112 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



ought to be, or reprimanded by ignorant pedagogues for not 

 studying languages, dead in every sense to one who could judge 

 of the relative value of things. This repeated rejection of his 

 manuscript by the leading American journal was the most de- 

 pressing factor in his life. 



About this time, Maxwell's great work on Electricity and 

 Magnetism appeared, and Mr. Rowland recognized there the sys- 

 tem of units which he had himself invented, as well as many other 

 of his ideas. He also recognized in the author a master mind of 

 the very highest order. He compared this work with his rejected 

 manuscript and said to himself: "This is the judge I want; I 

 am either a fool, suitable for an asylum only, or my work is good. 

 I shall send my papers to this great man and find out." The 

 paper went, and the kindest of letters from the great Maxwell 

 came back, saying that the paper was of the highest value, and 

 had been sent to the Philosophical Magazine of London! This 

 verdict naturally eliminated the "depressing factor" above re- 

 ferred to. 



This "paper" appeared promptly and established Mr. Row- 

 land's reputation. It is considered to-day the beginning of the 

 modern exact study of magnetism. It was, perhaps, the main 

 cause of his selection for the chair of Physics in the Johns Hop- 

 kins University. 



While teaching at Troy, he visited his uncle, who was chap- 

 lain at West Point. Here he first met Prof. Gilman, who had just 

 been elected President of the projected Johns Hopkins University. 

 Prof. Rowland had been cordially introduced to Prof. Gilman by 

 Prof. Michie. President Gilman was anxious to secure the best 

 man in both hemispheres for the chair of Physics in the new 

 university, over which he was to preside, and at his suggestion 

 the Board of Trustees of Johns Hopkins University wrote to 

 Clerk Maxwell, Lord Rayleigh, Lord Kelvin (then Sir William 

 Thompson), Baron von Helmholtz, and other European scientists 

 for the name of the ablest physicist known to them. With sin- 

 gular unanimity these foreign specialists replied that the most 

 original thinker in the domain of physics was, in their opinion, 

 an American named Rowland, of the Rensselaer Polytechnic In- 

 stitute, of Troy, N. Y. ! Thus indorsed by Europe and America, 

 the position was offered to Prof. Rowland and accepted. He still 

 holds it. 



When this flattering offer was accepted, Johns Hopkins Uni- 

 versity was not prepared to open its doors to students, and 

 President Gilman suggested that Prof. Rowland should take a 

 year's leave of absence. This suggestion coincided perfectly with 

 Prof. Rowland's plans. He went abroad, and was for a while 

 the guest of the great Maxwell. Now, for the first time, he 



