The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-07-19


that ] should represent them and convey
their congratulations to Lord Kelvin,
whose Jubilee was celebrated in Glasgow
June Is, 16 and IL. The sluggishness of
the Berlin threatened to prevent my doing
so. We landed at Southampton the morn
ing of the 18th. The London papers of
that morning had glowing accounts of the
brilliant social reception the evening pre-
ced1ng. was determined to execute my
commission as far as possible, and so
sent from London to the jubilee committee
a telegram at some length, expressing the
congratulations of his Lordship's fellow
countrymen in San Francisco and init
mating that would reach Glasgow that
evening. Nearing the Scotch metropolis,
1 learned from the evening papers that the
Jubilee exercises were still going on.
Upon the arrival of the train at the
great ST. Enoch's station, dapper young
man inquired for me and upon nv an
swering he informed me that Lord Kelvin
had sent him to meet me and take me at
once to the banquet. then in progress at
ST. Andrews Hall. It will not be hard to
make you believe that at the end of a 1000
mile journey | was scarcely in plight to
respond without delay to his gracious
Lordship's order. Hurrying to st. Enoch' s
Hotel, however, as quickly as possible.
CARRIED myself in appropriate apparel and
soon found myself In the carriage with the
private secretary of the man whose
achievements and renown were at that
moment the talk of the scientific world.
He said that Lord Kelvin desired that i'm
mediately upon my arrival I should be
brought to him and personally presented.
st. Andrews Hall seats 1000 people.
The floor was crowded with tables for the
banquet, and those tables were surrounded
with 800 of the most illustrious scholars of
the day. The galleries were crowded with
lookers-on. 1t was spectacle to behold.
The banquet was given jointly by the cor
poration and the University of Glasgow,
the Honorable Lord Provost, Sir James
Bell, in the chair. The guest of the even
ing sat at the chairmsn's right on the high
platform. Besides these there were
half a hundred of the most distin-
guished present on the platform. Led by
the dapper young man, l made my way to
the center of interest, and presented my
regrets and reasons for delay, together
with the cordial congratulations OF the
Scottish societies of San Francisco. Lord
Kelvins manner is simplicity itself If
one could forget his titles and the dozen or
so of letters affixed to his name, with the
vaguely suggestive ''etc." superadded, one
might easily imagine him good natured
old professor of the old school.
He told me that he had requested that a
plate and place be reserved for me, and in
a few moments [ found myself seated
among the banqueters, Immediately in
front of Lord Kelvin and beside ex-Lord
Provost Muir
knew was out of my element among
such lordly earls and titled savants, but
for San Francisco's sake 1 resolved to look
wise and to behave myself as if such bril-
liant events were the most commonplace
affairs in our California social life.
1t so happened that my tardy arrival
was precisely at the turning-point of the
evening. The menu was exhausted and
the eloquence was now to be turned on.
First of all, of course, a toast to her
Majesty the Queen, whose congratuIa-
tions the Lord Provost read. The guest
hall became bedlam for a few moments
and Lord Kelvin blushed, beatified.
Then ''The Prince and Princess of Wales
and the Other Members of the Royal
House." Congratulations were read from
Moscow, Montreal, from the Academy of
Sciences of San Francisco and many other
places. Ny telegram had been presented
at the university in their meeting in the
afternoon. 1.-THE Houses of Parliament"
was proposed by the Right Honorable
the Lord Justice-General of Scotland, a
man keen, caustic and subtly sarcastic
Undoubtedly there was a great deal of
learning there, but everybody knows that
great learning does not always mean good
speaking. Our last commencement at San
Anselmo beat the whole lot of them for
that. Over here they seem to regard it as
one marx Of greatness in a speaker to ig-
more his hearers (?), and it must be said
that II that is mark many of them are
like Alexander, Every great"
But there was no doubt about the aver
age intellectual caliber of that company.
The worst thing for me was that while
knew Twas surrounded by greatness, there
was no one TO tell me who was who. Max
Muller was at my table. The Right Hon.
Lord Rayleigh, DEL, LID. FRS.
ETC., the discoverer of argon, spoke.
Professor Gardner, with all the letters.
the highest medical authority north of the
Tweed, spoke, but no one heard him more
than twenty feet away, and finally the
crowd IN the distance choked him off.
General Amibale Ferrero spoke in Italian
and followed public sentiment in choos-
ing the proper places for applause. At the
table next to mine, surrounded bv rowned
professors from everywhere, quite spirited
cultural quarrel arose as to VIII ether it was
ADlibale or Amibale. was glad was at
another table. Sir Joseph Lister, presi.
dent Royal Society, whose name is
familiar to every physician, made the
audience glad by saying professionally
that he saw no reason why their guest. the
greatest living scientist, should not live
and enjoy the best of health for years to
come. Professor Simon Newcombe spoke
for America, and while his famed scholar
ship gave him attention, the apprehension
he expressed was not wholly groundless
that any reputation his country might have
for oratory would suffer by his hands.
But what of Lord Kelvin hlmseIf2 No
one can question his title to greatness
he is the idol of Glasgow. The London
Times called him the greatest living