The herald., 1894-01-01
XMAS ON MT. KAMILTo

now tne Eittl0 COLONY Around the Big
Lick Telescope Celebrate.
The snow is deep around the Lick OBJ.
servntory, and the littls community that
liven on the aummit of Mount Hamilton
mas rot much of bent toward Christ
mae festivities anyhow. The men to
whom the comets are familiar and who
call She stsrB by their frat names are
not likely to hang their stockings before
the chimney on Chriatmas eve. II they
did the stockings vould not stsy there,
for at this season OF che yesr tho gales
blos around the peak 90 feroely that q
fire cannot be kept in any of the CRATES.
The S0-mile O minute wind blows down
the chimneys and sends shs flames from
the 6rsplscss half wsy across the room.
So they don't have any fires ON that
side Of the big brick building that is to-
ward the wind.
Inc astronomers go about their work
indoors muffied in big overcoats, and are
no more cheerful than any ether man
who is half frozen and doesn't like the
sensation.
1t is g very solemn place, this scien-
tific gathering OF cliff dwellers. First,
there is the director himaelf, who lives
alone and ususlly dimes alone. But on
Christmas day he is likely to unbend
enough to ask the unmarried msmb srs
OF his staff to join him. II he does,
there will eli down to his board Schse-
berle, who knows more sbout eclipses
than any one else; Cotton, who makes
the sun cit for photograph whenever
his spots get big enough to be interest
ing, and Perrine, the secretary OF the
observatory.
The Christmas conversation at the
directors table will range from the
corona ofShe eclipse of'89, which Schae-
berle obj Ss4yed from Cayenne, to that be
witnessed from Nina Bronces in the
mountains Of Chile last year. If Christi
mes is touched upon at all it will be
only concerning the identity and orbit
OF the etar Of Bethlehem.
Barnard. the comet man, and his wife
keep house in cottage. Spectroscopist
Campbell and his wife do their house
keeping in the big brick building. but
they propose to have brick cottage for
themselves before another ChriBtmas
comes. The two ladies will combine
and have Christmas dinner worthy of
the name, unless the stage from San
Jose is Blocked by snow, az is very likely
al this time cf the year. There have
been Christmases when the snow fell
SO thick and last on Mount Hsmilton
that the morning found only the roofs
and the dome above it's surface. AT
spch time the chance for Christmas din
ners 70 very slim indeed. This is not
all the population of the observatory
station. Baby May, Machiniet Mac
donald's little daughter, is the most i'm
portsnt part of it. She has been four
Christmases on the summit of the
mountain and none anywhere else.
The social atmosphere is not always
clear up there, and the chief
and his staff are not as close as broth
ere, but, no matter how fierce the scien-
tib: strife, there is always one point OF
common interest among the astrono-
mers. The little girl who was born up
there amid the snow tyrannizes over the
whole institution. She can look at the
moon through the 40-inch equatorial
without regard to Visitors day or any
thing else, and not even the director
frowns when she interrupts discussion
on interference fringes."
An odd, quiet little thing ia the only
child on Mount Hamilton. She has
never been off the mountain and only
knows other children from seeing them
come there with parents on visitors day,
She 10 grave as university regent.
She does not prattie OF dolls and dishes,
but talks of Barnard's moor and Schae-
berle's corona solemnly if not under
standingly. She knows how important
IT 10 that the great men should not be
disturbed at their calculations, and no
ons ever has to tell her to be quiet. The |
world is sll mountain peaks and clouds
to May Macdonald, but che has more
than peep through the big telescope
to amuss Ler. Everybody on the |
remembers her at Christmas
time, and if shs prefers to stare at the
great brass tubes and intricate wheels
rather than play with her Christmas
toys or look at her picture books it 10
her own affair, and Baby May can do |
just as she pleases on the summit OF |