About the usual number-some 125 amateur telescope builders-attended the annual powwow at "Stellafane," in spite of hard times.

This year the Porter turret telescope was ready for use and a number of the more enthusiastic, wakeful amateurs spent the night keeping it busy. This is the telescope which was mentioned in advance of completion, in the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN book "Amateur Telescope Making," at the top of page 51 (second edition), except that the Cassegrainian part has not yet been added. Light from a star reaches the diagonal flat mirror closely attached to the revolving turret, is reflected outward to a 16 inch paraboloid at the end of the frame work structure of tubing, and this paraboIoid returns it as a cone which passes through a hole in the flat. The eyepiece is within the turret. This turret is made of concrete cast on to steel plates and revolves in right ascension on heavy rolls, being turned by means of a hand crank. The arrangement of the turret proper resembles that used on the well-known Hartness turret telescope. The slender object projecting at the right is a length of four-inch shafting which serves as a counterweight. The observer remains within the turret and is protected from the icy blasts of the cruel Vermont winters and from the persistent attentions of the Vermont mosquito. In the picture the square part of the structure is of wood, and the entire part at the left is of concrete, the two being anchored together by means of heavy bolts.

The second big feature of the "Stellefane" gathering was a six-inch telescope made by a lady. This received so much attention, and its maker, Mrs. Thomas Jenkins of Albany, so much praise, that there is no record of anything like it. As soon as the convention was over, the newspapers of Albany got wind of this unusual accomplishment and obtained an interview with Mrs. Jenkins, at which the photograph reproduced in these columns was also taken.

Incidentally, this same photograph was passed by the Albany papers into the hands of the press photograph agencies and thus came to be published in newspapers all over the nation. It is only fair to state that Mrs. Jenkins should not be credited with the misinformation in the legend published by most newspapers with the picture, as this appears to have arisen phoenixlike from the imagination of the press photographer, which surpasseth understanding.

Mrs. Jenkins is the wife of Thomas A Jenkins, a representative of the General Electric Company, and has studied mathematics and physics at the New York State College for Teachers. She, with some help from Mr. Jenkins, devoted 130 hours to the mirror part of the job. This is the third woman who has successfully completed a mirror as an amateur, the others being Mrs. Skinner, a draftswoman who was one of the members of the original "Telescope Makers of Springfield" and Mrs. Margaret Weisenberg of New York (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, October, 1929, page 354). Women seem to possess a real instinctive fiair fr~r any kind of rouge and mirror work and it is hoped that others will essay it.

Russell W. Porter, the father of the amateur art in America, told the assembly about progress and some of the plans at Pasadena, especially with regard to the 200-inch telescope. In the site investigation the choice has now been narrowed down to three candidates. The investigation will be continued while the work on the great telescope progresses, as it is only by integrating the findings of several years at a given site that a safe criterion of seeing can be obtained. One site. for example, which had performed splendidly for more than a year suddenly "blew up" and gave such bad seeing during a subsequent period that it was entirely thrown out of the running. One site is at Palomar about 100 miles south of Mount Wilson. A second candidate is about 100 miles east of Pasadena at an elevation of about 7000 feet, while a third is in the Mint Canyon near the Mojave Desert. Work on the 200-inch mirror is progressing, perhaps more slowly than the eager public wishes, but the intention is to avoid any haste that might later prove prejudicial to the main consideration, the telescope. The job will require a number of years at best, some of the newspapers and ill-informed writers to the contrary notwithstanding.

THE other assembly of amateur telescope makers was held at Pittsburgh, Saturday and Sunday, August 8 and 9 and, being well advertised in advance, brought more than 100 amateurs to that city, the visitors coming from eight states. Several professional astronomers attended the meeting. The interesting J. W. Fecker plant was visited At the Allegheny Observatory a number of speeches were listened to, including those by C. B. Roe President of the Pittsburgh club of amateurs; R. W. Porter and John M. Pierce of Springfield, Vermont; M. D. Blish, secretary of the newly organized club, "Amateur Telescope Makers of Chicago"; J. W. Fecker who has just completed the 69-inch mirror for the Perkins Observatory at Ohio Weslyan University; and Dr. James Stokley, Director of the Fels Planetarium in Philadelphia. A wreath was placed on the tomb of "Uncle John" Brashear, the great mirror maker.

On Sunday a visit was made to the Valley View Observatory, which was described in the July 1931 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN, pages 30-32. This is the headquarters of the Pittsburgh group. A ten-inch mirror was silvered as a demonstration. There were other activities and everybody had a good time. An informal account of this gathering, from a private communication by R. W. P., reads in more lively style. "Just back from Pittsburgh. Fine time. Those fellows did well. Headquarters in big hotel, badges, cars with big signs announcing convention. Fecker gave them the run of his shop. Supper, much speechifying. Evening at Allegheny Observatory, clear night. Hottest night ever. Sunday, spent morning with Fecker. Had a look at the 69 inch `,over a knife-edge. Wow! Everything at this meeting was done fine."

So there you are; amateur telescope making still lives.

HERE is something else this time from Chicago, a letter from Gerald E. McCord, President of the "Amateur Telescope Makers of Chicago."

"The readers of this magazine may recall former statements that an organization for amateurs in telescopy and astronomy was being formed in Chicago. We are pleased to present the following report of our progress to date.

"In March of this year the first meeting of this group was held at the Hotel Sherman in Chicago for the purposes of organizing and planning a program. A constitution was drawn up and the name 'Amateur Telescope Makers of Chicago' was selected. The constitution reads in part: 'The purpose of this organization is to promote interest in astronomy among the amateurs of Chicago and to assist all members in the art of telescope making.'

"There are now 45 names on our rolls. Meetings are held the first Sunday evening of each month. They are a combination of business meeting and small group discussions of some question that is giving some member trouble at that time.

"Completed mirrors of the society number six and range in size from 3-1/2 inch to 24-inch. The 24-inch telescope was built by Mr. F. W. Nack and is now in use. Five other mirrors are in process of construction, the largest of which is being ground from an especially made disk of Pyrex. Its diameter is 12 inches.

"We will welcome contact either in person or by correspondence, with other amateurs anywhere. Address all mail to the secretary Mr. M. D. Blish, 7548 West 62nd Street, Argo, Illinois or phone Kildar 8971 and ask for Mr. W. L. Dennis, if you're in town. Our technical adviser and an honorary member of the society is Mr. J. E. Mellish."

THAT Jap, Nagata, has earned the right to carve his initials on the comet he recently discovered, the comet having been named for him as is the custom. Nagata is not a telescope maker but is an amateur astronomer nevertheless. Here is a star for the telescope maker to hitch his wagon to: let him discover a new comet-and fame.

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.