The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-11-17
SKETCH OF PROF. JOHN LIE ooNrH.


The subject of the present sketch Is the
professor Of physics in the University of
California, where he has for many years
been associated with his brother, the dis
tinguished geologist aud writer on evolu-
ton. He was the second son of Louis LIE
Conte, and was born GA Dec 4, 1918. at the
family homestead in Liberty county,
Georgia. The father was a man of much
independence of character, firm and de-
cided, yet kind and gentle, exceedingly fond
of Investigation, original in thought but
singularly Indifferent to popular recogni-
ton. He published nothing himself, and
would never have become known away from
his own home, had not others been apprecia-
tive enough of his real merit TO give some
of his results to the world by presenting
them before the New York Lyceum of
Natural History
BY personal influence and example, Louis
LIE Conte inculcated in his sons the love of
science, and of truth for its own sake. The
virtue of verihcatiou was one which he
sought to cultivate in them as of cardinal
Importance. An illustration Of the success
of his teaching in this direction, aud of the
early growth of the philosophical habit of
mind in his son John, was afforded on one
occasion when the father and number of
neighbors, while patrolling at night to
check some illicit transactions between the
negro slaves and the shopkeepers Of the
nearest village, we're fired upon with blank
cartridges and thrown from their startled
horses. Relating the story of his mishap
after he had reached home, the father said:
81 lost my left stirrup; at the turn in
the road | lost the other stirrup, and at the
next turn / was thrown" John, who
listened to the narrative with great inter-
est, was perplexed to know how the stirrups
could have been lost His nights rest did
not remove the trouble, and, leaving his
bed before sunrise, he went and examined
the saddle. He reported upon the result Of
his investigation at the breakfast table.
''Pa, did you not say last night taat, when
the horse ran away with you, you lost your
stirrupsf
Eyes, my son, did say so.n
"Well, have found that the stirrups are
safe and sound"
The laugh was turned against the son,
and the father often told the story after
ward as a joke upon him. 1t was, however,
no joke it was prediction of the career of
the future Investigator in physics.
The childhood and most of the boyhood
of John LIE Conte were spent at the planta
ton home in Georgia, where hunting, fish
ing. boating, aud all kinds of athletic sports
contributed largely to the training of his
observing faculties His uncle Mai LIE
Conte, an accomplished zoologist, often
gave up his New York home in winter for
the purpose of spending the colder months
on the southern plantation. The scientific
proclivities of both father and uncle Insen-
sibly made all the children students of
natural history and collectors of specimens.
Thus they gradually imbibed knowledge on
such subjects, and acquired powers of dis
elimination that are ordinarily attained
only by years of study Ia maturer life
Their mother died in 1926, leaving the father
in charge of six children. Deprived of ma
ternal care at so early a period of life, all
of them, and especially the boys, were
thrown largely upon their own resources at
a tender age.
In those days and in that country neigh
borhood, forty miles from the nearest city,
Savannah, it was necessary to do without
the school accommodations that are now
abundant in every village of our land. An
isolated wooden-framed house, with no
plastering, a single door for It's single room,
abundant ventilation through The crevices
of the floor and walls, fully supplemented
by the draught through an ample clay
chimney-sucn was the schoolhouse in
which the children were gathered daily
from plantations varying in distance from
one to half dozen miles or more. Toe
teacher was rarely ever Of the best. One
there was who took charge of this
roadside seminary for two years became
the intimate friend of Mr. LIE
Conte, and exerted over his boys an infu-
ence that became lifelong. Alexander H.
Stephens. the future statesman aud his
torian, was then a young graduate who
sought in teaching the pecuniary support
that was necessary while be was preparing
for admission to the bar. His fine classical
taste and clear, logical mind produced a
lasting impression upon john LIE ConCe, who
received thus his training for college, and
entered Franklin College, now the univer-
sity at Athens. Ga, with distinguished sue
cess in January, 1885.
As student, young LIE Conte soon be-
came noted for his clearness of conception
and his scrupulous accuracy in work. The
curriculum of study was the same for all ,
irrespective of native bias or prospective
aim in life. He was fully appreciative of
all the classical culture that was there af-
forded, but his tastes naturally led biminto
spending on mathematics and its applica-
tlons larger share of attention than Latin
and Greek could attract. "Give him the
cosine of A and he will prove anything"
was the criticism expressed by an admiring
fellow-student. and concurred i'll by the
rest. The formal teaching of physics and
chemistry involved mere textbook recita-
ton, and attendance upon illustrated lee
lures of the most elementary character,
which were delivered with oracular author
ity. Il was more than whispered among
the students that on these topics John LIE
Conte knew as much as or more than the
professor himself.
During his senior year at college Mr. LIE
Conte was bereft OF mis- devoted father,
who died after a very brief illness. This
calamity fastened his selection Of a profess
sion. In August, 1888. he was graduated
WITH high honor. Immediately atterward
he began the study of medicine, and in the
spring Of 1889 be entered the College of
Physicians and Surgeons in New YORK,
whore, in March, l84l, he received the de-
gree of doctor Of medicine. A few months
before his graduation in medicine another
domestic calamity befell him Ia the death
of his eldest brother, William, to whom had
been committed the charge Of the family
estates in Georgia. This event fastened
DR.. LIE Conte's return home in the spring of
1S41, to take charge of the estate as the eld-
est surviving son, and frustrated the execu-
ton of a cherished plan for supplementary
his medical education by years residence
in Paris.
During the summer of 1841 DIR. LIE Conte
returned to New York, and was married in
July to Miss Josephine Graham, of that
city, an accomplished young lady of Scot
fish and English extraction. The deep love
and earnest devotion, and the consequent
domestic happiness which crowned this
union, contributed more than all else after
ward to fortify and sustain him in the bat
tie Of life. Mrs. LIE Conte was woman of
wondarful r1areonal rnaQnetisn. nuaaulv