The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-03-13
AN ECCENTRIC GENIUS.
Oliver Heavysides, Englaud's
Mathematical Hermit.

For pure eccentricity of character
Oliver Heavysides, the great English
mathematician, stands without a peer.
tle is recognized as a great sayant by
Lord Kelvin, Mascart and men of that
class. He has been called the intel
lectual successor of Maxwell, and his
achievements in the science of adj
yanced mathematician seem to bear
out the justice of this appellation. But
no one ever sees him. He has not been
visible to the general public since his
retirement from the Government sery-
ice, years ago.
Once when Sir John Pender was run
ming 1.-THE London Electrician" he re-
ceived communication from a COM
paratively unknown man, which not
only arrested his attention, but caused
him to think that here, at last. must
be genius in the world of mathemat-
les. The communication was published
ard caused some little comment in the
scientific world. 1t at once stamped its
author as man we'll worthy CT the
consideration of scientists, and the
paper began receiving communications
asking for information Concerning this
new light. Sir John Pender was un-
He did not himself know who the writer
was. The original communication had
been sent through the mail, but no adj
dress accompanied the manuscript, ex-
cept that the editor was asked to please
send any remuneration to a certain
grocery store,' in a nearby district.
The editor of THE Electrician" sent the
said Remuneration" to the grocery
e-fD
been in vogue evere since.
In all the years that Heavysides has
been writing for 1.-The Electrician he
has never been in the office of the
paper None of the staff know him
by sight. None know whether he is
married or single, where he lives. or
what he eats, or anything else of
personal nature concerning him. He is
simply secretiveness personified An in
cident Illustrating this is told in Eng
l;sh scientific circles.
1t was known that the mathema-
t;c.an had no income except the rather
limited one which he received for his
weekly article to 1.-THE Electrician. :"
Several of the scientific men of Eng
land in admiration for his great talent,
dc termined to give him a pension But
how to get him to accept it was
question. Communications on the sub
feet. by means of the grocery-store
Postoffice, remained unanswered, and
ether little incidents which cropped out
during the correspondence showed that
Heavysides was annoyed by the propo-
sition. A scheme was then put on foot
to compel him to accept the pension
A letter was written to him, in which
it was said that his residence had been
found out at last, and that if he did
not accept this pension, a delegation
composed of the leading scientific men
of London would march to his house
and present 1t to him in person. Evil
IDENTIFY this was to him a fearful threat
and he believed it to be true, for he
wrote back stating that he would &C
cept the pension if the delegation would
stay away. He has been receiving it
ever since, and. it is fondly believed by
his friends, who have never seen him,
that he is now living in comfort.
No biography has even been written
about this very queer man, except in
the most fragmentary manner as facts
concerning his life have cropped ont.
No picture Of hum has ever been taken.
and, therefore, no description of the
man can be given. Whether he is
schccl-bred or not no one knows, but
that he is giant in his particular