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 CHICAGO 
 
 S T ^ O 1^ P I € i\ L 
 
 SOCIETY 
 
 J. 7', SCA MMON, President. 
 
 IV. H. WELLS, V.-Pres^ldeiit, 
 THOS. HOTNE, Secretary. 
 
 Jieartorn ©ftjserbatotj): 
 
 Professor TRUMAN H. SAFFORD, Dirkctor 
 ELI AS COLBERT^ Emeritus Assistant Director. 
 
 About eight and a lialf years ago a few prominent citizens of Chicago 
 formed themselves into an Astronomical Society. They secured what was 
 then the largest refracting telescope in the world, and is at present the 
 largest except two, — only one of which is superior to it, — and engaged Pro- 
 fessor T H. Safford to take charge. The cost of the telescope, the erection 
 of the observatory buildings, the observing apparatus, the smaller (transit) 
 telescope, and the cuirent expenses of the observatory, have all been paid 
 for, since then, by the Society or its individual members, without a single 
 appeal to the public, till a few months ago; when a small subscription was 
 taken up to aid the Society in furnishing the citizens of Chicago with the 
 correct time from the Court House. 
 
The original fund was raised b)i.the payment of $500 each hy a few gen- 
 tlemen, who were, by this act, constituted Life Directors 6f the Society; 
 and the payment of $100 each by several others, who thus became life 
 members. This money has long since been expended, and the Executive 
 Committee has no power to call on these members for more; meanwhile 
 there is a pressing need of funds, not only to pay current expenses, but to 
 effect repairs and extensions, which are imperatively required for the prose- 
 cution of the work assumed by the Society. The revolving dome is out of 
 order, and can only be turned with great difficulty; the driving apparatus of 
 the great equatorial is now unusable; a smaller instrument is an indispens- 
 able addition if a systematic search for comets and planetoids is to be under- 
 taken; chronographic apparatus should be obtaihied to record the results of 
 observations on the places of fixed stars; a! se't of self- registering meteor- 
 ological instruments ought to be placed in the observatory, that we may 
 obtain a knowledge of our true relation to atmospheric cui-rents, which can 
 never be gained by observations made a few times each day; and the libra- 
 ry is sadly deficient in reference books and maps, absolutely indispensable to 
 efficient work. To these we may add that there should be more than one 
 astronomer (most observatories have several); and that the city of Chicago 
 can scarcely afford to be unrepresented in the expeditions now preparing to 
 observe the next transit of Venus across the sun's disc. 
 
 All, or any of these things, require money; and the two or three gentle- 
 men to whom the conduct of the institution has been tacitly confided, by 
 the absence of the rest from active co-operation, feel it their duty to appeal 
 to the public for help. The present burden is as much as they can bear; 
 they must have aid to meet increasing responsibilities, which the pi-ogress 
 of science, and the gnawing tooth of time, render imperative. They know 
 the object to be eminently worthy of a liberal support, and believe that the 
 case needs only to be understood to be appreciated. They have, therefore, 
 no hesitation in asking our men of means to help the cause of scientific 
 investigation, by becoming members, or by donating such sums as they may 
 be willing to spare to help forward the car of science. The Society should 
 have a permanent fund of not less than $So,ooo to enable it to do the work 
 expected of it; and requires not much less than $20,000 more to put the 
 observatory into good working condition — fit to take its place by the side of 
 the other great observatories of the world, in which so many important dis- 
 coveries have been made within the past few years. 
 
 The question is sometimes asked, What has the Chicago (Dearborn) Ob^ 
 servatory done for science? It may be answered that it has done much 
 
more than is usuall}' supposed; and would have done very much more but for 
 the fact that impecuniosity has been, from the first, a terrible drag on the 
 wheels of its progress. Once let the institution be placed on a proper working 
 basis, and there can be no doubt that Chicago will take the same leading 
 place in astronomical discovery that she already occupies in business enter- 
 prise and as a commercial centre. To suppose it possible under present 
 conditions, would be as absurd as to expect a Chicago dealer to rival the 
 merchant princes of the East, without one cent of capital or a dollar's worth 
 of credit. 
 
 What is really wanted is to organize a live association in this city, that 
 will not only furnish the means required to carry on the observatory, but 
 whose members will lake an active interest therein, and meet regularly to 
 see what is being done, gather information, exchange views, learn what 
 they do not know, and take a pride in seeing that what they do know on 
 this subject is communicated to others. Such an association would be a 
 power in the world of science, and we hope to see it in existence at no dis 
 tant day. 
 
 In the hope that their appeal will meet with a liberal response, the Soci- 
 ety has delegated to Mr. Colbert the task of calling personally upon such 
 of our citizens as he may be able to reach. Those who do not receive a 
 personal call, and are willing to help, are requested to communicate with 
 him, at the Tribune office, or with any of the officers of the Socicly. 
 
 Chicago, May 22, 187 1.