The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-23
TIE SORROWS or AZ AsrEoNosIER.

In the prevailing dearth of topics of inter-
est, the scientific world in general, and the
PEOPLE OF Santa Clara County in particular,
are taking considerable interest in a contrO-
veysy which has arisen between Professor
Holden Of the Lick Observatory and one d.
t. Vestal. who is not as might be suspected,
a vestal virgin, but a plain fruit-grower.
" hose hobby is astronomy. Mr.. Nestal. as
he tells US, went through much agony OF
mind ever the rotation Of the world on its
axis, and finally in despair he wrote to Pro-
fessor Holden, putting to him the point
blank question. "Why do we rotate?"
The Professor, disturbed in his contempla-
tion OF the satellites of Mars, was staggered,
as he we'll might be. He was like the medi-
cal student in Moliere, who was asked on
lis examination. Why does opium cause
sleep? But he gathered himself together,
and mildly prescribed for his correspondent
4 careful study Of some elementary work on
astronomy. lie likewise took occasion to
observe that Mr.. VestaPs assertion that
Kepler's laws are a fraud was to say the
least daring, and that if he went about
among astronomers asking why the earth
r0tales with this statement in his mouth he
would probably find himself rotating out of
their presence.
AT this Eestal boiled over in a column of
the San Jose Mercury, in which he fairly
Runihilated the astronomer of Mount Ham,
ilt0n. He ScGlds him with ~ oDprobri-
Gus term which the YeTnacular supplies, and
he winds up with calling him Poohbah
He derides his learning, SCOTS at his pre-
sumption, Jeers him for taking a salary as
observer, berates him as "a mental tyrant."
and pronOunces his astronomical reports
'dlimsy rot" 1t seems odd that if this was
his opinion of the Professor he Should have
gone TO him for solution of the mystery
which perpleXed his mind; but perhaps
Nestal was deep. and was setting a trap to
catch an astronomer. Not content with
overwhelming him in prose, he transfxes
him in verse, to wit
Holden. dear Sir. come down
Prom your nOuntain-top do come;
For science has done you up brown.
And sent you below 10 your home:
Poobah. PoObah, POoOaA Holden, come down.
Holden can hardly survive this. He will
have to retire. and hide his head in some OBJ
scuTe locality where Poohbah is unknown.
No one was ever known to outIiYe an on
slaught of such severity.
The best part of Mr.. VestaPs communion
tim is an autobiographica sketch which
describes how he arrived at his present
state Of mind. He is 4 man, he saws Of "A
years Of age. When he was a boy he snept
hi, time in looking at the man in the moan
and trying to make out why he never turned
his back. Then he went to college, and the
trouble about the rotation of the earth at
tackled him; he watched the ground and did
not see it turn round, therefore he con-
cluded that there was no evidence of law
in the movements Of our planet" He made
up his mind that "the sun was lfe," and be-
came sun worshiper. But one day he no.
tieed the expansion OF metals by heat, and
he asked himself what would happen if he
drove Il bar of iron through the earth in
the line of the equator, down to the center,
and let it stick up in the face Of the sun ?'
IL dues not appear that he ever did drive the
bar-which is a pity-but he satisfied him
self how it would work if he did drive II
and he realized that his problem was solved.
his unbelief dispelled and the discovery
made That 'tbe earth rolls under regular
law Of expansion and contraction" It was
then, apparently, that be determined To
provoke Holden to scientific combat, to con-
fute him, and to hold him up to ridicule be.
fore an enlightened community.
How curiously the line which saws that
niue learning Is dangerous thing is illus
lIated IN real LIE. And how fortunate IL is
'hat we I'VE III an age when error is free to
proclaim itseil from the housetops-trutb
oelbg equally Tree to confute it. He who
reads the lives of the great men who bniIt
up the science OF astronomy is shocked to
note that every une of them, from Conner
nicus 10 Calico, proclaimed his discoveries
at the risk of life, or, at least, of liberty. If
Holden had lived in those days there is
great reason to fear ihat Mr. Yestal and