Letter from Charles S. Peirce to Carlile P. Patterson
(Paris, 07.01.1876)



 
Spanish translation & annotations
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Paris, 1876 January 7

Avenue Matignon 11

My dear chief,

I have just received your warm and generous letter of the 23rd December for which I thank you with my whole heart. During all the difficulties I had about not hearing from you I never once thought that it could be due to unfriendliness. They make various propositions to get other situations for me, but I shall always look very coldly on any such plan as long as I continue to have your generous confidence. I want to remain in the position where I am. Your idea about my photometry book is very agreeable

 

 
to me, apart from any benefit it may be to the book, because it is good to have one's scientific work of an rather speculative or unpractical kind meet so much approval. I don't think however that it is likely that Eliot will consent to any proposition about it

There are two things —1st Elliot is personally inimical to me. That is not a fancy of mine. If he were directly asked he would have to admit it. He will never do anything agreeable to me, which does not present itself to him as a very clear duty. 2nd There is a real reason in Winlock's death why the college should wish to magnify what he has done, and for that reason they wish to say something to give the world the idea that my photometry work

 
was in some sense his. In one sense it really was so, that is that he gave me the instrument, a small sum of money, and the printing, and had the wisdom beyond that to let me alone. So I am not going to set up any claim against what they choose to put in for Winlock, but that Elliot is going to make out the work to be really his, I know because he makes it a condition of printing that the preface shall not be written by me, in order that it may satisfy Winlock's friends, although I was one of his best friend & I will venture to say that Mrs. Winlock or any of his best friend would be quite willing to trust to what I would say. I haven't the least design of saying a single word in protest. Eliot cant hurt me by giving credit to Winlock & I even

 
recognize as good the desire to say as much as they can form him. Only since it is necessary that you should understand the matter I tell you.

I understand my friends are ready to urge me "enthusiastically" for a Professorship or Logic in the Johns Hopkins University. I thing Logic is my best power, but I am not going to do anything which will involve abandoning the Coast Survey after all the money which has been spent in teaching me to swing pendulums

I have much to say of an informal nature about the work but I know that you prefer that that should not go into a private letter & therefore I will close, with kindest regard respects to Mrs. Patterson.

Yours devoutedly,

C. S. Peirce

 

 

Trascription by Max Fisch, revised by Sara Barrena (2014)
Una de las ventajas de los textos en formato electrónico respecto de los textos impresos es que pueden corregirse con gran facilidad mediante la colaboración activa de los lectores que adviertan erratas, errores o simplemente mejores transcripciones. En este sentido agradeceríamos que se enviaran todas las sugerencias y correcciones a sbarrena@unav.es
Proyecto de investigación "Charles S. Peirce en Europa (1875-76): comunidad científica y correspondencia" (MCI: FFI2011-24340)

Fecha del documento: 21 de enero 2015
Última actualización: 20 de febrero 2015
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