When Alvan Clark & Sons of Cambridge, Mass., set up the great telescope in the Dearborn observatory in the University of Chicago, Burnham ordered from them a telescope with a six-inch object glass, costing eight hundred dollars. For an observatory he erected a large piece of timber in his back yard, around which he built what his friends called a "cheese box," surmounted by a dome, which could be easily turned. It was here that he made his first discoveries of double stars. Every clear night he spent in his "cheese box," leaving it only when the dawn sent the stars from his vision. He found his progress somewhat impeded by his lack of measuring instruments, but he overcame this difficulty by sending a list of his discoveries to Baron Dembowski, then the greatest living star measurer. These stars the baron took pleasure in verifying and measuring, and this resulted in a friendly correspondence, which lasted until the baron's death in 1881. Soon after this Mr. Webb began a correspondence with the American astronomer, resulting in his election as a fellow of the Royal astronomical society, his work creating great excitement among European astronomers. In March, 1873, his first catalogue, comprising eighty-one newly discovered double stars, was published in England, and at intervals he published four more catalogues, making three hundred new double stars, all close and difficult, discovered and catalogued in less than two years by an amateur astronomer, who worked with a six-inch telescope. This was more than all the observations of the previous twenty years had contributed to this part of astronomy. Mr. Burnham was corresponding with many of the leading astronomers of Europe, and when M. Angot came to the United States to visit the principal American observatories, he was amazed to find the crudity of the working place of Burnham. Later, however, he was given access to the great 18½ inch telescope at the Dearborn observatory, and he became as great an expert in the measurement of double stars as Baron Dembowski. He was dissatisfied with the micrometer in general use, and invented one which was afterwards almost universally adopted. He had for four years been a regular contributor to many prominent European journals, and had published nine catalogues, embracing nearly five hundred of his new double stars, when it was proposed that he be permitted to use the telescope in the Dearborn university, and then the president of the Chicago astronomical society asked, "Who is Mr. Burnham?" He kept persistently on with his work, and achieved enviable fame in the world of science; he discovered and measured more than one thousand double stars. In 1879 he was recommended by Prof. Simon Newcomb, and employed by the trustees of the Lick observatory to test the atmospheric and other conditions of Mount Hamilton, the proposed site of the observatory. He received a gold medal from the Royal Astronomical society, London, in 1894, and became an associate of that society in 1898. He was professor of practical astronomy at the University of Chicago and published a general catalogue of stars discovered by him, which was issued in volume I. of the publications of Yerkes Observatory, 1900.
BURNHAM, Theodore Frelinghuysen, divine, was born at Deckertown, N. J., Aug. 31, 1845; son of Abner and Elizabeth Linn (Whitaker) Burnham. He was graduated at the University of the city of New York in 1871, and at the Union theological seminary in 1874. He was ordained to the Presbyterian ministry, and preached in Freeport, N. Y., from 1874 to 1878; in South Amenia. N. Y., from 1878 to 1890; in Millerton, N. Y., from 1890 to 1892, and in the last named year became pastor of a Presbyterian church at Vallejo, Cal. In 1893 he founded the naval union for the men of the U. S. navy, at Mare Island, Vallejo, of which he became superintendent. He was founder and first president of the Passaic free library, and a life director of the American Bible society. He received the degree of A.M. in 1878 from the University of the city of New York. His published writings include sermons, addresses, and contributions to periodicals.
BURNHAM, Thomas Oliver Hazard Perry, bookseller, was born in Essex, Mass., in 1813. His father, Thomas M. Burnham, founded the "Antique Bokestore" on Cornhill, Boston, about 1825. Perry began business as a peddler of apples and candies, and as an assistant of his elder brother, Thomas, who had a little bookstall at one end of Faneuil Hall market. In 1834 he entered the Cornhill shop, where he was associated with his father and two brothers. The shop was soon enlarged, and they continued to do business there until about 1860, when Perry removed to Washington street, his brother, Lafayette, retaining the Cornhill stand. At the close of a twenty years' lease he removed to the corner of School and Tremont streets, and his shop became familiar to every antiquary in New England. In 1883 he sold the land on which his house stood to the Parker house for one dollar per square inch, and removed his stock of books to the basement of the Old South church. "The Old Honest Publisher, Burnham," as he was called, was a constant attendant at book auctions and many quaint and curious volumes could be found on his dusty shelves. His knowledge of books was marvellous. He died in Boston, Mass., Nov. 14, 1891.
