The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-12-29

report OF the death OF Professor Iyndall
had been published, and this American lit
terateur, musing for few moments, at
last said:
The English speaking race has just
lost the man who has pointed the way TO
the most popular and successful writing,
as believe, of the immediate future. Pro
fesSor Tyndall not only did as much if not
more than any one man TO make science
popular, and tc cause scientific subjects no
longer to be regarded with dread by those
who are fond 1f light reading but he made
OF science a literature, and / might almost
say Of literature IA new science Before his
time Faraday, Sir William Thompson
who, after all, was contemporaneous with
bim-and some OF the greater English
scientists rad attracted to their lectures
and to their writings a considerable num-
ber, but these -rere for the most part per-
sons seeking scientific instruction Hum
boldt had indicated what might be done
with scientific subjects popularly treated,
and Hugh Miller III his enchanting work,
old Red Sanustone'-a book which de-
serves TO be read far more nowadays than
it is-had shown the English people that it
was possible to write even Of such fiinty
things as rocks entertaininGly.
}
charm vast audiences with his lectures,
written in such beautiful style that they
Were understood by those VINO were un-
educated, while enjoyed by persons of cul-
tivation. Proctor followed the hint that
Tyndali's lectures furnished by writing and
speaking upon astronomy most successfully
pecuniariiy But astronomy. unlike most
other sciences, has always appealed strong
= n hp
age peoples 20 I have been inclined to
think, watching the development of liter
nry tastes among the great masses, that the
time Is near at hand when there Will arise
q great writer who will do for scientific lit
erature what, for instance, Fielding, Scott
and Dickens did for tales and romances' |
The manager of one of the lecture bureaus |
In New York Is reported to have said re- |
Gently that If Professor Tyndall had been |
willing to sign contract To deliver a series |
or two series of lectures in the United States, !
extending perhaps for a period of six !
months, nc would have been able 10 take
back to England with him more money than |
any English reader, excepting possibly Dick |
ems, or than any English actor or singer, |
with the exception possibly of Henry Irving |
and Patti He had several propositions |
from American publishers 10 write a hook |
upon any scientific subject that he might |
choose and the terms offered him were
probably larger than those ever mentioned |
in any other contract made with an English |
writer.
Nicola Tesla discovered the extraortlina-
ry popular interest in science, and especial
1y the strange and weird manifestations of
ii, when he delivered lecture III London
in which he explained and then illustrat-
Cd 10y experiments his extraordinary dis
covsry that 10y a certain development of the
electric current he was able to transmit IL
from one point 10 another without any 9TH
er medium than he ether which Is the nat
ural medium of electricity, and staudipgin
the middle of a room through which such
current was passing, holding up an incan-
descent lamp, II WAS Illuminated
Tesla might have repeated that lecture
In every considerable city in the United
States, with a-guarantee from lecture man
Ayers of Il large sum of money for each ap-
pearance, and he has received propositions
from editors 0f magazines and publishers
Tor writing both snort essays and longer
works, Cor which he could have been paid
at his own price. He is, however, very
busy IL the commercial development OF his
discoveries, 50 that Ire felt that he could
not spare the time. since If he succeeds III
this work he will have made for himself an
enormous fortune.
II Edison had consented to accept prop
osition made 10 him 10y lecture manager.
he might have made a. much as Sol. .0UO for
a short series Of lectures TO be delivered in
some of the larger cities of the United
States, and Edison would have furnished
not only the interest which attached 10 his
personality and the value which attends !
anything which he might say upon scien-
tlbc matters, nut would have revealed Il |
splendid, although not polished English
style. He writes with force nervous yigor,
using strong iGioms, but writes very clear |
Iy. Edison might. too, have received mauy
thousands OF dollars Tor purely literary I
work and has -peen beset for the past two ]
Years for contributions, but he, too, has no
-ime for such pursuit,
The popular interest in science romantic
lilly treated WAS illustrated by work re {
,ently completed by Flammarion, the IA {
mons French astronomer His book was not I
quite 50 well received in this country. since {
ne subject, the eed OF the world aS viewed
rom the possibility OF science. was not
pleasant one But II was well received in {
england, and IN France commanded almost ]
s much attention and excitement ~ did ,
ONE OF the romaaces Of Alexanire Dumas
when they were being published. The
ext famous writer, and one who will re-
e!ye great fortune, viii be undoubtedly
nan who can make scientific discoveries
erve literary capacity
+. J. EDWARDS