InrecallingthisperiodinthelifeofPierreCurie,betweenand,wecanappreciatethegreatprogresstheyoungphysicisthadmadewhileactingasChiefofLaboratory.Hehadsucceededduringthistimeinorganizinganentirelynewteachingservice;hehadpublishedanimportantseriesoftheoreticalmemoirs,aswellastheresultsofexperimentalresearchofthefirstorder.Inaddition,hehadconstructednewapparatusofgreatperfection——andallthisinspiteofveryinsufficientaccommodationsandresources.Thisachievementsuggeststhedistancehehadtraveledsincethedoubtsandhesitationsofhisearlyyouthinlearningtodisciplinehismethodsofwork,andtoderivefromthemthefulladvantageofhisexceptionalcapacities.
HeenjoyedagrowingesteeminFrance,andinforeigncountries.Hewaslistenedtowithinterestatthemeetingsofthelearnedsocieties(SocietyofPhysics,SocietyofMineralogy,SocietyofElectricians),wherehewasinthehabitofpresentinghiscommunicationsandwherehejoinedreadilyinthediscussionofvariousscientificquestions.
Amongforeignscholarswhoalreadyatthistimeappreciatedhimhighly,Icanname,inthefirstplace,theillustriousEnglishphysicist,LordKelvin,whojoinedwithhiminacertainscientificdiscussion,andwhooftenexpressedforhim,fromthattimeon,bothesteemandsympathy.DuringoneofhisvisitstoParis,LordKelvinwaspresentatameetingoftheSocietyofPhysicswhenPierreCuriemadeastatementregardingtheconstructionandtheuseofstandardcondenserswithguardring.Inthisstatementherecommendedtheuseofanapparatuswhichinvolvedthechargingofthecentralpartoftheguardringplatebyagalvaniccellandinunitingtheguardringwiththeearth.Oneusesthen,asameasure,thechargeinducedonthesecondplate.Eventhoughtheresultingdispositionoflinesofthefieldbecomplex,thechargeinducedcanbecalculatedbyatheoremofelectrostatics,withthesamesimpleformulaasisusedforanordinaryapparatusinauniformfield,andonehasthebenefitofabetterisolation.LordKelvinbelievedatfirstthatthisreasoningwasinexact.Despitehisgreatreputeandhisadvancedage,hewentthefollowingdaytothelaboratorytofindtheyoungDirector.Herehediscussedthematterwithhimbeforetheblackboard.Hewascompletelyconvinced,andseemedevendelightedtoconcedethepointtohiscompanion.
ItmayseemastonishingthatPierreCurie,inspiteofhismerits,continuedduringtwelveyearsinthesmallpositionofChiefofLaboratory.Withoutdoubtthiswaslargelyduetothefactthatitiseasytooverlookthosewhohavenottheactivesupportofinfluentialpersons.Itwasduealsotothefactthatitwasimpossibleforhimtotakethemanystepsthatthepushingofanycandidatureinvolves.Then,too,hisindependenceofcharacterillfittedhimtoaskforanadvance,andthisnotwithstandingthefactthathispositionwasverymodest.Indeedhissalary,thencomparabletothatofadaylaborer(aboutfrancsamonth),wasscarcelysufficienttoenablehimtoleadthesimplelifethatwouldyetpermithimtocarryonhiswork.
Heexpressedhisfeelingsonthissubjectinthefollowingwords:
"Ihaveheardthatperhapsoneoftheprofessorswillresign,andthatImight,inthatcase,makeapplicationtosucceedhim.Whatanuglynecessityisthisofseekinganypositionwhatsoever;Iamnotaccustomedtothisformofactivity,demoralizingtothehighestdegree.IamsorrythatIspoketoyouaboutit.Ithinkthatnothingismoreunhealthytothespiritthantoallowoneselftobeoccupiedbythingsofthischaracterandtolistentothepettygossipthatpeoplecometoreporttoyou."
Ifhedislikedsolicitinganadvancementinposition,hewasevenlessinclinedtohopeforhonors.Hehad,infact,averydecidedopiniononthesubjectofhonorarydistinctions.Notonlydidhebelievethattheywerenothelpful,butheconsideredthemfranklyharmful.Hefeltthatthedesiretoobtainthemisacauseoftrouble,andthatitcandegradetheworthiestaimofman,whichis,workforthepureloveofit.Sincehepossessedgreatmoralprobity,hedidnothesitatetomakehisactsconformtohisopinions.WhenSchutzenberger,inordertoofferhimamarkofesteem,wishedtoproposehimforthePalmesacademiquesherefusedthisdistinction,despitetheadvantageswhich,accordingtogeneralbelief,itwouldconfer.Andhewrotetohisdirector:
"Ihavebeeninformedthatyouintendtoproposemeagaintothepreletforthedecoration.Iprayyoudonotdoso.Ifyouprocureformethishonor,youwillplacemeunderthenecessityofrefusingit,forIhavefirmlydecidednottoacceptadecorationofanykind.Ihopethatyouwillbegoodenoughtoavoidtakingastepthatwillmakemeappearalittleridiculousintheeyesofmanypeople.Ifyouraimistooffermeatestimonyofyourinterest,youhavealreadydonethat,andinaverymuchmoreeffectivemannerwhichtouchedmegreatly,foryouhavemadeitpossibleformetoworkwithoutworry."
Faithfultothisfirmopinion,helaterdeclinedthedecorationoftheLegiond'Honneur,whichwasofferedhimin.ButeventhoughPierreCurierefusedtotakestepstochangehissituationitwasatlastimproved.Inthewell-knownphysicist,Mascart,professorintheCollegedeFrance,impressedwithhisability,andwithLordKelvin'sopinionofhim,insistedthatSchutzenbergercreateanewChairofPhysicsattheSchoolofPhysicsandChemistry.PierreCuriewasthennamedprofessorunderconditionsinwhichhistalentsweredulyrecognized.However,nothingwasdoneatthistimetoamelioratetheinadequatematerialconditionsunderwhich,aswehavealreadyseen,hewascarryingonhispersonalinvestigations.