Makers of Electricity

by Brother Potamian; James J. Walsh

This might be thought only a bit of neighborly praise, meant to warm a father's heart, yet it seems indeed to have been given quite seriously. Certainly the event justified the prophecy. It is not surprising that, with such a forecast to encourage him, the father should have been ready to make every sacrifice to enable both his sons to prepare for the university.

He continued his instruction of them, then, in mathematics, though he insisted at the same time that they should continue to keep up their occupation of locksmiths. In spite of his enthusiasm for mathematics, the old gentleman seems to have cherished no illusions with regard to the likelihood of pure mathematics ever serving them as a lucrative means of livelihood. It was a very satisfying intellectual interest, but a good trade was much more apt to prove their constant and substantial standby, unless, of course, the boys should actually prove to be the geniuses foretold. He seems to have realized to the full, Coleridge's idea that, like the literary man, the mathematician should have some other occupation, though he might not go to the extent of following Oliver Wendell Holmes' well-known addition to Coleridge's formula, that he should, as far as possible, confine himself to the other occupation. The boys were given the opportunity to attend the gymnasium of Erlangen, and seem to have had excellent success in their general studies besides mathematics.[23]

In 1805, when George, the subject of our sketch, was sixteen years of age, he was graduated from the gymnasium and was ready for the university. On May 3d, 1805, he took his matriculation examination before the faculty of Erlangen, electing the course of mathematics, physics and philosophy. Later in life he told his friends that it was his deep love for the mathematics of these studies, and his persuasion that in them the student was brought in contact with the most important factors for absolute intellectual cultivation, that tempted him to take them up. To this he did not hesitate to add that there seemed to him to be some call of a higher voice, as if he had a vocation to dedicate himself to the cultivation and extension of these important subjects.

He had been but some two years at the university, when for a time his studies had to be interrupted, partly for lack of means to pursue them, but partly because to his father, at least, the university course was not the source of such satisfaction as he had anticipated from his son's ability in mathematics. While Ohm took his studies seriously, he was not by any means a mere "grind," and, indeed, the reputation which he acquired at the university for many of the qualities which make for a student's popularity among his fellows, was not such as would be likely to appeal to a very serious-minded father. Ohm had acquired the fame of being one of the best dancers in the university; he was a brilliant billiard player and an unrivalled skater; all of which indicates that as a young man he had the physical development and acuteness of sense so necessary to enable him to gain prestige in all these sports.

His father, in spite of his desire for his son's university career, was quite willing, then, at the end of September, 1808, to have him take up a position as teacher of mathematics in the school kept by Pastor Zehnder, in the Canton Berne, in Switzerland. His very youthful appearance (he was only 18 years of age at the time, quite boyish looking and not even large for his years) caused the head of this institution no little surprise when he came with letters of introduction showing that he was to be the new teacher in mathematics. He could scarcely believe his eyes for a time. Within a few months, however, he was convinced of the ability and the capacity for work of his new addition to the faculty, who seems to have given, from the very beginning, excellent satisfaction in his rather important position.

Ohm remained there some three years and a half and then moved to Neunberg, where, independent of any educational institution, he set himself up as a private tutor in mathematics. His reason for so doing, as he himself tells, was that he wished to devote himself to the study of pure mathematics more than was possible in a regular teaching position. For this same reason also he refused a number of offers of positions as teacher of mathematics, which would ordinarily be considered quite flattering to a young man of only 21. Another reason for refusing these offers was that he wished to perfect himself in French, and he had an excellent opportunity afforded him for conversation in this language in the conditions in which he was placed in Neunberg. This last may seem an unusual reason, but it is characteristic of Ohm's determination always to add to his power of understanding and expression.

Most young men in Ohm's circumstances are so occupied with the thought of immediate success in life, that every possible abbreviation of their studies which will bring them nearer the opportunity to make their own living is likely to be heartily welcomed. Ohm, however, realized that his own intellectual development was more important, especially at this time, even than getting on in the world; and for this reason his life has an added interest, not only for students themselves, but especially for those who have the best interests of students at heart and wish to be able to cite examples of how a little delay in getting at one's actual life-work, or, still more, at a remunerative occupation, may serve the very useful purpose of preparing a man so much the better to bring out his best intellectual possibilities when he does settle down to his work.

At Easter, 1811, Ohm returned to Erlangen, after having spent nearly two years perfecting himself in mathematics. He then finished his studies at the university, which seems not to have had the rule of requiring attendance for a definite period before coming up for its degree, but permitted him to take the examinations for the doctorate of philosophy on the strength of the work he had done, and gave him his degree on the 25th of October of the same year. With the drawing tighter of the bands of red tape in educational institutions in more recent years, Ohm would have found it difficult to get his degree thus readily, though it was the university rather than the graduate who was eventually to be honored by it. After this, he became privatdocent in mathematics at the university, and taught for three semesters. He met with marked success and became very popular with the students. After a year and a half, however, he gave up his university position to accept the professorship of mathematics at the Realschule of Bamberg.

While Ohm was here, the spirit of young Germany awoke at the news of Napoleon's unfortunate Moscow campaign, in which his good fortune seemed to have definitely abandoned the great Emperor of the French. Most of the students of the universities of Germany were deeply aroused by it, and those who know Körner's and Uhland's songs will have some idea of the depth of patriotic feeling that was stirred in thousands of young German hearts, who thought that now the opportunity for the fatherland to throw off the hated foreign yoke forever, had come at last. Ohm debated with himself whether he should volunteer with the crowds of young men who were so bravely giving up everything, that the fatherland might be free. Two things deterred him. If he went as a soldier, the material assistance he was able to give his father, and which, as the old man was now advancing in years and had spent most of his little savings upon his sons, was needed, would have to be given up. The other motive that kept him at home was, according to his German biographer in the Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, which we have been following for most of these details, because he felt that what he might be able to accomplish in other fields besides those of battle would eventually prove more beneficial for his fatherland, and indeed for the whole of humanity, than anything he could do as a soldier, even with the patriotic motive to help his country to throw off the yoke of the foreign usurper, which had proven so hard to bear. As we have already seen, it was a characteristic trait of Ohm all through life, that he cherished the idea, which acquired almost the force of a premonition, that he was destined for great things.

Ohm continued his work as a teacher, then, instead of volunteering for the army; but, as might be expected, found the monotonous work of drilling young students in mathematics extremely unsatisfactory after a time. At the end of a year and a half of service at Bamberg, he asked for a change in the conditions of his teaching position. Instead of this, he received a transfer to the Bamberg pro-gymnasium, where he was to teach Latin until a regular teacher was appointed. In spite of his representations that the teaching position offered him was utterly at variance with his talents and his inclinations, he was compelled to accept this occupation for a time, though after some delay there came the assurance that, just as soon as possible, he would be assigned to a position as teacher of mathematics.