[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from W. G. Bond],
Title
[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from W. G. Bond],
Creator
Date
Identifier
GFF 15/38
Description
Handwritten letter from W.G. Bond, Holmby, Fortune Green Lane, West Hampstead. N.W., to George F. Fitzgerald, dated 7 November 1897. Bond discusses his retirement from "The Electrician", and his idea for a monthly science magazine intended for public readership. 2pp.
Transcript:
Dear Prof. Fitzgerald.
You may possibly have already observed a paragraph in "Nature" announcing my retirement from "The Electrician" after nearly ten years toil. The "fous et oigo malorum" was, so far as I can make out, my candidature for the secretary-ship of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Before my failure to obtain that post the words of the chief proprietor's mouth were considerable smoother than butter. Within 48 hours of my rebuff I was mated willy-nilly to a co-editor. Now a joint-editorship is a rather difficult machine to run, especially when the mates are one of a totally different breed and when the junior is only waiting the convenience of the financial 'losses' to run his senior out of the show altogether. In view of the fact that I had served the ship faithfully for so long a period and twice had stood by it in times of some distress, I felt, I must confess, aggrieved, not merely at the actions taken by the proprietors by alone all at the manner in which action was taken; there was a studied, and unnecessary discounting & lack of consideration about it all, reminding me painfully of the manner of Mr Trotter's dismissal, for such it was in effect.
This is, however, all ancient history now and of little interest to anyone save myself, and I have only troubled you with my sad chronicle of woe, since you have been such a strong supporter of what I am pleased to think of as the Trotter-Bond "Electrician". Perhaps this recital is a somewhat curious way of showinf my keen appreciation of yout assistance.
I am medidating having a monthly magazine of sound but not too profound science; my goal is a [?] of scientific 'XIX century' or 'Contemporary Review', wherin all lovers of science might glean something about the latest developments of physical and chemical knowledge. There is even to-day a fairly large public interested, at least, in science and ready to read articles by good menm if not too slodgy. It seems to me that as time goes on this public must increase in quantity and, if Trinity College do their duty, in quality.
Perhaps you might favour me with your views on the subject. I am in no hurry to begin; indeed I am looking to a little leisure to precute my studies in various direction. In mentioning the matter to anyone likely to be in interested in it, you will beair in mind that if my little banthing were to come to the knowledge of my late "employers" they would very probably put a spoke in my little wheel.
Yours very truely
W.G. Bond
Transcript:
Dear Prof. Fitzgerald.
You may possibly have already observed a paragraph in "Nature" announcing my retirement from "The Electrician" after nearly ten years toil. The "fous et oigo malorum" was, so far as I can make out, my candidature for the secretary-ship of the Institution of Electrical Engineers. Before my failure to obtain that post the words of the chief proprietor's mouth were considerable smoother than butter. Within 48 hours of my rebuff I was mated willy-nilly to a co-editor. Now a joint-editorship is a rather difficult machine to run, especially when the mates are one of a totally different breed and when the junior is only waiting the convenience of the financial 'losses' to run his senior out of the show altogether. In view of the fact that I had served the ship faithfully for so long a period and twice had stood by it in times of some distress, I felt, I must confess, aggrieved, not merely at the actions taken by the proprietors by alone all at the manner in which action was taken; there was a studied, and unnecessary discounting & lack of consideration about it all, reminding me painfully of the manner of Mr Trotter's dismissal, for such it was in effect.
This is, however, all ancient history now and of little interest to anyone save myself, and I have only troubled you with my sad chronicle of woe, since you have been such a strong supporter of what I am pleased to think of as the Trotter-Bond "Electrician". Perhaps this recital is a somewhat curious way of showinf my keen appreciation of yout assistance.
I am medidating having a monthly magazine of sound but not too profound science; my goal is a [?] of scientific 'XIX century' or 'Contemporary Review', wherin all lovers of science might glean something about the latest developments of physical and chemical knowledge. There is even to-day a fairly large public interested, at least, in science and ready to read articles by good menm if not too slodgy. It seems to me that as time goes on this public must increase in quantity and, if Trinity College do their duty, in quality.
Perhaps you might favour me with your views on the subject. I am in no hurry to begin; indeed I am looking to a little leisure to precute my studies in various direction. In mentioning the matter to anyone likely to be in interested in it, you will beair in mind that if my little banthing were to come to the knowledge of my late "employers" they would very probably put a spoke in my little wheel.
Yours very truely
W.G. Bond
Source
RDS Library & Archives GFF collection of letters
Contributor
Rights
Copyright RDS Library & Archives. Publication, transmission or display is prohibited without formal written approval of the RDS Library & Archives.
Relation
RDS Science Archive
Format
Manuscript
Language
English
Type
Coverage
1870-1901
Collection
Citation
Bond, W. G., “[Letter to George F. Fitzgerald from W. G. Bond],,” RDS Digital Archive, accessed May 20, 2025, https://digitalarchive.rds.ie/items/show/978.