SIMON NEWCOMB 371 



any kind, especially the hard work of observing. He and I 

 arranged to observe on the same nights; but I soon found that there 

 was no concerted plan between the two sets of observers. The 

 instruments were old-fashioned ones, of which mine could deter- 

 mine only the right ascension of a star and his only its declination ; 

 hence to completely determine the position of a celestial body, 

 observations must be made on the same object with both instru- 

 ments. But I soon found that there was no concert of action of 

 this kind. Hubbard, on the mural circle, had his plan of work; 

 Yarnell and myself, on the transit, had ours. When either Hub- 

 bard or myself got tired, we could 'vote it cloudy' and go out for 

 a plate of oysters at a neighboring restaurant." 



He soon found that "no system of work of the first order of 

 importance could be initiated until the instrumental equipment 

 was greatly improved." The clocks, perfection in which is almost 

 at the bottom of good work, were quite unfit for use; the other 

 instruments were antiquated and defective in many particulars. 

 Slowly, however, the pressing needs were supplied and new instru- 

 ments, notably a great transit circle, were obtained through the 

 indefatigable zeal of James M. Gilliss, who was in charge of the 

 observatory. Meanwhile the task of editing, explaining, and pre- 

 paring for the press the new series of observations made by himself 

 and his colleague with the old transit instrument, devolved on him. 



In 1863, in consequence of the death of Prof. J. S. Hubbard of 

 the professorial corps, Newcomb was given charge of the mural 

 circle. Of this new undertaking he says: " I soon became conscious 

 of the fact, which no one had previously taken much account of, 

 that upon the plan of each man reducing his own observations, 

 not only was there an entire lack of homogeneity in the work, but 

 the more work one did at night the more he had to do by day." 

 That he possessed the confidence of his superior is evident, for on 

 presenting the case to Superintendent Gilliss that official quickly 

 appreciated the fact that work done with the instruments should 

 be regarded as that of the observatory, and reduced on a uniform 

 plan, instead of being considered as the property of the individual 

 who happened to make it. Newcomb adds: "Thus was intro- 

 duced the first step toward a proper official system." 



