Smyrna times., 1905-10-25
THE MODERN NEWTON
HENRY CAVENDlsA, THE SCIENTIST
AND HIS ACHIEVEMENTS


scientist, was one of the shiest of
men. So far as we have any record
he was only Ill once in his life. and that |
illness Killed him at the respectable |
fge of seventy-nine
He told his physician that "any pro-
longatiOn of life would only prolong |
his miseries," and he died. as he had |
lived, alone. For the ordinary human
relations of life he seemed to care moth |
ing; he was absorbed in his expert.
ments and loved his books and his lab
oratory more than anything else on
earth. Henry Cavendish, who has been
called 1.-The modern Newton" was born
in 1871, only four years after Newton's
death. He was educated at a private
school at Hackney, from which he pass
ed to Peterhouse, Cambridge, which he
left three years later without a degree
Thereafter he was a man Of science
devoting his whole life to experimental
philosophy.
THE man who weighed the world"
wrote Henry Cavendish's cousin, the
late Duke of Devonshire, buried his
science and his wealth in solitude at
Clapham." His science, however. he
did not bury, for he published to the
world certain facts which placed him
in the first rank of experimental philos-
Ophers. 1t was he who converted oxy-
gen and hydrogen into water and prov
ed that 1t consists of these gases; it was
be who first stated the difference be-
tween animal and common electricity,
and it was he who, by a course Of in
genious experiments, weighed the
world.
Cavendish had no vanity. He cared
for no ones praise, avoided society
and was, as one must suppose, an un-
happy man. For money he cared
little. Up to his fortieth year he was
comparatively poor, probably having
an annual income of no more than $500,
but in 1913 an uncle died who left him
an enormous fortune. OF that he spent
very little. lie was one of those rare
men who have no idea of the value of
money. His personal needs were very
simple, and the fact that he was rich
never seems to have struck him as
matter of interest
Cavendish had two houses, one on
British museum, at the corner of Cow
er street and Montague place. He had
few visitors, but his library was at
the service of any one who cared to
use it, yet, so anxious was he to be
undisturbed, that he hired a house in
Dean street in which to accommodate
his books and paid a librarian to look
after them. When he wanted to refer
to his books, he went around as though
to a circulating library and left a re-
ceipt for whatever he took away, an
admirable idea, which should be en-
couraged nowadays.
His house at Clapham was practi-
cally a workshop. The upper rooms
were converted into an observatory,
the drawing room-Cavendish had no
use for drawing rooms-was labora-
tory, and in an anteroom he had fixed
up a forge. On the lawn he erected
a stage, which enabled him to reach
the top of a large tree, on which Sc
cure and isolated perch he could be alb
solutely alone with his thoughts.
AS a host one gathers that this
strange being was hardly a success
The very few people who were admit
ted to his table were always given th'
same fare-a leg Of mutton. On on'
occasion four scientific men were t.
dine with him. When his housekeepe
consulted him as to what she was t
give them to eat, he said leg Of NUT
ton. Sir" said the good soul, 'tha
will not be enough for FIVE" well
then, get two" he replied. And thi
man, who was content to eat muttol
everlastingly. had no sense of beauty
He cared for nothing beyond his owi
work His biographer, DR.. George Wi
son, said of him:
There was nothing earnest, enthus
astic, heroic or chivalrous in the natur
Of Cavendish, and as little was ther
anything mean, groveling or ignobl'
He was almost passionless. All tha
needed for its apprehension more tina
pure intellect or required the eXercis
OF fancy, imagination, affection {
faith was distasteful to Cavendish. a
intellectual head thinking, a pair {
wonderful. acute eyes observing and
pair of very skillful hands exper
menting or recording are all that l r
alize in reading his memorials"
He simply left his income to accum
late. One day his bankers, finding thi
they had a balance of 100000 to b
credit, sent up q messenger to consu
him about it, Cavendish was extrem
ly perturbed, but he consented to 81
the messenger. What do you con
here forY' be asked. What do "
want with meT'
'Sir, | thought it proper TO wait u
on you. as we have very large bi
ance in hand of yours, and we WI
your orders respecting it."
IF it is any trouble to you l W
take it out Of your hands DO n
come here to plague meF
'sNot the least trouble to us, sir;