The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-10

him because she knows so much and SO
persistently hides her knowledge under
bushel of excessive modesty.
"She only lives to study the heavens"
he went on to explain, land it is my be-
lief that she absorbs her information by
some sort of magic. She borrows my new
scientific books and reviews, and the next
time ] meet her she has every line in them
at her fingers ends
81 sometimes say to my wife that she
puts them under her pillow and dreams
them into her brain, for how could it be
possible by mere human means for a
woman who has never made a speciality of
mathematics and has never had any in
struction in astronomy to work out
problems that puzzle famous astron-
omers? But [ tell you she does it, and
there are men well known in the profess
sion to whom Miss O'Halloran can and
does give valuable information"
''Do you really mean to say that Miss
O'Halloran helps well-known men astron-
omers? ?" l asked in surprise.
Professor Davidson gave a meaning
smile and said guardedly: "Wen [ guess
you had better not say much about any of
them going to her for the results Of her
observations The time has not come yet
when men like to sit publicly and learn at
a woman's feet; but there is no doubt
about her knowing great deal more than
many men who are famous, though she
makes out her observations in her own
way-a way that is beyond my ken alto
gether, though she always gets there as
well or better than l could myself. Now,
will give you just one instance: Do you
remember two years ago, when they were
making such hurrah about having dis
covered some spots on the sun? Well, the
day the news was telegraphed to San
Francisco Miss O'Halloran was at our
house, and when | told her about it she
said, in her quiet little way:
"'Why, professor, | noticed those spots
two months ago Yes; and she had not
only noticed them, but she had made
! charts of the spots every day they had
been visible, and that is what no observa-
tory in the world had been doing till big
spot attracted their attention, and then all
the great astronomers claimed an original
discovery. They never gave any credit to
the modest little woman in San Francisco
who had forestalled them all.
When asked something about Miss
O'Halloran's history Professor Davidson
said he did not know much except that she
had come from Ireland some years ago to
seek her fortune in California, as she was
too proud to stay at home and be depend
ent, and on her fathers death the estate
was found not to be Dig enough to provide
for all the large family OF children.
t'She gives Lessons added the professor,
land we sometimes think she denies her
self comforts that her health requires in
order to spend the money on astronomical
instruments Her face has grown very
thin and pale lately, as if her health was
not what it ought to be. But what can we
do? She is as proud as julius Caesar, and
her instruments are dearer to her than her
life"
1t was with some trepidation that ] set
out to interview the woman who imbibes
astronomical knowledge by magic, and is
as proud as julius Cesar. 1t was difficult
to find her, for so modest and retiring is
| Miss O'Halloran that very few people even
know her address. At last, at 1923 Pine
street, the comforting assurance was given
that the lady not only lived there, but that
| she was at home.
The dusk was just falling as l entered
Miss O'Halloran's little observatory, and
in the fading light quiet, pale young
| woman, who was standing near the open
south window arranging large telescope,
came forward and, hearing my mission,
said, with touch of soft Irish accent:
"My work? Yes; if you want to know
something about it | will explain how the
observations are made" And with the all
| of one discussing something near and dear
to her heart, Miss O. Halloran began to ex-
plain how she studies sun spots and vari
able stars.
At first it was hard to plunge into astron-