The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-09

TIE LATE PROFESSOR TYNDALL
report of the death of Professor Tyndall
had been published. and this American lit
terateur musing for Il few moments, Mt
last said:
The English speaking race has lust
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 rs much if not
more than any one man to make science
popular, and To cause scientific subjects no
longer to he regarded with dread by those
who are fond of light reading hut he made
of science n literature, and might almost
say of literature II new science Before his
time Faraday, Sir William Thompson-
who, after all, was contcmpor: neoils with
him-and some of the greater English
scientists had attracted to their lectures
and TO their writings u considerable num-
Der, but these We're for the most part per-
sons seeking scientific instruction. Uum-
boldt had indicated what might he done
with scientific subjects popularity treated,
and Hugh Miller in his enchanting work
Old Red Sandstone'-;l book which de
serves to be read far more nowadays than
1t ls-had shown the English people that it
was possible to write even of such flinty
things as rocks entertainments
But after all it remained for Tyndall to
charm vast audiences with his lectures,
written III such beautiful style that they
were understood by those who were I'M
educated, while enjoyed 10y persons of cul-
tivation. Proctor followed the hint that
Tyndalfs lectures furnished by writing and
speaking upon astronomy most successfully
pecunlarily. But astronomy, unlike most
other sciences, has always appealed strong
ly to the imagination even of rude and saw
age peoples So | have been inclined to
think, watching the development of liter
airy tastes among the great masses that the
time Is near Mt hand when there will arise
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 II series
ortwo series of lectures in the United States
extending perhaps for II period of six
months, he would have been able to take
back 10 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. lie had several propositions
from American publishers TO write Il book
upon any scientific subject that he might
choose, and the terms offered him were
PiopiDiN letI iIldtIl littSc ever mentioned
in any other contract made with an Eugiish
writer.
Nicola Tesla discovered the cXtraorina-
ry popular interest in science, and especial
ly the strange and weird manifestations of
1t, when he delivered Il lecture in London
III which he explained and then llustrat-
ell by experiments his extraordinary dis
covery that by Il certain development of the
electric current he was able to transmit it
from one point to another without amy 9th
CT medium than the ether which i Ike nat
ural medium of electricity, and stan,lingi in
the middle of n room through which such
current was passing, holding up an mean
descent lamp, il was Illuminated
Tesla might have repeated that lecture
in every considerable city in the United
States, with Il guarantee from lecture man
ayers OF Il large sum of money for each APP
pcaiancc, and he has received propositions
from editors OF magazines and publishers
for writing both short ESSAYS and longer
works, for which he could have been paid
at his own price. He is, however, very
busy in the commercial development of his
discoveries, so that he felt that he could
not spare the time, since if he succeeds in
this work he will have made for himself nm
enormous fortune.
If Edison had consented to accept Il prop
osition made to him by lecture manager.
he might have made as much as $4,000 for
n 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 to his
personality and the value which attends
anything which he might say upon scien-
tific matters, but would have revealed
splendid, although not polished, English
style. He writes with force, nervous vigor,
using strong idioms but writes very clear
ly. Edison might, too, have received many
thousands of dollars for purely literary
work and has been beset for the past two
years for contributions, but he, too, has no
time for such pursuit.
The popular interest in science romantic
ally treated was illustrated by work re-
Gently completed by Flammarion, the ia
nous French astronomer. His book was not
quite SO we'll received in this country, since
the subject, the end of the world as viewed
from the possibility of science, was not
pleasant one. But it was well received in
England, and in France commanded almost
as much attention and excitement as did
some of the romances of Alexandra Dumas
when they were being published. The
next famous writer, aud one who will re-
ceive great fortune, will be undoubtedly q
..,l.1 Il n