INFLUENCE UPON SCIENTIFIC WORK. X1il 
patience and good nature that was truly remarkable. However, 
the ripeness of his critical judgment and the facility of his 
literary taste made most of this work easy for him, and not 
infrequently he earned the gratitude of some young author by 
having caught the spirit of his clumsily and illy-expressed ideas 
and transcribed them for him into terse and lucid language. 
His work of this nature was ever done with the conscientious 
desire to benefit the writer to the greatest degree. By the 
majority of the scientific staff of his Bureau he was particularly 
admired not only for the things which he had done in science, 
and not only for his intellect and for the wide grasp of his mind, 
but also for his fairness of judgment in all scientific matters 
and for his love and appreciation of scientific truth. In all the 
little disputes in his laboratory, he evidently endeavored never 
to let himself be led away by his personal feelings, but to give 
his decision in an impartial manner. His attitude finally 
inspired, among many of his colleagues, a confidence that he 
would judge their differences calmly and impartially, and there 
existed an intellectual bond between him and many of his labor- 
atory workers. In the latter years of his life, his personal judg- 
ment of men and things was extensively sought after and his 
advice cheerfully and unselfishly given. I never knew him so 
busy with his own work that he would not willingly be inter- 
rupted by a colleague who wished to discuss with him some 
scientific problem or who sought his aid or advice. At such 
times it ever seemed to be his earnest desire to give the most 
efficient assistance to those who so came to him. 
If we attempt to analyze his success, if we ask ourselves what 
were the qualities of his mind and character (for the two can 
not be separated in an investigator) by which he stood above 
many of his colleagues, we shall find as conspicuous traits, his 
comprehensive knowledge of scientific problems in general, his 
diligence and accuracy in the details of daily life, and his wholly 
upright and open character in all scientific matters. These 
traits were certainly powerful factors in contributing to his 
successful career. 
However, my effort to-day is not only to pay a deserved 
