SIMON NEWCOMB. 
141 
and last June the manuscript was sent to the Nautical 
Almanac Office. The printer’s copy is now being prepared, 
and the printing of this valuable and last work of Professor 
Newcomb would have been commenced some months since, 
but for a shortage in the printing fund of the Navy Depart- 
ment. The corrections to the moon’s place are, however, 
available for use in the Office, and the elements of eclipses 
for the year 1912, as they will appear in the volume of the 
American Ephemeris for that year, have been improved by 
applying these corrections to the positions of the moon. As a 
result we expect that the predicted times of beginning and 
ending of these eclipses will prove to more nearly agree with 
the results of observation by about 15 seconds. Thus again, 
as he had so often done during a long and busy life, he 
added, as it has been fitly said, to “the only permanent wealth 
of nations.’’ 
However, it should be remembered that Professor New- 
comb’s astronomical work was not confined to remote and 
abstract regions incomprehensible to ordinary minds. As a 
writer on astronomy and allied scientific subjects, he has 
rendered the greatest service, not only to all grades of stu- 
dents, but to all intelligent readers of popular scientific litera- 
ture. His profound knowledge, logical and orderly mind, 
together with a facile pen, made him the best popular writer 
on astronomy since Sir John IJerschel. 
For about a year and a half before his death, while the 
Nautical Almanac Office was engaged in certain work in 
cooperation with Professor Newcomb, I had frequent con- 
sultations with him. For several years previous I had known 
Professor Newcomb and have talked with him from time to 
time, usually on astronomical subjects. The breadth of his 
knowledge and the depth of his insight, and also the modera- 
tion which accompanied the firmness and precision of his 
judgments, were conspicuous. He was always open to con- 
viction and would respectfully and patiently listen to opin- 
ions which he had perhaps little reason to value. He was 
kind and charitable, seemed always ready to recognize merit, 
and there is no doubt that many astronomers owe much to 
