Helen Worthington Gauss, Jr. - 1911-08-01

 

(From Helen Gauss, Jr. to her father William T. Gauss)

Goettingen, Germany
August 1, 1911

Dear Papa -
        There is so much to tell you that I don't know where to begin - unless with the broad statement that yesterday was not only the grand climax of everything that has gone before on our trip, but also the most exciting and proudest of my entire life.  I suppose never before have I been in the company of so many learned men.  And so delightful as they were to us!   and their wives as well!  I didn't know at the time and don't even now who half of them were, though the newspapers we will send you will doubtless state.  But they were one and all distinguished.  "Sein Excellenz" Giesecke, who was perfectly charming to us, sent his warmest compliments to my father, took my European address for sending me a photograph of the Berlin statue, and talked with me many times during the afternoon and evening, as much as my German would permit, though you'd have been astonished to see how well I got on.  Held me warmly by the hand as he talked, and was altogether as charming to us as anyone could possibly be, bringing up these distinguished men one after another for introduction, proposing the health of the Gauss family in the evening when we were at his brother's house, Pastor Giesecke's, for supper, with a lot of the other visitors, helping me hunt for my lost gloves - well, I lost my heart to him! - and all the more when I heard afterwards that he plays most beautifully on the piano.  His wife, too, is perfectly charming, a smaller edition of Mrs. Howbert, and his brothers and their wives as well, though I suppose I'll never know which wife belonged to which husband!  His "Festrede" which he gave us, we send you, and all I need say is that it was as beautifully delivered as it was expressed; I caught and understood easily almost every word of it.  He spoke so slowly and enunciated so clearly, looking directly down toward us all the time, perhaps partly for the benefit of our imperfect German, I thought, and mentioning us all by name as guests of the occasion (as you will see; Aunt Mary too as "Frau Gauss' schwester", though he name does not appear in this copy).  Following him came the representative (just who I don't know) of the Ober Präsident of the Province of Hanover, not so easily understood or so interesting to us, spending a large part of the time in patriotic and loyal utterances flattering to the Empire and the Kaiser.  A Professor Ronge (I think the name was) with whom we talked a good deal, as he spoke English fluently, having been two years in America, as Exchange Professor of Mathematics at Columbia, and who stood next to us during the ceremonies, said "Rats" to us in the midst of the speech -- "The name of Gauss will live long after the German Empire has been forgotten".  Another professor of pure mathematics here in Goettingen, who stood on my left and who showed himself more interested in us than I cared for at the time, as I wanted to listen to the speakers, whispered (all in German) that Gauss' discovery of the telegraph was the least of all that he did.  Somebody else said that even yet the mathematical world was not sufficiently advanced to understand all Gauss did, - that he worked, himself, by short cuts; arrived at results to his own satisfaction, and then merely put his notes aside.  A commission is still working on these and slowly producing the volumes, of which we receive one from time to time.  Another man, when I told that in America Morse was honored as the discoverer of the telegraph, was simply incredulous - he didn't believe me, thought I was mistaken.    Well!  We have always known we had a great ancestor, but I doubt if one of us has ever fully realized how great, and how revered his memory is.  Words cannot express my pride.  And as I stood yesterday among those distinguished men, all gathered to do his memory honor, I felt that his descendants must keep up a high standard.  We can't show the evidence we'd like to of our descent, but we can at least remember it ourselves, and live our lives accordingly.  Our German cousins have certainly kept up the highest standard; we are delighted with them and proud that the name is so well borne here in Germany.  But more of them later.  I've got now to the third speech, by the Rector of the University, - of them all, perhaps the most beautiful and flowing delivery! - clearly, swiftly, almost musically delivered, - all enhanced by his noble and beautiful countenance and the magnetic charm of this manner.  It was a remarkable gathering of men!  If only every one of you three at home could have been there!  For I recognize the hopelessness of putting into words the inspiration of it all. Then last, Cousin Carl's speech - a credit to the family - easily and fluently delivered and well expressed, though not so easy for me to follow as the others were.  I didn't get it all, but he made a point, as we asked him to, of expressing for the American branch of the family, their thanks and appreciation of the honor to their ancestor.  That finished the exercises, with an invitation for the "Herr Geheimrat" Giesecke (only so, or as "Excellenz" must he be addressed!) to all the guests of the occasion, to visit the Tower, after which the populace crowding close outside the ropes of the enclosure, was to be permitted to enter, visit the Gauss room, with its beautiful new bust, modelled and presented by the well-known sculptor, Eberlein, (before which lay a memorial wreath of laurel) and climb up for the view from the Tower, where you see the balconies in the picture.   In the basement is a refreshment room, for the use of excursionists and pedestrians, who, it seems, frequent these woods summer and winter, coming in winter on skid and snowshoes.  And there hangs the present model of the marble tablet, with the subscribers' names, to be made and put up later - your name and Cousin Robert, as also Charles Gauss in St. Louis, besides of course Cousin Carl's here.  And, built into the Tower wall, under the shelter of the porch, is also a Gauss stone, so engraved, with the holes showing where he fastened his heliotrope when he made his survey from the hill-top - which the Tower commemorates.  I didn't say that the exercises opened with music from Lohengrin by a military band, which later played all afternoon, down the hill a little way, in the grove where refreshments were dispensed by young girls, - many of whom I talked with, though I took still more to their distinguished papas.  We left Goettingen about one for the 20-minute run out by train to Dransfeld, found carriages waiting there and proceeded through the village streets, every house festooned with evergreens and gay with flags, and at frequent intervals signs (also encircled with evergreens) pointing the way to the Gauss Tower, out into the charming country road, through prosperous-looking fields and cool woods, winding gradually up over the hills to the Hohenhagen.  Every minute of the day was exciting.   when we left the carriage, it was to walk up a cool green path out in the woods to the little clearing, where we waited, and where we met everybody, standing around and talking with one person after another, until time to go up to the Tower itself, for the exercises, held in the shadow of it. The speakers stood on a platform concealed by green, close to the steps, and around the space reserved for invited guests was a rope to keep the main crowd at a proper distance.  And all along the road, an hour's drive, we passed country people walking up to the exercises.  Fortunately it was the coolest day we have had for ten days past (with the exception of our one cool morning in Hanover) - even so it was warm enough; but a fresh breeze kept it from being in the least oppressive.  Before going to Pastor Giesecke's house (the parsonage in the little town of Dransfeld) we went to the little country inn close by, with the cow in its stall to be seen through open doors from the front hall, and straightened up, walking from there round the corner to the parsonage.  We had, I suppose, a typical German "high tea".  Everything you could think of in the way of cold meats, salads, breads, cakes, jellies and drinkables.  We sat round the diningroom table or in one of the other rooms - I, for a while, on a charming little veranda overlooking the pretty garden, taking whatever we chose to eat, much of it made by the "Frau Pastor" herself, it seems, and everything delicious.  One very nice lady (I don't quite know who, but Herr Ettmeier says he does! and has given me her name) invited me to visit her in Münden (not Minden) where her husband is head of the local department, district, or whatever it's called, - only not a province.  His title is Landrat.  And Mamma says somebody else also invited me to come and visit her, but I'm sure neither of us knows who that was, nor, I suppose very probably, does she expect us to know!  Certainly not to come, anyway!  Well, so much for the dedication.  We came back about quarter past eight, and sat out in the hotel Biergarten, talking until ten, and having plenty of fun!  Cousin Carl Jr., the doctor from Freiburg, is full of fun and we get on famously; and young Herr Ettmeier, his mother's nephew, studying law here, is as pretty as a girl, as well as much more innocent-looking and charming than most; tiny little delicate hands, big expressive eyes and a clear white complexion; also full of quiet mischief and humor.  Cousin Carl Jr. is very dark - partly from the one-and-a-half hours sunbath he takes every day, I suppose; a strange type for a Gauss, but as clever as he can be, quick as a flash, always on the lookout for a joke and ready to laugh, and exceedingly nice.  I don't know when we've had so much pure fun as we have with them!  And Cousin Carl Sr. is also as nice as he can be, bearing his lonely life rather sadly, I'm afraid, but a highly cultivated, travelled gentleman, though quiet.  He evidently enjoys the fun around him though, and is always ready to join in the laughter.  He's going back to Hameln this afternoon at three, and cousin Carl Jr. to Freiburg tonight, while we will wait till tomorrow at eleven to start for Heidelberg.  Cousin Carl Sr. will send us the newspapers with the accounts and speeches, etc.  As I've said, Excellenz Giesecke will send us a photograph of the Berlin statue, and Pastor Giesecke gave us yesterday a photo of the new bust (in the Gauss Tower), the most beautiful of all, I think; the face somewhat thinner and older than in any of the others and very thoughtul - the look of the spirit on it.  Excellenz Giesecke said he too liked it best of all.  the next, I like the Berlin statue on the Potsdam Bridge - the one here (at Goettingen) least of all, I think, though it's not to be sniffed at by anyone!  Mamma wrote you, of course, all about Sunday morning's sights, - the visit to the Sternwarte and the kindness of the present professor there in giving us three photographs of Bessel.  I wanted to touch Gauss' little black satin cap, which we see in all the pictures, and which was shown behind glass doors; but the keys were not at hand, and I had to come away without said satisfaction.  Mamma says the professor, when we met him again yesterday at the dedication, said to her in answer to some question of hers about Gauss' successor - that Gauss has never had a "successor", at his death the field was divided into three parts, sever men (six or seven, she thought) being apportioned to each part.  Then yesterday, when we visited the Library, we saw the original of the bust we have at home; being escorted around most courteously by some highly informed gentleman (perhaps the librarian) who evidently knew a lot about things in general, including books.  It is one of the four biggest libraries in Germany, and surpassed by none in the value of its books, though by three others in the number.  After that, an automobile ride, on which Aunt Mary didn't go with us (to our disappointment; she thought it would be too hot for pleasure, but it proved delightfully breezy and cool), with our cousins, all about the town and environs.   and it's a charming, hilly, wooded landscape, with attractive villas on the edge of the town.
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Lots of love to you all from - 

Helen (Jr.)