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Chapter XXIII 1872
1872.
Milwaukee Wis. Jan'y 3rd, 1872.
His Imperial Highness,
Duke Alexis,--
It is deemed not improper to offer for your acceptance the accompanying photographs and papers representing and describing several fragments of an iron meteorite recently discovered in Wisconsin, especially as you represent a government that has, perhaps done more than any other for the advancement of Astronomy and Meteorology at the Imperial and magnificently endowed Observatories of Dorpat and Pulkovna, the later now deservedly considered the headquarters of modern astronomy, a government that sustains and encourages such men as Madler and Struve, to whom the world is indebted for the most profound investigations respecting the form and dimensions of the globe we inhabit, the distance to the fixed stars, the motion of our whole system of worlds around a great central sun, and the nature of that unlimited space in which this meteorite had its origin.
While the grateful thanks of our country are due to your distinguished Father, for many acts of kindness, those of the whole Civilized world are no less due for his efforts in the promotion of scientific knowledge.
With great respect,
I.A. Lapham.
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Milwaukee Jan'y 3rd, 1872.
Sir,--
His Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Alexis has instructed me to express his thanks for the photographs and papers representing and describing the meteorite found in Wisconsin, as
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well as for the maps and books.
It will, I am sure, be highly gratifying to our friends at Dorpst and Pulkova to hear how highly they are esteemed by American Astronomers and I shall not fail to inform them of your interesting communication at the earliest opportunity.
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient servant,
C. Possiet.
I.A. Lapham.
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Jan. 5. 1 P.M. left Milwaukee for Jacksonville Fla. by way of Atlanta Ga. Deep snow drifts.
Jan. 6. Delayed 1 1/2 hours at Lafayette--missed the train at Indianapolis.
Jan. 7. Left Indianapolis 8 A.M. Snowing from ten to twelve. Louisville 1 P.M.
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Louisville Ky. Jan. 7, 1872.
Dear Mary,--
Owing to delays I did not get here until to-day at noon.*** Found that Dr. J. Lawrence Smith had left his new house and just where to find him I could not ascertain in the short time I had to stay. So that pleasant part of my journey had to be given up: It looks wintery here now, the ground being covered with snow.
At one of the little towns we passed through some body came in and said "Mr. Lapham the boys have brought no papers, will you sell me yours?" holding out a five cent nickel. I had only time to insist upon his accepting the papers without the five when he disappeared and we were off. Who was he? I do not know.*** With the exception of the delay of one and a half hours at Lafayette all has gone well
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with me so far and mother has no cause for "worrying".
Very truly yours,
I.A. Lapham.
Miss Mary A. Lapham.
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Nashville Tenn. Jan, 1872.
My dear Mother,--
I have had some bad luck on my way, so that I am here this morning instead of Atlanta where I expected to be; the chief of which was getting off the track last night 18 miles north of here. The trouble was a broken rail and bottom ties or sleepers. The cars went bumping over the ties for a quarter of a mile before they could be stopped. Nobody was hurt and but little damage done to the cars. I expect to go on this morning and hope to reach my destination without further mishap.*** A few hours this side of Louisville we found the last of the snow and here we have only mud.
Everything about Louisville looks very different from what we saw there in 1828 though I had but little time to look around and the snow rendered locomotion difficult.
All well with your son,
Increase A. Lapham.
Rachel Lapham.
Jan 13. *** Ice manufactured at Bolton 7 miles west from Atlanta. Ammonia used--8 tons of ices daily. Natural ice lasts six hours. Atlanta ice lasts eight hours, being 1/3 longer::: Distilled water used.
Jan. 14. Left Atlanta 2 A.M. Macon 7 1/2 A.M. All day at Macon. Jessamine, Hycacinth, and Violets [&c.] in blossom.***Ocmulgee river rises 20 ft. or more--all mud--no shells. Left 7.45 P.M.
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Jan. 17. Frost the last three mornings. No steamer today so went in sail boat to Ship Yard. Wind fair up.
Jan. 18. Wind against us coming back to day. Tide rises 1 1/2 or 2 ft. 1846 and 1848 Dr. Baldwin says, tide was 1 1/2. higher than in 1871. An alligator 14 1/4 feet long shot by Peter Black--the longest ever known.
Jan. 19. Picked a rose in full bloom.***
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Jacksonville Fla. Jan. 19, 1871.
My dear Daughter,--
I found your letter of the 9th here on my arrival.**** I have spent one night at Mrs. Mitchell's cottage; found Rev. Mr. and Mrs. Brainard there.*** I have yet to go up to Hibernia and then will be ready to start for home. Must stop a day or two at Atlanta.
Found Mrs. J.H. Rogers at the St. James, quite well and happy. She is now visiting Mrs. Mitchell.*** I am glad to find that mother still thinks so much of her run-away son as to feel lonesome in his absence!
We have what is called cold weather here, a white frost and thin ice every morning, but with the sun so hot as to make my face as red as a topers on my return in a sail boat yesterday from the ship yard. I am afraid this climate would not agree with me.*** I hope to hear from you again, perhaps at Atlanta.
Very truly yours,
I.A. Lapham.
Mary J. Lapham.
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Jan. 20. Left Jacksonville for a steamboat ride on the St. John's river to Hibernia.
Jan. 22. Left Jacksonville for home at 8 p.m.
Jan. 23. Arrived at Macon 5 p.m. and just five minutes after the Atlanta train had left.
Jan. 24. Arrived in Atlanta 2 p.m.
Jan. 26. Left Atlanta at 1 a.m. having been detained 3 hours by a train off the track. Snow fell to the depth of an inch last evening. Snow extended westward only to Chattanooga. Our train had to wait for every freight train; Did not reach Chattanooga until 1 a.m. instead of 6 p.m.
Visited Rolling Mills, Cameron Hill, and the Water Works, [&c.]. Woodwards pump used at Water works. Cameron Hill 316 feet above railroad. Have trouble making people think water a commodity to be purchased and paid for:
Jan. 28. Arrived at Chicago 7 a.m. Sunday. Weather excessively cold.:
Jan. 29. Home 2 p.m. Deep snow and cold weather. Yesterday at 10 1/4 a.m. a brilliant circle around the sun with two mock suns, with a rainbow. Opposite the sun a duplicate. The circle with faint colors (Sketch). A white ring said to have been entirely around the horizon with numerous mock suns, one person says he counted thirty. Lasted till half past twelve when it became cloudy. The circle disappeared before the mock suns, they were seen as late as two P.M.
At half past twelve the mock suns were lower than the real sun.
Feb. 5. Mock suns were seen half an hour before sunset (Sketch). An Aurora with a red cloud first seen at N.E. at 6 1/2, moved around to S.E. at 8 P.M., gradually diminishing in size.
