The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-03

How did you happen to come to the
| United States, professor 2 said I.
L came to seek my fortune" was the
reply. L began as a country school
teacher on the eastern shores Of Mary
land. The people there were more ad-
vanced than those among whom had
lived In Canada, but not much. /
taught reading, writing and arithmetic
for year or SOL and then through the
Kindness of Joseph Henry I was ap-
pointed one of the commuters of the
Nautical Almanac, and thus began the
real work of my life."
A TEACHERS FAMOUS FRIENDS.
How did you become acquainted
with Prof. Henry?" I asked.
1T was through mathematical cal
culatton. 1t was, I think, some alge-
braic problem 1t was new, and I
thought it might be worth publication.
I sent it to him. and asked him to tell
me If he thought it worth publishing.
He submitted it to one Of his friends,
who was mathematician. and this
man said that while it was original, 1T
was hardly of value for publication.
Prof. Henry wrote me a kind letter
regarding it, When I next went to
Washington I called upon him, and lat
er on he secured me the appointment.
lished at Cambridge, and while at
work there I was able to attend the
Lawrence Scientific school, and for the
first time had access to the best books
upon scientific subjects Later on was
appointed professor in the navy, the
office Of the almanac was moved here,
and I was assigned to duty in the
naval observatory at Washington
METHODS OF WORK.
During the talk L asked Prof. New
comb to tell me something of his
habits of work
He replied: ''I don't know that I
have any peculiar methods of working.
1 have several rules; one. is to go to
bed early and stay there as long as L
can, another is to eat well and to take
plenty of time to it, and third rule
is to get in as much time for amuse-
ment as / can What | have left aItef
this I use for my work"
This statement of Prof. NeWcomb as
to amusement, however, should be tax
en- with a grain of salt, for what may
be amusement to him would be hard
work to many other men. For in
stance, not long ago he referred to
astronomy as his profession and po-
litical economy as his relaxation. He
has written some very important
works on political economy. In 1865 he
published a book entitled IA Critical
Examination of Our Financial Policy;
in 1877 his "a, B, G of Finance had
a large sale, and his book on Political
Economy" published in 1886, is used
in some of the schools He has writ
ten other school books of various kinds,
and a year does not pass that he does
not give one or more scientific ad-
dresses. Mrs. Newcomb says that at
times in his life he has worked very
hard Said she: when he was comput-
ing the changes of the moon he would
often keep on until he was tired out,
when he would say, I must have a
nap before 1 can do anything more.
Wake me in fifteen nninutesp He would
then lay his head down on the table
and go to sleep. Sometimes he has
slept that way with his head on my
shoulder, going back to his calculations
after few moments rest"
AS rule, however. Prof. Newcomb
is very careful of his habits. He goes
to bed regularly, and when his hour
for retiring comes he excuses himself,
no matter who may be calling upon
him. For years his nights were spent
at the observatory, and he has had to
adopt the most rigid rules to preserve
his health.
IN PARIS IN COMMUNE DAYS.
When Prof Newcomb was a very
young man he discovered that the cal
culations of the astronomers as to the
movements Of the heavenly bodies were
based upon wrong premises, and could
not be accurate. In order for any good
work to be done the researches and
work of years would have to be gone
over and made right. This work was
so enormous that any one else would
not have dared to attempt it. Prof
Newcomb not only attempted, but
carried it out He.6Eas in Europe Ell
gagged inoexamining the records of the
great observatoriesz at the time of the
F'ranco-Prussian war, and at it's close
went to Paris to make his calculations
there. He entered the city just at the
end of the siege, Mrs. Newcomb being
the first English woman to come into
Paris after the capitulation. Then the