"Some nights 3000 or more people at tend, and they are given opportunity to view some celestial objects and hear various educational talks. The average this winter is 1500 per night, the observatory closing at 10 P.M. Early morning observing is done two mornings per week, and attended by only a few of the faithful."

Leslie Long, of Cornelius, Oregon, describes a rather unusual telescope as follows-"The mount, which was made b Jesse Watson, is of the equatorial type wit hollow declination axis, with the eyepiece in a fixed position on the end of the polar axis. All the parts were machined out of stock material, with the exception of a two and one half inch pipe "T", a phonograph motor and a Ford front spindle which is used for the polar axis. The spindle is rotated by gears, through a friction clutch built into the brake drum. The clutch allows motions of the spindle without the gears, if desired. The "T" was-dressed up in a lathe and a steel bearing for the declination bearing was fitted in the side opening. In the remaining opening a steel fitting was placed, which holds the eyepiece tube and focusing arrangement as well as one of the prisms, this being three quarter inch size.

"A one and one-half-inch prism is mounted inside the tube, both prisms being in line with the declination axis and bringing the light from the mirror to the eyepiece with any position of the telescope. The tube is balanced on the declination axis by a lead weight, and about the polar axis by another weight.

"The phonograph motor is mounted inside the steel stand. The polar angle may be adjusted, without interfering with the gear train.

"The six-inch mirror was ground and finished by me, under difficult circumstances. No basement was available and the

work was done in the open air, with the final shadow tests made in an ordinary living room. Temperature troubles were great, but the mirror was brought to a perfect paraboloid and shows very good definition at high powers. The telescope is at Pacific University for student use."

It is interesting to note the wide variety of vocations represented by our list o amateur telescope makers. The description quoted below comes from a physician, Dr. J. J. Byl of 430 South 13th Street San Jose, California. Obviously, Dr. By is a real enthusiast, else he would not have made two such businesslike telescopes as those shown in the illustration.

"In sending you pictures and a brief description of my telescopes," says Dr. t; Byl, "I believe I have no other motive than to be helpful in stimulating an interest in a useful and noble activity for young and old. In including myself in one of those I have done so only on your command. [Yes, we prefer this.-Ed.]

"I am a retired physician well along in years but have great anticipations of joy in so profound a study as the boundless Universe, and I am sure that my day will never be shortened by a loss of activity or interest in life.

" My ten-inch telescope has done good service for some time, although the silvering has not been by far what it might be. I have not had good success with the Lundin process. After three failures with the 12-1/2 inch speculum, I followed Brashear's method and was surprised with my easy success.

"The tube of the larger instrument is 13 inches by 12 feet and the focus of the :speculum is 12 feet, 4-1/2 inches. The material is 16-gage galvanized iron with the edges all butted and soldered and the joints reinforced with bands of the same material. The mountings of the smaller one are of shaped steel and pipe; and of the larger one, castings from my own patterns The shafts are cold-rolled steel selected to fit exactly the inner faces of the Timken ball bearings at both ends of all shafts.

"I wish to call special attention to the compact and strong cradle of steel plate for the tubes, and the pedestal on a base of rejected kitchen tanks which can be had for little or nothing.

"The smaller instrument can be driven by clockwork. The larger one will have an electric motor drive in which the speed is reduced by three worms and a small pinion on a ring gear, shrunk on a brake drum. The latter serves as a circle also.

"The 2-by-32 inch finder is now made and mounted.

"Invention and machines have since my boyhood been as natural as eating. I do all the work myself and with pleasure, consequently, the cost in money is not great." So writes Dr. Byl.-The Tel. Ed.

The Society for Amateur Scientists (SAS) is a nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to helping people enrich their lives by following their passion to take part in scientific adventures of all kinds.