The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-09-02
DISTINGUISHED HIMSELF IN SCIENCE
Like Benedict Arnold He Joined
The Royal Standard.
NOW HONORED IN TWO HEMISPHERES
In Latter days He Repented of
His Base Treason.

In the list OF expatriated Americans,
printed all over the country in the ac-
count of William Waldorf Astor's SUR
render of his allegiance to the United
States, the name OF one man still hon
ored in two herispheres despite his
apostacy has been strangely omitted
A portrait OF him hangs in Harvard COL
lege and another in the Royal socety's
rooms in Burlington house, London.
A splendid bronze statue is set up to his
memory in Munich and thirty years ago
visitors came to Woburn, Mass, to see
the house where he was born, which
was then still standing and may be yet.
This was Benjamin Thompson, an Of
fcer in the American military forces
before the revolutionary war, then a
knight and officer in the British army
during that struggle; next count OF
Bavaria and finally scientist, social
economist and reformer, honored all
over Europe and in this country, where
his desertion was forgotten. His career
is one Of the romances of the last CEN
tury.
! Middlc-aged people remember a va
riety of familiar things in their child
hood, which either bore the name of
Rumford or were known to be the in
ventions of an ex-American who be-
came German count Their parents
have still more vivid recollection OF
stoves and foods of the Rumford make
In scarcely meeting of advanced
scientists where the laws Of matter are
discussed does there fail to be reference
made to Rumford's discoveries in heat
ard motion, even to-day. Less than a
dozen years ago he was pronounced a
contributor to pure science as eminent
in his way as Benjamin Franklin.
Benjamin Thompson was born in
1853 at Woburn, Mass. His father was
an officer who had fought against the
French and Indians in the seven years
war. The boy early cvinced an ex-
traordinary aptitude for learning. After
passing through several preliminary
schools he entered Harvard, which
turned him out strapping young man
Of 10, over six feet in height, with
knowledge of languages, surgery and
general science. Thompson immediate
ly began series of experiments with
gunpowder. The revolutionary war was
fomenting and probably in an attempt
to secure the services of the young
scientist to the British cause the royal
ist governor, Wentworth of New Hamp-
shire, gave him commission as major
in the militia OF that state.
The appointment aroused the instant
opposition of the other officers of the
forces. They accused Thompson OF
sympathy with the royalist cause. His
biographies have attempted to refute the
charge by arguing that the young mans
naughty manners growing out OF con-
scious superiority of mind and his in
timacy with the royal governor had en-
bittered the patriotic but rough and un-
educated men who held other commits
sions in the militia of the state Thomp-
son did not notice the remarks made
about him, until finally he was threat
ened with coat of tar and feathers.
Then he called for proofs that he was
disloyal to the American cause. No
body produced any proof, but the feel
ing against the young man soon reached
such point that he was forced to re-
sign. For the first year or two OF the
revolution he wandered about from
camp to camp, an object OF suspicion,
without any associates. Nobody knew
it positively, but it was generally believed
that Thompson was collecting informa-
ton for the benefit OF the British. The
suspicion became certainty when the
young man, whose sympathics should
have been with his friends and fellow
countrymen, threw off all disguise and
sailed for England, bearing dispatches
from the British General Gage.
King Georges government welcomed
him warmly. Lord Germain, secretary
OF state, gave him place of profit in the
foreign office. He was offered every
opportunity to continue his expert
ments with gunpowder. Shortly after
his arrival he induced the government
to alter the form of projectiles, with ad-
vantageous results. He made bayonet
and got it adopted on the infantry arm
of the British service. He wrotet an
elaborate paper on the cohesion \of