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10 – Letter to Frederick Smith from Francis Galton, 28 Jan 1898

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[FS/3/3/2/10]

Jan 28/98

42, Rutland Gate, S.W.

Dear Captn Smith

Heartiest congratulations about the honorable[sic] medal.

Sincere thanks for what you send. I am just now in bed with bronchial catarrh, but hope to be up & at work again in 2 days. Then I will write further.

Very faithfully yrs

Francis Galton

11 – Letter to Frederick Smith from Francis Galton, 12 Feb 1898

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[FS/3/3/2/11]

Feb 12/98

42, Rutland Gate, S.W.

Dear Capt Smith

At last I am so far convalescent as to begin work, gently, again, & the first things taken in hand were yr 3 last horses. I have crossed worked them in various ways and the results are quite satisfactory except that the optical axis of the camera was far turn horizontal in A and somewhat wrong in C. I send copies of parts of the work for you keep. I do not want them back.

The distances KL in the one & MN in the other [sketch indicating a horse section]
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are not suitable to this method of measuring.

The arrangement of horse C, with a knotted cord lengthways between his legs, is excellent. Clearly in a place prepared for an hippometric laboratory an equivalent to this could be drawn on a concrete floor & a concrete back ground could be given, & the camera be set on a place, adjusted once for all. The necessary lineations[sic] to verify the correctness of position of the camera, cd I think be easily arranged in a very inconspicuous

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way. Your dotted squares, ¼ inch in side, are amply large enough to be seen & connecting lines of 1/8th in width wd be quite sufficient. A little experience would be needed to reach the utmost of simplicity & suitability. The suspended sealer would then be superfluous.

It will give me great pleasure to read your ? memoir, wd you care you send it me in M S. An objection to the argument strikes me as possible, & consequently might with advantage be anticipated. Viz: that the experts’ judgement of draught power is largely depends on their estimate of the horses weight. Consequently what you

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chiefly measure may be, in the last analysis, little or more then the accuracy of the experts in appraising weight. I feel sure this way of expressing it does some injustice to your theory. still it is partly true, and if you cd show what is the real weight to be attached to the objection it might be well.

I hope to be fit to leave England in the little more than a week, for a three months stay in S France and Sicily.

With sincere thanks for all your trouble on my behalf & the help you have given me

Very faithfully yours

Francis Galton

12 – Letter to Frederick Smith from Francis Galton, 15 Feb 1898

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[FS/3/3/2/12]

Feb 15/98

42, Rutland Gate, S.W.

Dear Capt Smith

I have gone through your paper and enclose some notes thereon, also some very rough work of my own open it, just to see how far its results correspond with yr results mine, unrevised & mainly by eye are

Draught Carrying power of a horse of 1000 lbs in weight, is 177lbs. For every 7 lbs in excess of, or less than 1000, add or subtract 1 lb of draught carrying power. Probable error of this estimate 3/2 lbs.

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Please consider my notes on p. 1 & 5

Your addendum is a great improvement, I think

As a general upshot I am not sufficiently competent in the subject to submit the memoir to the R. Soc especially as it strikes me as not quite suitable for that particular society. But do not let my ignorant views affect your fuller

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knowledge & sounder judgement

Very faithfully yours with renewed thanks for all you have so kindly done for me

Very faithfully yours

Francis Galton

P.S

I hope to go abroad next week, for a long stay in S France & in Sicily.

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A insert “Direct investigation having been found inpracticable[sic] the method … was … [“]

B insert “estimated”

C ? as to the weight of the animal (that seems to be the only judgement tested)

D This seems to be a pelitio? principle.

E p5 How is the “probable error” got here?

I make the mean error to be about 6 lbs

13 – Postcard to Frederick Smith from Francis Galton, 16 Feb 1898

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[FS/3/3/2/13]

The following phrase in my letter was slack & inexact:-

“I make the mean error to be about 6 lbs” It should have been “I make the mean of all the differences in the two column to be about 6lbs.”

From one point of view of the problem the distinction is important: i.e. if pairs of entries in the 2 columns be considered as independent estimates of the same unknown facts.

F. Galton

14 – Postcard to Frederick Smith from Francis Galton, 17 Feb 1898

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[FS/3/3/2/14]

It wd perhaps be better if you explained the way at wh: you arrived at the Prob: Error, in a note to the paper.

My work was purposely devoted to the first batch & and was little more than exploratory so to speak.

Thanks again for your kind offer to help. I have a batch of photos now in hand made by a friend under somewhat different conditions. I leave England on Tuesday I hope

Francis Galton

 

15 – Material relating to Smith’s work with Francis Galton, c.1897-1899

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10 – Letter to Fred Bullock from Frederick Smith, 13 Oct 1916

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14 – Letter to Frederick Smith from John M’Fadyean, Principal, Royal Veterinary College, 16 Feb 1923

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