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Men of Invention and Industry-Part48_Samuel Smiles(1812-1904)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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expound upon his favourite subject. I believe that very high

opinions have been expressed by scientific gentlemen regarding



Ballingall's attainments. They were no doubt surprised that an

individual with but a very limitedamount of education, and whose



hours of labour were from five in the morning until ten or eleven

at night, should be able to acquire so much knowledge on so



profound a subject. Had he possessed a fair amount of education,

and an assortment of scientific instruments and books, the world



would have heard more about him. Should you ever find yourself,"

my correspondent concludes, "in his neighbourhood, and have a few



hours to spare, you would have no reason to regret the time spent

in his company." I could not, however, arrange to pay the



proposed visit to Largo; but I found that I could, without

inconvenience, visit another astronomer in the neighbourhood of



Dunkeld.

In January 1879 I received a letter from Sheriff Barclay, of



Perth, to the following effect: "Knowing the deep interest you

take in genius and merit in humble ranks, I beg to state to you



an extraordinary case. John Robertson is a railway porter at

Coupar Angus station. From early youth he has made the heavens



his study. Night after night he looks above, and from his small

earnings he has provided himself with a telescope which cost him



about 30L. He sends notices of his observations to the

scientific journals, under the modest initials of 'J.R.' He is a



great favourite with the public; and it is said that he has made

some observations in celestialphenomena not before noticed. It



does occur to me that he should have a wider field for his

favourite study. In connection with an observatory, his services



would be invaluable."

Nearly five years had elapsed since the receipt of this letter,



and I had done nothing to put myself in communication with the

Coupar Angus astronomer. Strange to say, his existence was again



recalled to my notice by Professor Grainger Stewart, of

Edinburgh. He said that if I was in the neighbourhood I ought to



call upon him, and that he would receive me kindly. His duty, he

said, was to act as porter at the station, and to shout the name



of the place as the trains passed. I wrote to John Robertson

accordingly, and received a reply stating that he would be glad



to see me, and inclosing a photograph, in which I recognised a

good, honest, sensible face, with his person inclosed in the



usual station porter's garb, "C.R. 1446."

I started from Dunkeld, and reached Coupar Angus in due time. As



I approached the station, I heard the portercalling out, "Coupar

Angus! change here for Blairgowrie!"[1] It was the voice of John



Robertson.

I descended from the train, and addressed him at once: after the



photograph there could be no mistaking him. An arrangement for a

meeting was made, and he called upon me in the evening. I



invited him to such hospitality as the inn afforded; but he would

have nothing. "I am much obliged to you," he said; "but it



always does me harm." I knew at once what the "it" meant. Then

he invited me to his house in Causewayend Street. I found his



cottage clean and comfortable, presided over by an evidently

clever wife. He took me into his sitting-room, where I inspected



his drawings of the sun-spots, made in colour on a large scale.

In all his statements he was perfectlymodest and unpretending.



The following is his story, so far as I can recollect, in his own

words:--



"Yes; I certainly take a great interest in astronomy, but I have

done nothing in it worthy of notice. I am scarcely worthy to be



called a day labourer in the science. I am very well known

hereabouts, especially to the travelling public; but I must say



that they think a great deal more of me than I deserve.

"What made me first devote my attention to the subject of



astronomy? Well, if I can trace it to one thing more than

another, it was to some evening lectures delivered by the late



Dr. Dick, of Broughty Ferry, to the men employed at the Craigs'

Bleachfield Works, near Montrose, where I then worked, about the



year l848. Dr. Dick was an excellent lecturer, and I listened to




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