Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-31

They know the story of how his nights
after weary toll in the iron mills of the
Southside, were spent in astronomical OBJ
servations on Mt. Oliver; how his desire to
let others know something of the beauties
of the heavens led him to write modest con-
tributions for the daily papers; how the
newspapers after awhile got to clubbing
him "the Southside astronomeE" how
Prof S. P Langley suddenly discovered the
genius of Mr.. Brashear in the construction
of telescopes; how the celebrated Henry
Draper befriended him; how couple of re-
quests came to him from famous astronomers
to make them telescopes; how he tried to do
this at nights while still master mechanic in
the iron mills, the double strain upon his
constitution finally breaking him down; his
long sickness, and the physicians ultimatum
in the end that Brashear must give up
either
The Telescopes or the Mills;
how he gave up the steady income of month
ly wages and afterward scarcely earned
living at the tedious work of grinding op-
tical glasses; how William Thaw, in the
interests of science, gave the plucky me-
chanic such assistance as placed him five
wears ahead, and how that charitable mil
lionaire, dying, left special bequest,. still
in the interests of science, practically en-
dowing the labors of Mr.. Brashear; how
the telescope maker sought the scientific
atmosphere of Observatory Hill, in ALLIE
ghenv, built wonderful workshop there,
from which have gone out rare and delicate
astronomical instruments to all parts of the
world.
Yet, this week. it was with great difficulty
still that I could get Mr.. Brashear to talk
about himself Willingly enough he de-
scribed to me the process by which his
Il.
happened TO casually make the remark that
with these improved processes it seemed to
me very long time was required to make
the lenses for single telescope-from two to
six months.
eyes, it is a long time to work upon one
telescope" echoed Mr.. BTashear, thought
fully, f'but 1 have known ii to take great
deal longer.
The Astronomers First Telescope.
''Well do I remember the first telescope
] ever had. My education was limited to
the village schools of Brownsville, and
commercial college in Pittsburg, so that
when I went TO work as a mechanic in the
iron mills of the Southside 1 was lily
equipped for the practical study Of astrono-
my. l loved to study the stars, but found
/ needed a telescope to push my
researches. 1 was unable to buy one of the
Bic L Mdnteu, SO j GouOluntu " Try anu
make one myself This was 16 years ago
1 was engaged at the mill all day, and at
night I labored often until morning hours
devising my instrument, which intended
to make for 81! inches aperture. To grind
the glass l needed tools, so first had to
ma Ike the tools. To polish the glass and
make the tube to mount it, had to have
steam power. 1 therefore built myself the
engine necessary TO carry on the work.
'My kind wife assisted me. Every even
ing when l got home from work she would
have steam raised in the engine, so that
need lose no time. In this way we per-
severed, and, sir, it took me three years to
complete my telescope. Good while,
wasn't ii?
Had to Have Larger One.
This telescope answered for a WHILE"
continued Mr. Brashear, ''but soon l found
that for my increasing thirst for knowledge
about the stars would need larger one
So resolved to attempt a larger instru-