TEE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE. 



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removal to Princeton in 1S79; also for 

 measurements of Uranus and. double 

 stars with the 23-inch refractor of 

 the Halstead Observatory. Professor 

 Young observed the transit of Venus 

 of 1S74 at Pekin, that of 1882 at 

 Princeton; and he traveled to favorable 

 points of observation of the solar 

 eclipses of 1869, 1870, 1S78, 1887 and 

 1900. 



Despite the value of his original re- 

 searches, so imperfectly sketched above, 

 it is not for them that we most highly 

 honor Professor Young. Nor is it for 

 the excellence of his numerous text- 

 books on astronomy, which have been 

 used by far more than a hundred thou- 

 sand students and readers. It is 

 rather for himself, his own personality, 

 and for the lofty ideals which his life 

 has so fully illustrated. A personal 

 acquaintance is not necessary for the 

 recognition of these qualities, for they 

 appear in all his writings, whether 

 popular or technical. Whatever things 

 are taught must be ' correct and ac- 

 curate as far as they go.' Truth must 

 not be debased for the sake of popular- 

 ization. The assumption premised 

 must always be clearly indicated; and 

 the limitations of our mode of obser- 

 vation kept in mind. Such principles 

 as these have ever been illustrated by 

 this teacher in his writings, on the lec- 

 ture platform, and in the classroom. 



The total absence of dogmatism or 

 assertiveness. even in works on which 

 he is preeminently an authority (as in 

 The Sun), is conspicuous; and his toler- 

 ance for views different from his own, 

 with his uniform avoidance of any- 

 thing controversial in his teachings and 

 writings, furnish an example which 

 many younger and older men could fol- 

 low to great advantage. 



The vein of quaint humor which per- 

 vades his speech and literary work have 

 been always appreciated by his friends 

 and readers, and is an obvious part of 

 his genial philosophy of life. Worries, 

 cares and disappointments have not 

 been absent, and for some years ill- 



health has added its burden. But the 

 gentle influence of an ideal conjugal 

 companionship, extending over more 

 than forty years, always lightened 

 these cares until the crushing bereave- 

 ent came four years ago. 



As Professor Young now retires from 

 active duties upon ' coming of age,' 

 thousands of pupils, readers and 

 friends, salute him. May many com- 

 ing years be allotted to him, now in the 

 ripe maturity of his mind, for reflec- 

 tion, study and contributions to the 

 world's knowledge of other worlds. 



SCIENTIFIC ITEMS. 

 The faculty of Princeton University 

 gave a dinner on the evening of May 

 17 in honor of Professor Charles A. 

 Young, who becomes professor emeritus 

 after a service of twenty-eight years 

 as professor of astronomy. Among 

 the speakers were President Woodrow 

 Wilson, of Princeton; President Francis 

 L. Patton, of Princeton Theological 

 Seminary; Mr. M. Taylor Pyne, of New 

 York; Professor Silas Brackett, Pro- 

 fessor W. F. Magie and Dr. Henry Van 

 Dyke, who read a poem. A loving cup 

 was presented to Professor Young. — ■ 

 Professor J. J. Thomson, F.R.S., of 

 Cambridge University, has been elected 

 professor of natural philosophy in the 

 Royal Institution to succeed Lord Ray- 

 leigh, who becomes honorary professor. 



Professor George T. Ladd, who has 

 resigned from the chair of philosophy 

 at Yale University, has arranged to 

 pass the latter half of next year as 

 professor of philosophy at Western Re- 

 serve University. At the close of the 

 war in the east he expects to go to 

 Japan to lecture on educational methods 

 under the auspices of the Japanese Im- 

 perial Education Society. — Sir Patrick 

 Manson has been invited to give the 

 Lane lectures at the Cooper Medical 

 College, California, this year. He will 

 lecture on some aspect of tropical dis- 

 eases. — The courses that Professor Wil- 

 helm Ostwald, of the University of 



