Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-07-17
G"psEs OF NEWcoMB.


Noted Co. puter Who Was Ono Of The
Worlds Foremost Astronomers.
Professor Simon Newcomb, one of
who recently died at Washington. was
the son Of John B. Newcomb, the vii
lage schoolmaster Of Wallace, Nova
Scotia. He was born there in COM
parative poverty on March ~. 1885.
He lived to become one OF the eight
foreign al eciates Of the Institute of
France, the irst native American since
Franklin to be so honored; to win the
highest degrees from practically every
American college and tributes of
honor from most Of the great foreign
scientific associations.
He also lived to finish the work that
he considered his best When a short
time ago he finished his work on the
moon he had left but one great desire
y 'ulfilled-to have the naval observa-
tory made the national observatory.
A few weeks ago, in Baltimore, Pro
lessor Newcomb heard that there was
not much of living left for him.
'"Then take me to Washington" said
he. Il have work to do while there is
time"
He was taken there on a mattress in
agony, and for three weeks he. lay die
tating steadily to stenographers on a
subject which required the utmost con-
centration.
He was man Of humor, sympathy
and anecdote, with few or no enemies
and q multitude Of friends. OF his
youth he has himself told as follows:
My father was the most rational and
most dispassionate Of men. My mother
was the most profoundly and sincerely
religious woman with whom I was ever
intimately acquainted.
began to study arithmetic when I
was five years old. and when six. l am
told. was very fond Of doing sums. At
twelve was studying algebra, and about
that time began to teach. / remember
that I was thirteen when first took up
Euclid. There was a copy of it among
my fathers works. think It was the
one that belonged to my grandfather.
stonecutter. but Of unusual learning.
1t is evident from his autobiography
that Professor Newcomb got most of
his education by his own efforts,
though his father taught him the rudi-
ments. Yet he was by no means a
cold or unnatural boy. He gave this
incident to show that he had temper:
When about fifteen once made a scan
dal by taking out my knife in prayer
meeting and assaulting young man who
while was kneeling down during prayer
stood above me and squeezed my neck.
He escaped with couple Of severe
though not serious cuts in his hand. He
announced his intention Of thrashing me
when we should meet again. so for sew
eral days thereafter tried to keep Q
pitchfork within reach. determined, IL he
tried the job and failed to kill him, 1t
would be because was unable to do so.
At the age Of sixteen Professor New
comb was lost to exact science, for he
went to study under one DR.. Forshay,
in Moncton, N. S. Fortunately he
found things decidedly not to his taste.
His life at that time he describes in
this his couplet:
Physician. apothecary, chemist and drug
gist,
Girl about house and boy in the barn.
Two years later, planning to make
his way to the United States he left
DR.. Forshay and set out on foot. He
taught the three RS on the Eastern
Shore Of Maryland for a year or so
and then got his appointment to the
Nautical Almanac. He got it through
Professor Joseph Henry Of the Smith
sontan institution, to whom he had
sent an algebraic problem.
Professor Newcomb's position on the
Almanac was that of computer. He
was graduated from Harvard with the
degree of B. 8. in 1858, but even be-
fore that had made Independent re-
searches and had become notable while
still computer there through his paper
ION the Secular Variations and Mu-
tual Relations of the Orbits of the
Asteroids" From that time on he
made the pursuit Of exact astronomy
his special field.