CHAPTER VI
First and Second Visits to America. 1896, 1903.
JN the autumn of 1896 my wife and I went to America
Ito attend the celebration of the Sesquicentenary of Princeton University, at which I was to give a course of lectures on the Conduction of Electricity through Gases. We crossed in the Campania, then quite a new boat. When we reached New York there was some difficulty in getting our baggage through the customs. I had a suitcase full of congratulatory addresses from various universities and scientific societies in England. Each of these was in a cardboard cylinder. There had been some rioting and bomb-throwing about this time in America and the inspector at the Customs at once suspected bombs. He asked me what these cylinders were, and I said they contained addresses to Princeton University. He then asked why I was taking them. I said it was for their Sesquicentenary. " Oh !" he said, " I see, you're a foreigner. But where's Princeton anyhow ?" I said it was quite close to New York. He said he had never heard of such a place, and appealed to another inspector, who said he had not either. He refused to let my baggage through. I then demanded to be taken to the head man. After some more talking he consented, and took me to his office. Very fortunately he turned out to be a Princeton man, who received me with enthusiasm when he knew my errand and was not at all pleased with his subordinates for what seemed to him incredible ignorance.