Charles Edward Barns , renaissance man unknown to many but friend to Charles Kellogg
Charles Edward Barns , early 1870s , Burlington Historical Society . ( Photo from Wikipedia .)
By now many readers of gmh
TODAY probably think that my curiosity about the person of Charles Kellogg is reaching an unhealthy level . While I have a huge cache of stories yet to tell about the Bird Man and Nature Singer , I decided to spare you another such article and write about one of his best friends — Charles Edward Barns instead . Today there are a few locals who recognize the name of Charles Kellogg as a prominent figure from early 20th century California history . But Charles Barns ’ residency in Morgan Hill for the last twenty years of his life is so obscure as to be almost completely forgotten . In my opinion , the story of Charles Barns deserves to be told because he , too , was a bit of a renaissance man .
I came across the Barns name when I first picked up Charles Kellogg ’ s anecdotal autobiography published in 1929 . Charles Barns wrote one the most concise and informative introductions to that book that I have ever read . He was able to capture the essence of who Charles Kellogg was — his personality , his outlook on life , and why his message was , and is today , of such importance . Not only did Barns introduce the book , he also published it at his printing shop on Diana Avenue . His grandson , years later , remembered that the print type was set with manual fonts and the press was operated by a foot pump mechanism . Today , the property on Diana Avenue to is covered by Highway 101 . The publishing house was originally called the Diana Printery , but Barns changed the name by 1927 to the Pacific Science Press , publishing his own works on amateur astronomy as well as , in 1934 , a book by Aphelia Adams Cochrane ( Cochrane Road and Jackson Ranch ) called “ Folks of Maine .”
The Wikipedia entry notes that “ Charles Barns ( July 23 , 1862 - May 24 , 1937 ) was an American writer , journalist , astronomer , theater impresario and publisher — a man of many interests .” By the early 1900s , Charles Barns had become highly regarded in the literary circles of the East Coast . And it was at this time that the vaudeville fame
of Charles Kellogg was at its peak . Kellogg was performing at theaters and lecture halls in Maine , Massachusetts , New York , and overseas in London , as well contracting with the Victor Talking Machine Company to record his bird songs . Sometime after the Barns family moved to Philadelphia in 1905 , the two men met at a theater ( Kellogg was performing and Barns was the house manager ) and their long-time friendship commenced . Ten years later , Charles Barns traveled west to visit his friend who had purchased Kellogg Springs in the hills of Coyote Ridge . And in 1918 , the Barns family moved to Morgan Hill , purchasing a twenty-acre prune ranch .
Charles Barns did not have any particular skills as an orchardist , or much motivation to pursue the agricultural lifestyle , but his enthusiasm for astronomy was fed by his proximity to the Lick Observatory at Mt . Hamilton . His magnum opus was entitled “ 1001 Celestial Wonders As Observed With Home Built Instruments .” An amazing book , it is filled with star charts and photos of distant nebula . Yes , photos — he designed and built his own telescopes , grinding the lenses , and some had camera mounts . As a highly respected self-taught astronomer , he was elected as a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Astronomical Society in 1929 .
I speculate that the most significant reason for Charles Barns and his wife Mabel to relocate from Philadelphia to Santa Clara County was their relationship with Charles and Sarah Kellogg , who were living in a hillside cabin above the valley floor at the end of Tennant Avenue . In 1918 , Charles Kellogg was traveling across the United States talking up the need for redwood forest conservation and promoting the sale of war bonds . While Mrs . Kellogg did go on the road with Charles in his “ Travel Log ” on occasion , my hunch is that she missed her East Coast friendships and the Barns ’ went west to be close to Sarah . They were ready for a new start and so they decided upon a complete lifestyle change —
Written By Mike Monroe
from the metropolitan scene to a very rural setting . A couple of years later , the Barns ’ daughter Cornelia and her family settled next-door to her parents , also on land set in prunes . Cornelia was an artist , author and poet of some distinction .
Mrs . Sarah Kellogg was referred to as Sa ’ di by her husband Charles as term of endearment . It is an unusual nickname , one that I think relates to the great Persian poet Saadi Shirazi who is recognized as a master in the literary world for the depths of his moral and social thoughts . Sa ’ di might have been a name bestowed upon her originally by Charles Barns as the Persian culture was highly advanced in its practice of astronomy . Charles Kellogg dedicated his book to “ Sa ’ di - The Beloved .”
Charles Barns wrote of his friend in the introduction to “ The Nature Singer ” that Charles Kellogg “ represented a type of genius of which there are perhaps two or three in a generation — ‘ dedicated spirits ’ untiring in their search for what is beautiful and true . The melody of his matchless bird songs , nature ’ s mark of her own child , his words and message had the very spirit of a woods prophet .”
To conclude my season of Charles Kellogg writing for the time being , I would like to quote a short passage from the last chapter of his book and , unhesitatingly say that Charles Barns was the instrument at hand that made the publication of his story possible .
The Dream Comes True
Water coaxed from the hills . The rocks , the stones , the pool , the building , All fashioned by my own hands .
Leisure to work , to read , commune , enjoy true neighbor friends .
Unhurried busy days , the quiet evenings , the great log burning , the little brook cascading down the fireplace rocks and across the hearth .
My faithful dog , and best of all … The Angel in the House .
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN MARCH / APRIL 2016 gmhtoday . com
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