GAUSS AND HIS AMERICAN DESCENDANTS in 



Gauss lived nearly half a century at Gottingen in the midst of con- 

 tinuous work. In 1828 he attended a meeting of scientists in Berlin. 

 After that he never left the vicinity of Gottingen, except in 1854, when 

 a railroad was opened between Gottingen and Hanover. In the letter 

 of August 7, 1852, which we print below in full, Gauss refers to his 

 intention of going to Hanover, when the railroad is completed, and he 

 says that he has not passed a night away from his own fireside since 

 1830. In marked contrast to this love of seclusion is the "Wander- 

 ungslust" of two of his sons, Eugen and Wilhelm. We shall see that 

 both of them made their homes in the United States. A letter written 

 by Wilhelm to his father in March, 1835 (kindly shown me by Mr. 

 William T. Gauss, of Colorado Springs, Colo., a son of Wilhelm) dis- 

 closes an intense longing to make his home in America, which country 

 made uncontrollable appeals to his imagination. Wilhelm was then 

 twenty-two years old and away from home. Here are fragments from 

 the long letter on this subject: 



Father, I pray you again, by every earthly consideration, let me come home 

 and next fall or winter go to America! I have written you that I can secure a 

 position at Potsdam. ... If you command me to accept it, then of course I must 

 obey, but I can not remain there permanently. I have no peace day or night 

 and in everything I do, America stands before my eyes! . . . Let me come home 

 and study the English language during the summer, let me make the necessary 

 preparations, and start in September of this year by way of New Orleans for 

 Missouri. 



He remained in Germany two years longer, devoting himself mainly 

 to the study of agriculture, in preparation for the life he expected to 

 lead in America. 



Gauss had four sons, one of whom died in infancy. We have already 

 mentioned Eugen and Wilhelm. Joseph, the oldest, was an officer in 

 the German army, later a director of the Hanoverian railroads. In the 

 latter part of the 30's he visited this country as a representative of his 

 government to investigate the American railway system, then in its 

 infancy. He maintained his residence in Germany, where later he 

 assisted his father in the triangulation of the kingdom of Hanover. 

 He died in 1873. His son- Carl August Gauss, of Hameln, is the only 

 grandchild of the mathematician who is living in Germany to-day. 

 The United States now claims most of the descendants of Gauss. He 

 had two daughters, who were married, but had no children. The older, 

 Minna, married Ewald, the orientalist. 



It is conceded that Eugen inherited more of his father's genius 

 than did his brothers. Eugen left for this country as a boy of nineteen. 

 Before coming he had been attending the University of Gottingen. 

 While he was not more reckless than other students, he spent some of 

 his time in fighting duels, enjoying the society of boon companions, and 

 in doing whatever else made up the gay, yet not dissipated, life of a 



