16 EDWARD EMERSON BARNARD— FROST tMtoMoms I ^S 



Always mindful of the difficulties that he had to overcome in his early beginnings as an 

 astronomer, Professor Barnard was most generous in giving advice and assistance to all sincere 

 aspirants for knowledge of astronomy who approached him with questions, by letter or in 

 person, and he gave his time freely to such, in exhibiting and explaining his most significant 

 photographs. He willingly took his turn in speaking to the large number of visitors admitted 

 to the Yerkes Observatory on Saturday afternoons, and often stayed long after the closing 

 hour in expla inin g details to those who had evinced a real interest. He was most kind to other 

 workers in astronomy, and tolerant in expressing opinions of them, even though their views 

 might differ very greatly from his, and though he might regard them as radically wrong. He 

 avoided controversy, and seldom took his pen to oppose the views of others. 



Professor Barnard was not a teacher. He had missed the inspiration and opportunity of 

 studying astronomy under some gifted enthusiast. He had, of course, profited by taking part 

 in the work at an institution so well planned and organized as was the Lick Observatory by 

 Director Holden, and had received much benefit from the sane counsel of his seniors there, 

 particularly from Mr. Burnham; but he did not realize from experience the mutual importance 

 of the relation of teacher and pupil, or know the satisfaction of the teacher in having an apt 

 follower in his research to whom he may pass on the acquisitions of his years of study. Mr. 

 Barnard could not bring himself to lose time at the telescope in having a pupil take part in 

 measurements, which he could himself make so much better, and he begrudged the possible 

 loss in quality of a photograph if some one less skilled than himself took some part in the 

 guiding. Accordingly, he trained no one to be his successor; he left no disciple who could take 

 up his work after receiving the benefit of his unequaled experience as an observer and of his 

 exceptional knowledge of the heavenly bodies. 



Mr. Barnard was stricken with diabetes early in the year 1914, and had to undergo the 

 severe privation, by the doctor's orders, of giving up observations with the large telescope for 

 a year. As a result of his obedience, his health was greatly improved, and for seven years 

 longer he kept up his observing most industriously and really beyond the measure of his boddy 

 strength. It was regarded by the director of the observatory as no small part of his duties 

 to see that such a man should be induced to spare himself as much as possible and to restrict 

 his night work both to save him from exhaustion and to gain time for the reduction and dis- 

 cussion of his great accumulation of observations. But it was almost impossible for Mr. 

 Barnard to keep away from the Bruce photographic telescope when the sky was clear and the 

 moon did not interfere. 



He was greatly affected by the death of bis wife after a brief illness and after 40 years of 

 married life in which she had devoted herself completely to his comfort. They had no chil- 

 dren, and thus Mr. Barnard missed the joys and responsibilities of parenthood, even as he had 

 himself missed the experience of the relation of son to father. 



His final illness was of only six weeks' duration, and began rather acutely. The best of 

 medical skill was given him, and up to a short time before his death the specialist was hopeful 

 of his recovery. He died at 8 o'clock on the evening of February 6, and simple funeral services 

 were held on the following day in the rotunda of the observatory, which seemed to lis the 

 appropriate place. The interment was at Nashville, after services attended by many friends in his 

 native city and from his alma mater. He had always been highly appreciated at Nashville, 

 and one of the interesting evidences of this was the erection, not long ago, by the Nashville 

 Automobile Club, in cooperation with the Nashville Historical Committee, of a tablet at the 

 place in the city where the young enthusiast discovered his first comet in 1881. 



Measured by the calendar, his fife was but little more than 65 years, but, by the number of 

 hours he had spent under the nocturnal sky or in the domes, his period of activity was more 

 than that of many who had passed four score years. 



His services to science were recognized by the learned societies. He was vice president 

 of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1898, and delivered an address 

 upon the "The development of photography in astronomy." In the same year he was elected 



