, 1908-03-25

Il student uDOn the maCflCulaClOn album.
No one was more entitled to the name of
Student" than he, for to the end Of his life
he worked increasingly at his beloved
science. Wherever he might 60, he carried
with him his "green book."-a note book
about nine inches square, bound in green
cloth every minute not occupied in bust
ness or social duties he devoted to working
out in this book the scientific problem which
at the moment occupied his mind. These
green books must now be very numerous,
and whoever may write the off :ial biography
Of Lord Kelvin must give them careful
study, as they show the working Of his
mind from day to day-every entry is dated
and contain also many Characteristic note
on oil manner of subjects.
For many years he travelled very fire.
quently between Glasgow and ILondon
but the long hours of the journey were not
tedious to him. as he spent the whole time
in working with pencil and note book, pre-
ferring even to take some light refreshment
with him to losing time by l~unching on the
train. eff only we had thirty hours in the
day instead of twenty-four," he used to say
to the writer, eve might get some of our
work done"
But although so much absorbed in his
work Lord Kelvin was by no means q re-
cluse. He took a keen interest in what went
on in the outside world, and especially in
the political affairs of his own country.
Born an fisherman, he was an eager oppo-
nent of Mr.. Gladstone's Home Rule pro-
posals, and his political faith was to him q
matter of the greatest importance.
The MAN.
When he was nominated for the Lord
Rectorship of Glasgow University, and his
student supporters were making use in their
election literature Of his great a~ttainments in
the world of science, he said to the present
writer: II would rather be elected Lord Rec
tor because [ am q Unionist than because |
can solve differential equations" These cleo
tionS at Glasgow are almost invariably fought
on purely political lines, and it was charac-
teristic Of Lord Kelvin that on this occasion,
OF the nominee OF q political Climb, he should
prefer to let his strong political convictions
take precedence of his attainments in science.
Although "a child of Glasgow University"
Lord Kelvin was also q Cambridge man and
ever showed warm affection for that univer-
sity and for his own college, Potorh II sc. AS
a student there he was di5tingu shed as q
rowing man, and on receiving a visit one day,
not many years ago. i'll his Glasgow laborato-
~ from an old student, who informed him
that he WAS now at Petarhouse, Lord Kelvin
at once asked "Oh, indeed! Where is the
boat on the river?"
The writer remembers we'll one occasi n, o
few years ago. when he took to Lord Kelvin,
then confined to bed by illness, the news that
Cambridge had won the boat-race. Sitting
up in bed he clapped his hands and shouted
',Hlrrah! showing as much satisfaction at
this victory as an Undergraduate.
70 all who knew him he endeared himself
by his charming personality and-to use the
words Of one of his colleagues-by CHS C lid
like humility of character, his very remarha-
bic power of inspiring affection as we'll as
esteem, his interest and sympathy with
everyone who is related to him i'll any way
whatever"
The patience with which for the last TWEEN
ty years Of his life he bore, without complaint,
almost incessant pain from acute facial neu-
ralgia, is known only to his friends, but to
them hat is not the least important of the
lessons learned from Lord Kelvin's life.
w. CRAIG HENDERSON (In the "Daily
Mail. y Reprinted in the Denoeraro -4rgoSy.