The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-03-13
TODAY IN HISTORY
SUNDAY, MARCH 10.

Two continents may rightfully claim
DE- Joseph Priestey. ami any country
would be proud TO own him. Although
the distinguished theologian. and man
OF science was born In England and in
that country wrote the greater part of
ms scientific and theological literature,
ne came to make his home in America
AT the height OF his fame. and died In
this country. and Is buried in the little
G2uakers burial ground at Northumber-
land. Pa.
Joseph Priestley was born on March
-. li33, near Leeds. England. The cen
tennial OF the discovery OF oxygen was
celebrated celebrate, on August ]. 1874, by tho UNI
Birmingham, England. an address in
Paris, and In this country by a gath
erlng OF chemists at his grave in North
umnerland, where appropriate addresses
Sllllman and other scientists.
frlestley was the son OF q cloth dress
or, and his father dying when he was
the home OF his aunt and was given an
excellent education He studied for the
ministry. but on his attempting to enter
IL. he was rejected on account OF his
views on original sin, the a,oncment and
eternal damnation. He then taught
school for some time. and was finally
given the degree OF IL. d. from the: Uni,
From 1913 TIL 1880. while acting as
literary companion 10 the earl Of Shell
'h' H'. lItsAlty Illlut Ills great 0lScDN-
cries IN chemistry. He WAS unacquainted
with the subject; he had no apparatus,
and knew nothing Of chemical expert
menting. but these. adverse conditions
may nave been serviceable as lie entered
upon new field where appa raj tus had
to be invented. and the arrangements
he devised for the manipulation OF gases
are unsurpassed in simplicity and have
been used ever since, The first OF these
discoveries was nitric oxide in lTT2 In
l7af ne made his discovery Of oxygen.
After coming to the United States he
also made important discoveries along
this same line.
Prlestcy arrived in America on the 4th
OF June. 1924. landing in New York
he was offered the professorship OF chem
istry In the University OF PENNSYLVANIA
with a good salary. but declined. pre-
ferring TO choose his own occupation in
retirement. Upon going TO Northumber-
land he built for himself laboratory
and an extensive library. where he
worked studiously up TO a short period
before his death, which occurred on Feb
ruary 0. 1904.
TopIady said of Priestley's character:
L love a man whom hold up as
Huxley said: He charmed away the bit
terest prejudlces in personal inter-
course. DR. Akin says Of him: '.In the
domestic relations of life he was uni
formly kind and affectionate; his parental
feelings were those or the tenderest and
best OF fathers; and not even malice it
Selt could ever nN STAN upon his pri-
vate conduct. or mpeach his integrity"
On March 13 the treaty OF France with
the United States was officially an
nounced in 1864. Hcrschel. the astrono-
mer. discovered Uranus in 1891; char
ter was granted TO the Pennsylvania
railroad in 1876; and II is the birthday
OF Charles. Earl Gray. the British re-
former Q76D; William Orr. the inventor
(lS0S); John Shrady, the distinguished
surgeon (1S30) and William w. Everts.
thcooglan and author GS4D. and the
day on which Beliza rries, the Byzantine
general died in BOB.