A Wrangler's Tale
Part I: A Life Apart
Born on February 15th in what was then a small seaport, his father belonged to a noble, but impoverished, family. Dad dabbled in the clothing business, but had an aptitude for mathematics and music. He also had common sense, for he realized that, in those days, none but the chosen few could afford a living in the mathematics or music industry.
The father sent the son to study medicine – always a fine and rewarding industry – at the local University. The proud parent knew the temptation music and mathematics might have on the boy, so he purposely dissuaded him from those fields. The young man, however, already possessed a proficiency in music.
At the University, he incurred the wrath of his professors. He simply refused to accept on faith dogmatic statements based solely on the authority of what he considered “ancient” philosophers. His classmates christened him “The Wrangler” for all the trouble he caused.
At the age of 21, much to his father’s chagrin, he left medicine and turned to science and mathematics. Unfortunately, lack of money forced him to withdraw from the University and return home.
Still, his hobby eventually brought him into the highest circles. His lectures would fill the largest auditoriums. Yet he remained an independent mind, taking on all authority whenever his convictions demanded him to. When his died on a cold winter day in January, he had left an irreplaceable mark in all of science and on western civilization.