The University of California, II [pp. 479-500]

The Lick Astronomical Department.
THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. II. THE LICK ASTRO NOMICAL DEPARTMENT.
I.
THE Lick Observatory is in a sense
the crowning possession of the University. From the scholar's point of view
it is eminent over the other departments
in being the single one that is mainly
given up to original research. From the
popular point of view it is magnificent
in the possession of the largest telescope
on earth. It gratifies the pride of the
State keenly to know that pilgrims from
foreign lands count it one of the things
that must be seen in California. No
Philistine doubt of the utility of pure
science can stand against this pride;
and a public that has seen the time
when it was half-ready to pull the courses
at Berke ey to pieces in contempt of
"unpractica learning," has never asked,
"What practical use in knowing o a
fifth moon of Jupiter, or a shadowy duplicate streak across Mars?" Doubtless
the fascination of the heavens- of mystery, exploration, and discovery - has
had much to do, also, with the interest in the Observatory; the diligence
and skill with which its results have
been made known to the people has
counted for much; and none of the
thousands who have visited the summit
of Mount Hamilton can have failed to
come away in. some degree awed by the
singularly visible form science takes on
in that great dome in the heart of the
wilderness, lifted up between the sky
and the tumbled sea of mountain tops.
In spite of the pride in it at home,
and its good name abroad, the Lick
Observatory is not a rich institution.
Mr. Lick's gift was $700,000. It was at
first believed that $3oo00,000 o this could
be saved for endowment, but as the work
of building and equipping on the moun
tain-top progressed it became evident
that this would be impossible; and in
fact, when all was done, the Observatory
had cost about $6oo,ooo, leaving about
$Ioo,ooo for endowment. The interest
qn this fund was supplemented by an appropriation from the general revenues of
the University. This diversion of money
from the main work of the University to
a branch that had been expected to be
dependent on its own revenues was not
accomplished without opposition, but, I
think, is generally aquiesced in now as
necessary to any adequate use of the
Observatory property. It is not, however, by any means a desirable way for
the income of the Observatory to be
permanently derived: there should be a
separate endowment sufficient for all
needs. Even with this help the full use
of the resources of the Observatory cannot be had, for lack of a sufficient staff.
The latest report gives the following
comparison of the working force in sev eral observatories: -
Lick Observatory.......... 6
Greenwich Observatory....20
Harvard "..... 40
Paris "..... 1 7 astrono mers, and many computers.
Pulkowa Observatory.......I6
Rio Janeiro "....... I6
Washington "....... I9
Yet, the report adds, "at least as
much is expected from the Lick Observatory as from any of these establishments."
The income of the Harvard College
Observatory was stated by its latest
report at $33,507 from funds, $64,958
from all sources. The average appropriations for salaries and current maintenance of the Washington Observa
1892.]
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