My studies were continued at the higher Real Gymnasium in Carlstadt,Croatia,where one of my aunts resided.She was a distinguished lady,the wife of a Colonel who was an old war-horse having participated in many battles.Inever can forget the three years Ipast at their home.No fortress in time of war was under a more rigid discipline.Iwas fed like a canary bird.All the meals were of the highest quality and deliciously prepared but short in quantity by a thousand percent.The slices of ham cut by my aunt were like tissue paper.When the Colonel would put something substantial on my plate she would snatch it away and say excitedly to him:"Be careful,Niko is very delicate."Ihad a voracious appetite and suffered like Tantalus.
But Ilived in an atmosphere of refinement and artistic taste quite unusual for those times and conditions.The land was low and marshy and malaria fever never left me while there despite of the enormous amounts of quinin Iconsumed.Occasionally the river would rise and drive an army of rats into the buildings,devouring everything even to the bundles of the fierce paprika.These pests were to me a welcome diversion.Ithinned their ranks by all sorts of means,which won me the unenviable distinction of rat-catcher in the community.At last,however,my course was completed,the misery ended,and Iobtained the certificate of maturity which brought me to the cross-roads.
During all those years my parents never wavered in their resolve to make me embrace the clergy,the mere thought of which filled me with dread.Ihad become intensely interested in electricity under the stimulating influence of my Professor of Physics,who was an ingenious man and often demonstrated the principles by apparatus of his own invention.Among these Irecall a device in the shape of a freely rotatable bulb,with tinfoil coatings,which was made to spin rapidly when connected to a static machine.It is impossible for me to convey an adequate idea of the intensity of feeling Iexperienced in witnessing his exhibitions of these mysterious phenomena.Every impression produced a thousand echoes in my mind.Iwanted to know more of this wonderful force;Ilonged for experiment and investigation and resigned myself to the inevitable with aching heart.
Just as Iwas making ready for the long journey home Ireceived word that my father wished me to go on a shooting expedition.It was a strange request as he had been always strenuously opposed to this kind of sport.But a few days later Ilearned that the cholera was raging in that district and,taking advantage of an opportunity,Ireturned to Gospic in disregard of my parents"wishes.It is incredible how absolutely ignorant people were as to the causes of this scourge which visited the country in intervals of from fifteen to twenty years.They thought that the deadly agents were transmitted thru the air and filled it with pungent odors and smoke.In the meantime they drank the infected water and died in heaps.Icontracted the awful disease on the very day of my arrival and altho surviving the crisis,Iwas confined to bed for nine months with scarcely any ability to move.My energy was completely exhausted and for the second time Ifound myself at death"s door.
In one of the sinking spells which was thought to be the last,my father rushed into the room.Istill see his pallid face as he tried to cheer me in tones belying his assurance."Perhaps,"Isaid,"Imay get well if you will let me study engineering.""You will go to the best technical institution in the world,"he solemnly replied,and Iknew that he meant it.Aheavy weight was lifted from my mind but the relief would have come too late had it not been for a marvelous cure brought about thru a bitter decoction of a peculiar bean.Icame to life like another Lazarus to the utter amazement of everybody.
My father insisted that Ispend a year in healthful physical outdoor exercises to which Ireluctantly consented.For most of this term Iroamed in the mountains,loaded with a hunter"s outfit and a bundle of books,and this contact with nature made me stronger in body as well as in mind.Ithought and planned,and conceived many ideas almost as a rule delusive.The vision was clear enough but the knowledge of principles was very limited.In one of my inventions Iproposed to convey letters and packages across the seas,thru a submarine tube,in spherical containers of sufficient strength to resist the hydraulic pressure.The pumping plant,intended to force the water thru the tube,was accurately figured and designed and all other particulars carefully worked out.Only one trifling detail,of no consequence,was lightly dismist.Iassumed an arbitrary velocity of the water and,what is more,took pleasure in making it high,thus arriving at a stupendous performance supported by faultless calculations.Subsequent reflections,however,on the resistance of pipes to fluid flow determined me to make this invention public property.
Another one of my projects was to construct a ring around the equator which would,of course,float freely and could be arrested in its spinning motion by reactionary forces,thus enabling travel at a rate of about one thousand miles an hour,impracticable by rail.The reader will smile.The plan was difficult of execution,Iwill admit,but not nearly so bad as that of a well-known New York professor,who wanted to pump the air from the torrid to the temperate zones,entirely forgetful of the fact that the Lord had provided a gigantic machine for this very purpose.