Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-21
Pertaining to Woman in the Home and Business

evening to watch the pretty stars" Long
before she was 10 years old the little maid
knew the heavens and the relative loca-
tions of the stars as we'll as she knew the
streets OF her native town. Her father,
William Mitchell, for years a master in
the island schools and later cashier of the
national bank, was delighted with the bent
of his small daughters mind and he en-
couraged her. He himself was Interested
in scientific research and he taught her to
count the seconds by the chronometer while
he studied the stars. She learned this so
readily that later when he was employed
to rate" the chronometers of the Nam
tuoket whaling fleet Maria was his valua-
BILE assistant.
In 1881, during the total eclipse of the
sun, Mr.. Mitchell removed the sash of
parlor window Of the home to make an
observation and while he performed this
task his 12-year-old daughter counted the
seconds for him.
In her diary Maria Mitchell, ffty-four
years later, mentioned the fact that she
again counted the seconds during a total
solar eclipse, but with a class of eager
Vassar students at her side taking the OBJ
servation instead OF her beloved father.
AS she grew up Maria Mitchell devoted
her attention assiduously to astronomy,
mastering it with the ease of born sci
enlist. For twenty years a little closet,
SX4, located in the family house served
as her study. 1t was fitted with a shelf
and chair, and here she did all her work
uutil she was made professor Of astronomy
and director OF the observatory upon the
founding of Vassar in 1853 She held that
position until 1888, when falling health
necessitated her retirement and she was
made professor emeritus
II was before she became identified with
Vassar that Maria Mitchell made the dis
covery that caused her name to be famous
the world over. aud which won her the
king Of Denmark's gold medal for the first
telescope discovery Of a comet.
It was the evening of October /, 1917. tina.
she made the famous discovery For
years she had been in the habit Of spending
a few hours nightly in her little observa-
tory on the roof Of her home to sweep
the heavens" with her telescope. This par
ticuar evening there were guests at the
house, but she excused herself and went to
keep her nightly vigil. During the hours
she spent on the roof that night the lens
OF her little telescope revealed to her a
new comet.
She made the discovery known next day
was seen by the observer at Rome. On
the 7th Of the month it was noticed at
Kent, England, and on the nth at Ham
burg. But the world admitted that the real
dlscoverer OF the comet was Marie Nit
chelI with her little telescope. the Little
Dolland." on the roof Of her Nantucket
home.
Another honor came 70 Marie Mitchell
when, in 1853, she was given a bronze
medal by the republic Of San Marine in
Italy.
The house which is now to be preserved
as a lasting memory TO this woman was
occupied from 1916 Until 1900 by some branch
or other OF the Mitchell family. The me-
mortal association mas placed It in gOOd
repair. The furnishings are old fashioned
and for the most part the appearance OF
the house has changed but little since the
time when Maria Mitchell passed her
youthful days watching the pretty stars. "
There are "knotted paintings" on some OF
the walls, and these in themselves are in
teresting, since their composition Is q lost
art