110 THE UNIVERSE 



or religious association, I have no prejudices to over- 

 come and seek the truth only, without fear, favor 

 or undue predilections. Old traditions, fossilized 

 theories and antiquated authority have little weight 

 in my mind by the side of recent facts. But I am 

 not an iconoclast, for I am more anxious to build 

 up than to tear down. 



The professional scientists may deem such students 

 of nature as myself who trespass upon their chosen 

 domain as amateurs. If so, it is a proud distinction. 

 Amateurs have accomplished nearly all the great 

 things in the world's history. Cromwell was a 

 farmer, Hastings and Clive were clerks, Bismarck 

 twice failed in his examination to become a lawyer, 

 Washington was a surveyor and Franklin a printer, 

 Herschell was a musician, Faraday a bookbinder, 

 Scott a lawyer's clerk, Arkwright, the inventor of 

 the spinning machine, was a barber; Spinoza a glass- 

 blower, Herbert Spencer an engineer, Edison a news- 

 boy, and Stephenson, the inventor of the locomotive, 

 an ordinary workman; Lincoln was a railsplitter, 

 Grant a tanner, Andrew Johnson a tailor, Andrew 

 Jackson a saddler, Vanderbilt a ferryman, Roths- 

 child a peddler, Krupp a blacksmith, Paul a tent- 

 maker, and Christ a carpenter. The names of dis- 

 tinguished amateurs could be continued indefinitely, 

 but space forbids. 



As I have discussed this question elsewhere and 

 touched on it in other chapters, extended discussion 

 might cause repetition. Besides, this volume is not 

 intended for detail or abtruse minutiae, but for the 

 statement of leading facts for the masses of intelli- 

 gent people, who abhor technical terms and dry de- 

 tails. Many people find scientific books so dry and 



