Evening journal., 1911-10-17
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Musical Hobby Of a
Great Scientist
By Holland

In 1897, when he was on his second
visit to this country. spent an even
ing with Lord Kelvin, one Of the
worlds greatest physicists, at his
hotel in New York city. He had Just
returned from a trip to Niagara Falls
and Pittsburg, and his mind was full
Of the wonders of manufacture and OF
the amazing developments Of indus
trial electricity which he had seen IN
those two industrial centers. Lord
Kelvin. 1t will be recalled, was prob
ably the most noted electrical scien-
tist of his day; he was the electrical
engineer for the first Atlantic cables,
and for his important work In that
connection he was knighted.
In the course Of his talk Lord Kel-
win predicted stupendous electrical
devlopment in this country. He held
the idea that in few years America
would be doing the greater part of its
daily work with the aid of electricity,
and he also ventured to say that IL was
his belief that in the future electricity
would be greatly utilized in the de-
velopment OF music.
You know, l am very fond of mu-
SIC" he said. Il do not like all operas,
| but there are some that / like very
much. Can you tell me whether any of
the Gilbert and Sullivan operas are
now being produced In your city? II
any is being produced, I shall certain
| ly try to hear It tomorrow evening
/ replied that none of the Gilbert
and Sullivan operas was being played
In the city, but that one of Wagner's
operas was being produced
Lord Kelvin shook his head and
smiled; and Lady Kelvin, who was
seated beside her distinguished hus-
band, spoke up.
Lord Kelvin does not care for and
does not understand Wagners music.
she said. 1.-THE stories of Wagner
operas he finds very tiresome. He once
had his choice in London Of going to
hear Wagner's 'Walpyrie' or Sullivan's
-Gondoliers' and he did not hesitate a
minute in deciding to hear Sullivan
Did you, my dear?" turning to Lord
Kelvin.
/ ventured to express my surprise
that one who had been all his life SC
greatly absorbed in science should
have any care for music.
"Oh," Lady Kelvin replied. Il often
tell Lord Kelvin that II he had not
taken up science | think he would
have been great musician. Did you
ever hear that he was once an expert
performer upon a musical instru
ment?"
J. thought for a moment that Lady
Kelvin was joking. But she went on e
say that when Lord Kelvin was a stu
dent at the university he learned u
play upon the French horn. He ever
Joined the university orchestra. and h'
became so sklful in playing the in
strument that he was told he coulC
easily earn his living with 1t by join
ing some orchestra
Lord Kelvin listened 10 the affection
ate prattle Of his wife, smilingly ac
quiescing in all that she said and ever
going so far as to say to me that !
was true that he had once learned L
play the French horn. And there cam
} to my mind, as this greatest scientis
> Of his time made this acknowledgment
? of his fondness for a difficult yet hum
/ BILE orchestral instrument, pictur
J OF that great man with French borl
} at his lips, footing it's mellow ant
soft tones in a great orchestra Per
I haps Lady Kelvin devined my thought
for she said
THE French horn which Lord Kel
vim used to play is still in existenc
and he knows where 1t is and some
times takes It up, playing upon It wit
all the zest and enthusiasm which b
showed for that instrument in th
days when he played II at the univer
sity Don't you, my dear?"
} And Lord Kelvin smilingly nodde
I his head
a Copyright, 1911. by p J. Edwards. Al
). rights reserved-)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell Z
a eWhy Horace Greeley Took Up Anna