George Frederic BarJcer. 225 



GEORGE FREDERIC BARKER. 



When the writer of the foUowino; paragraplis began the 

 study of chemistry in 1872, his text-book was an " Elementary 

 Chemistry," then in its tenth edition, written by Professor 

 George F. Barlcer. At that time the writer never dreamed 

 that it would be his privilege to become a colleague of tliis dis- 

 tinguislied scientist, nor that later he would be called upon to 

 write in memory of this splendid teacher, profound student, 

 and man of noblest character. 



The face of Dr. Barker was familiar to men of science, both 

 in this country and abroad, as he made it a point, whenever 

 possible, to meet with his fellows in science. On such occa- 

 sions by his affability and courtesy he made a wide circle of 

 friends, who in recent years have keenly felt his absence from 

 their meetings, and were indeed shocked when the message of 

 his death was announced. The writer had the opportunity to 

 meet Dr. Barker daily for many years, not so intimately at first, 

 but later with the greatest freedom and in true companionship. 

 The impression made by him, at all times, was that of an 

 earnest student of science, thoroughly conversant with its most 

 recent advances and able to render subjects, which were dry and 

 unattractive though important, so simple and so fascinating, that 

 the ordinary layman could comprehend them with ease. His 

 lectures to students were celebrated for their clarity of presen- 

 tation as well as for their wide scope. He was painstaking in 

 the presentation of his subject, and his constant endeavor was 

 to make his students grasp the problems he placed befoi-e them. 

 He spared no pains to make abstruse points clear, and if at 

 times he seemed to demand almost too much and be a bit 

 brusque, yet no earnest student was ever turned away ; he was, 

 in a word, the true teacher, whose sole object was the welfare 

 of those whom he taught. 



In the lecture room he had rare skill and facility as an experi- 

 menter, and one of his chief joys was to illustrate his lectures, 

 as far as possible, with an abundance of attractive and striking 

 experiments. He often presented the most intricate topics 

 before large audiences, reaching sometimes into the thousands, 

 and so uniformly brilliant was his success that he became noted 

 throughout the country as one capable of popularizing science 

 as few could do it. The writer recalls an occasion in his 

 younger days, when the Academy of Music in Philadelphia 

 was filled to its dome with an intensely interested and intelli- 

 gent audience assembled to listen to his lecture on " Sound," 

 and, while seated in the " sky parlor" of the immense audito- 

 rium, enjoying the discomforts peculiar to his position, so 



Am. Joub. Sci. — Fourth Series, Vol. XXX, No. 177. — September, 1910. 

 15 



