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MR. LICK's first deed of trust was dated the question of water supply was a serious July 16th, 1874, and provided for the con- one. This latter difficulty has been sur struction of his observatory at Lake Tahoe, mounted by the discovery of springs 300 or at some other point, if this should prove feet below the summit level, and only 4,300 to be unfavorable. The first Board of Trus- feet distant from the observatory. tees ceased to hold office in September, 1875, and a second board assumed its duties.

A further consideration of the proposed site of the observatory at Lake Tahoe led to the conclusion that whatever might be the advantages of this situation, the disadvantages arising from the extremely severe win ters would probably outweigh them. Mr. Lick himself was convinced of this, and was advised to examine mountains further south. During the summer of 1875, Mr. Lick sent Mr. Fraser, his agent, to report on Mount St. Helena, Monte Diablo, Loma Prieta, and Mount Hamilton, with special reference to their accessibility, and to the convenience of establishing extensive buildings on their summits.

Mr. Fraser's visit to Mount Hamilton was made in August, 1875. In many respects, this seemed to be the best situated of all the mountain peaks. Yet the possibility that a complete astronomical establishment might one day be planted on its summit seemed more like a fairy tale than like sober fact. It was at that time a wilderness. A few cattle ranches occupied the valleys around it. Its slopes were covered with chapparal, or thickets of scrub oak. Not even a trail led over it.... The nearest house was eleven miles away. There were three sharp peaks connected by two saddles: the east peak (properly northeast peak), 4,448 feet high; the middle peak, 4,318 feet; and finally Mount Hamilton, 4.302 feet. The last seemed to be the most satisfactory, but it was obvious that immense quantities of the hard greywacke rock, of which the mountain is composed, would have to be removed in order to secure a level platform for the houses and instruments. In fact, over seventy thousand tons of solid rock have been so removed, the surface having been lowered as much as thirty-two feet in places. The expense of constructing a practicable road to the summit would certainly be great (in fact, it has cost about eighty thousand dollars), and finally

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Mount Hamilton presented immense advantages on the score of its nearness to San José, where two railways meet, and especially because it was known that the fogs which cover the Santa Clara Valley at nightfall, and which last until the sun is quite high the next day, did not, at least usually, extend to the peak. On these grounds, chiefly, Mr. Fraser recommended, and Mr. Lick practi cally accepted, Mount Hamilton as the site for the future observatory.

During the summer of 1876, the Trustees were engaged in correspondence with various astronomers and opticians, and one of their number visited personally many observ. atories in Europe. In the autumn of 1876, the third (and present) Board of Trustees was appointed.

In 1875, Mr. Lick had proposed to Santa Clara county to definitively place his observa-/ tory on Mount Hamilton, if the county would construct a road to the summit. This proposition was accepted in 1875 by the supervisors and the road was completed in 1876.

No more magnificent mountain road exists in the United States, when all the circumstances of fine scenery, excellent road-bed, and extensive and commanding views are considered.

The road rises four thousand feet in twenty-two miles, and the grade nowhere exceeds six and a half feet in one hundred, or three hundred and forty-three feet to the mile. Most of the road is materially less steep than this.

The first four miles (of the twenty-six) is a fine, nearly level avenue, laid out in a perfectly straight line in the Santa Clara valley. ́The ascent of the foot hills is then commenced, and the road begins a series of twistings and turnings, which are necessary in order to keep the gradient low. Toward the end of the route the road winds round and round the flanks of the mountain itself and overlooks one of the most picturesque of scenes. The lovely valley of Santa Clara

and the Santa Cruz mountains to the west, a bit of the Pacific and the Bay of Monterey to the southwest, the Sierra Nevada, with countless ranges to the southeast, the San Joaquin valley, with the Sierras beyond, to the east, while to the north lie many lower ranges of hills, and on the horizon, Lassen's Butte, one hundred and seventy-five miles away. The Bay of San Francisco lies flat before you like a child's dissecting map, and beyond it is Mount Tamalpais, at the entrance to the Golden Gate. Monte Diablo lies to the northeast, forty-one miles distant. Mount St. Helena is not visible. Mount Hamilton dominates all its neighbors, and holds a singularly isolated and advantageous place.

The land for the site (1350 acres) was granted by Congress on June 7, 1876, and a purchase of 191 acres was subsequently made by the Trustees, to enable them to control the access of the reservation.

Mr. Lick died on October 1, 1876. At his death a number of legal questions arose which required some years to settle. It was not until 1879 that the financial affairs of the trust were in such a condition that active preparations for the observatory could be begun.

In the summer of this year, Mr. Burnham, a most distinguished observer of double stars, was asked by the Trustees to transport his own very perfect telescope to the summit of Mount Hamilton, and there to actually make an extended series of observations similar to those he was constantly making at Chicago, his home, or at the observatories of Dart mouth College and of Washington, where he was a frequent visitor. In this way a very satisfactory judgment of the fitness of Mount Hamilton for an observatory site could be had.

Mr. Burnham spent the months of August, September and October on the summit, in a small canvas-covered observatory, which was perched on the narrow saddle of the mountain peak.

His report to the Trustees gives a sober but an enthusiastic account of the prevailing conditions. Of sixty nights, no less than forty-two were of the very highest class, seven were quite suitable for observations, while

eleven were cloudy or foggy. This estimate of high class nights does not rest simply on the observer's judgment. He has left an extensive series of actual measures of difficult double stars, and a catalogue of forty-two new doubles discovered by him during this short period. It is to be noted that in many cases Mr. Burnham's new double stars bear peculiar witness to the excellent conditions of vision. He was examining with his sixinch telescope the stars which had been described as double by the elder Struve, with the nine-inch telescope of Dorpat. Struve's telescope collected two and one-fourth times more light than the other, and was one and a half times more efficient in pure separating power. Yet stars which Struve had catalogued as double, were found by Mr. Burnham to be triple. Other new stars of great difficulty were found.

Mr. Burnham says: "Remembering that these stars were discovered with what, in these days of great refractors, would be considered as a very inferior instrument in point of size, we may form some conception of what might be done with an instrument of the power of that at the Naval Observatory (twenty-six inch aperture), or with the Pulkowa glass (of thirty inch aperture)."

The large telescope of the Lick Observatory is to have an aperture of thirty-six inches, and a length of sixty feet.

Another most important point is not specially noted by Mr. Burnham. Not only are many nights of the highest excellence, but a large proportion of the remaining ones are very suitable for work. There are many astronomical researches where it is of great importance that a series of observations should be continuous; and for all such researches Mount Hamilton is an almost unrivalled site. This stay of Mr. Burnham's was a convincing proof that the site for the future observatory had been well chosen.

The Trustees have followed a wise policy in inviting various astronomers to spend short periods at Mount Hamilton, and to advise them upon the work of construction and equipment. These invitations have been so timed as to enable the visiting astronomers to render material aid in the construction of

the observatory, by setting up the various instruments in the best manner, or so as to permit these instruments to be thoroughly tested by actually making observations of permanent value by their aid. In this way, the Trustees have obtained observations of the Transit of Mercury (1881) and of the Transit of Venus (1883), in addition to securing competent professional judgments on the work then completed, and valuable opinions on that still remaining to be done.

The actual work of construction was begun in 1880, under the personal supervision of Capt. R. S. Floyd and the superintendent of construction, Mr. Fraser. Their unceasing care, great practical knowledge, and ready comprehension of purely astronomical requirements have contributed to the excellence of the observatory in no small degree. The summers of 1880 and 1881 were spent in obtaining a suitable platform for the observatory buildings, by blasting the rock away until a level surface was obtained thirty-two feet lower than the original summit.

A sufficient water supply was obtained and utilized at once. In later years the earlier and temporary arrangements have been replaced by permanent ones.

All the buildings of the observatory proper are now completed, except the dome for the large equatorial. A suitable dwelling house has been erected, others will be required. All the principal instruments of the observatory but one have been designed, ordered, constructed, inspected, and are now suitably mounted so that observations could be at once begun. Most of the minor apparatus

is also in place.

An extensive astronomical library is required, which is in course of formation. In order to do valuable and original work, it is necessary to know exactly what has been done by others. Hardly any gift to the observatory would be so useful as a permanent library fund.

perfect kind, and to transfer this to the Regents of the University of California, together with the unexpended balance of the $700,000 originally given by Mr. Lick. The organization of the astronomical force is entrusted to the Regents, who appoint the director of the observatory and the various astronomers, and who pay the salaries of the latter from the income of the observatory. Probably this income, when it is available, will be sufficient for the purpose. In the mean time, there are astronomical observations which should be begun at once, but which cannot be unless the salaries of the competent assistants can be provided for.

It is of the first importance to find some means of paying the salaries of one or two observers for the years 1886 and 1887, in order that the magnificent equipment may be at once put to its legitimate uses. great sum is required, but a few thousand dollars at this time would be of real service.

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In any event, it will not be very long before the observatory enters into activity. The only questions yet remaining are the fabrication of the large object-glass and the preparations for its use. The rough glass is now in the hands of the makers, Messrs. Alvan Clark & Sons. There is no reason to doubt their success in an undertaking for which they have served a magnificent apprenticeship, in making the equatorials at Madison, Princeton, Washington, University of Virginia and at Pulkowa.

A dome of about seventy feet in diameter and an elaborate mounting for the telescope must be ready for the objective when it leaves the hands of the makers. These constructions must be most carefully studied, but it is certain that they can be successfully made. In a comparatively short time the generous gift of Mr. Lick to his fellow-citizens of California is sure to bear fruit.

The new observatory is magnificently built, endowed, and placed; and it has a field of The terms of Mr. Lick's deed of trust work before it which is in many respects do not allow the Lick Trustees to begin unique. Everything will depend upon the at once to pay salaries to astronomical ob- faithfulness of the astronomers who are servers. Their duty is to build and equip privileged to utilize these perfect instruments an astronomical observatory of the most in a perfect situation.

Edward S. Holden.

JOHN MCCULLOUGH.

PERSONAL admirers, friendly critics, and distinguished members of the dramatic profession have paid their tribute to the dead tragedian, in praise of his manly qualities, his social nature, and his kindness of heart; but in noting the career of the popular actor, the great reason for his success in his profession has been overlooked. He has been spoken of as a chairmaker, who, on some almost unremembered occasion, appeared in a small part in a comedy played at one of the Philadelphia theaters; as a suddenlypromoted utility man, entrusted with the delivery of a few words in the tragedy of "Julius Cæsar." But there must needs have been many months of patient work, and of earnest study of authors and of the dramatic art, to have enabled the hitherto uncultured chairmaker to appear as a leading tragedian before very large audiences in nearly every city in the United States, and even to win unstinted praise from the London critics, who are usually cynical when called upon to admit that an actor from America is the possessor of a spark of dramatic talent. In the courtry where Edwin Forrest had been chilled by cold reviews of his performances, McCullough won recognition on his merits as an actor, and made many warm friends among the patrons of the drama. Dion Boucicault had predicted a great London success for his impersonation of Virginius, and the prediction was fully verified.

John McCullough did not pose as a student, did not wear a preoccupied air when brought in contact with people off the stage, nor wrinkle his brow, as if in deep thought; he laid no plans to be pointed out as "one of the most diligent students in the profession": and thus the man who did not act when out of the theater, who could find time to exchange salutations with his friends, iudulge in a chop at a rotisserie, or play a game of billiards at a hotel, was rated as a 'genial gentleman and a delightful compan

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ion; a pretty good actor in some parts; but he doesn't study-he will never rank with Doleful Lugubrious as a star." Occasionally, however, it would be noted that the man with the unaffected manner and cheerful disposition had, in his early career, always "understudied" the other parts in the plays in which he appeared, and that the precau tion thus taken at such great pains, had frequently made his services available in the case of sudden illness of the person whose lines had been understudied. It is also related that on one occasion, when the indisposition of the great star necessitated the substitution of another play or the closing of the theater, and subsequent great loss to the manager, the warm-blooded young actor volunteered to give a performance and accept any play that the company had recently played in, or that the members were most familiar with-and did appear in one of the most difficult of the legitimate tragedies that evening, to the great delight of those who composed the audience. It seems to have never occurred to some of the writers whose utterances go to make up public opinion, that a man may be a diligent student, and yet have time to mingle with the world as they themselves mingle; and the fact has apparently been overlooked that John McCullough was earnestly devoted to his profession with rare unselfishness, and that too much study probably caused the breaking down that resulted in his untimely death.

. Long before the time when Mr. Forrest engaged him as leading man, the young actor had eagerly read such works on the drama as were accessible to him; and on being encouraged to make use of the extensive library collected by the great tragedian, the student spent every available minute of his time in devouring the contents of the many valuable works which had been thus placed at his command." Mr. Forrest took frequent occa sion to satisfy himself that the young actor

was profiting by his study, and would frequently question him as to his understand ing of the plays he had read, or as to the meaning of passages that are regarded as obscure. In these questionings the young man frequently responded with whole pages of the text from memory; but mere repetition of the words would not suffice the tutor; an answer was required that would show a knowledge of the meaning of the author. It was before the time when the phrase was invented that permits the popular actor to claim that he has "created the character " in the play which has for the time struck the fancy of the public. The tutor held that the province of the actor was not only to conscientiously deliver the language of the playwright, but to faithfully portray the character created by the author, and this could only be accomplished by diligent study of the whole play. As the student turned over the leaves of a volume of Shakespeare, and his eye rested on the tragedy of "Hamlet," he inquired why that tragedy was no longer included in the list of plays to be presented in the engagements made by the great tragedian. This opportunity to test the young man's memory and understanding could not be overlooked; diad goal ach

"Don't you know that the Prince of Denmark, according to popular idea, should be played by an actor of juvenile appearance-a stripling not yet of sufficient age to succeed to the throne left vacant by the death of his father? And yet the author does not furnish the basis for the popular idea. How does Shakespeare describe Hamlet physically?"

The reply was instant : "As a man of thirty years of age, an athlete, and of full habit."

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Quote the lines that warrant that description.":

"They are to be found in the fifth act, in the scene with the grave-digger; in the acceptance of the challenge delivered by young Osric; and in the fencing scene. I will read the colloquy between Hamlet and the First Clown, as he is called in the volume:

"Hamlet.-How absolute the knave is! we must

speak by the card, or equivocation will undo us. How long hast thou been a grave-maker?

1st Clown. Of all the days 'i the year, I came to't that day that our last king Hamlet overcame Fortinbras.

Hamlet.-How long is that since?

1st Clown.-Cannot you tell that? every fool can tell that. It was the very day that young Hamlet was born; he that was mad, and sent into England. Hamlet.-Ay, marry, why was he sent into Eng

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Hamlet.-Let me see. Alas, poor Yorick!-I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times.',

"After the acceptance of the challenge, Horatio expresses his fear that Hamlet will lose the wager with Laertes, and Hamlet replies: 'I do not think so: since he went into France I have been in constant practice; I shall win at the odds!

"And during the fencing bout, in the presence of the court, the Queen completes the description, while expressing her fears at the

: result :

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"King.-Our son shall win." Queen, een He's fat and scant of breath. Here, Hamlet, take my napkin, rub thy brows:

The Queen carouses to thy fortune, Ham

let.

Come, let me wipe thy face.'

Many years after his conversations with Mr. Forrest, McCullough expressed his grat

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