They earnestly hope, one and all, that the callers of
the conference will not themselves be more disappointed in its
results; that, however little they may have actually to learn of
methods and results, they will feel stimulated to well-directed
efforts and find themselves inspired by thoughts which, however
familiar, will now be more easily worked out.
We may pass from the aspects of the case as seen by the strictly
professional class to those general aspects fitted to excite the
attention of the great public. From the point of view of the
latter it may well appear that the most striking feature of the
celebration is the great amount of effort which is shown to be
devoted to the cultivation of a field quite outside the ordinary
range of human interests. The workers whom we see around us are
only a detachment from an army of investigators who, in many parts
of the world, are seeking to explore the mysteries of creation.
Why so great an expenditure of energy? Certainly not to gain
wealth, for astronomy is perhaps the one field of scientific work
which, in our expressive modern phrase, "has no money in it." It
is true that the great practical use of astronomical science to
the country and the world in affording us the means of determining
positions on land and at sea is frequently pointed out.
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