26 SMITHSONIAN MISCKLLANEOUS COLLECTIONS. 



draftsman led him first to an architect's office. A year later he was 

 appointed assistant in the Astronomical Observatory of Harvard 

 College, and his interest was thus permanently directed to this de- 

 partment of science. The first problem assigned him was the study 

 of the great Trifid Nebula in Sagittarius, a research in which his 

 unusual combination of artistic skill and precise methods proved as 

 useful to him as in some of his later work. The first discovery he 

 made was two faint stars near the remarkable triple star in this 

 nebula. The next year found him teaching in the Naval Academy, 

 as Assistant Professor of I^Iathematics, and in the following year 

 he was appointed Director of the Allegheny Observatory. This po- 

 sition was regarded by his associates as an extremely desirable one. 

 Although under the control of the University of Western Pennsyl- 

 vania, no teaching was required. The liberality of the founder, the 

 late William Thaw% permitted the entire time of the director to be 

 devoted to research — a privilege then enjoyed by but few American 

 astronomers. His early years at Allegheny were not free from in- 

 cident. His predecessor became insane, and wrote a poem about 

 the large telescope which he appeared to worship. He objected to 

 the presence of other persons in the dome and emphasized his views 

 with a shotgun. In his poem he predicted the disappearance of the 

 lens, which by a singular coincidence came true, although it appears 

 to be certain that he had no connection with the theft. Mr. Langley 

 tactfully got into communication with the thief, and his account of 

 their interview was graphic. Walking up and down under the trees 

 one evening in a secluded spot, the thief remarked, "You are a gen- 

 tleman and I am a gentleman ; we can trust one another." The lens 

 was finally returned without the reward which was oft'ered for the 

 conviction of the thief. 



There was only one disadvantage to Langley 's position, the lack 

 of appreciative friends interested in his work ; but it was a serious 

 loss to a man of his social disposition. To offset this, it gave him 

 abundant leisure, which he employed to good advantage, as he was 

 an omnivorous reader. There was a grain of truth in his witty 

 reply to an admiring young lady, who remarked, "Why, Mr. Lang- 

 ley, I do believe you have read every book that ever was written." 

 "Oh, no," he said, "there are six that I have not read, as yet." He 

 thus attained a cultivation that more than made up for his lack of a 

 college education and gave him a remarkably large vocabulary. It 

 was perhaps through these conditions that he acquired a charming 

 style, which rendered his "Old and New Astronomy" one of the 

 most enjoyable works on the subject. His first contribution to a 



