had It brought gu.
been sold when left London. am going to publish "a
larger book on the Higher strategy OF Whist |
find few good players In tho West Most Americans
play single hand very well, but what Deschanelle
has called detestable partners Signalling Is killing
whist here aud IN England. Trlst, OF New. |
Orleans Is clever player ami has succeeded In invent
ing some new audycry ingenious Signals. But every
of them Is nail In the coffin OF whist at
tackled signalling severely In OF the numbers
or L0namdn's Mdgd-tHe, as carrying play away from
the real points OF the game. In my Iii CHER Strategy
shall try to show that conventional whist
real whist Cavendsh the foe OF good whist 10
Z, "A new avs fem ofI
play In my books. but put the Old rules "a moro con-
ciso and rational FORM | have systematized all the
leads tor instace. and can teach them In ten minutes
To any man OF decent memory Walkers Correct Card
on tho other hand. has clumsy cement OF 40
different leads. My Higher Strategy will bo brought
out In this country by the ifarpers.
LAS 10 featuring, have not arranged fully for
what you call a tour have lcctursd q good many
times IN the Eastern and Mid S,aes and shall proba
bly, 20 through tho West and South winter have
no prepared cut and lectures. but constantly
changing and adding TO them and always try TO put
the freshest facts To tho front. lind my lecture on
The lAfo OF worlds tho most popular next to II
comes one that Is geological than
on Volcanoes have to make my subjects broad. you
xnow. People will not stand more than certain
amount OF astronomy. As u passenger the Cor
mamie said to mo whom had finished little talk ON
The Moon Yes it's all very nco this ASTRONOMY but
AIN AFRAID irs mostly faaclfuL'"