Notes

Once, while out for a walk, Charles Proteus Steinmetz was accosted by a group of young ruffians. They mocked him and poked fun at his disfigured body. In their ignorance, they failed to see the giant that lay within this wonderful man. But how could they know that the man they taunted would forever change the world they knew? In elementary school Karl had difficulty memorizing the multiplication tables; but by college, he was known for his ability to solve very complex mathematical problems. His classmates affectionately nicknamed him Proteus, after the ancient Greek god who had the ability to change his form at will. If caught by any mortal, Proteus was obligated to reveal the secrets of the universe. Like the mythical Proteus, Steinmetz, too, was a hunchback. Afflicted with hereditary dwarfism and a deformed hip, he stood barely four feet tall. But the twists in his body would not deter him. Like Proteus, Steinmetz was destined to reveal valuable secrets to humankind. Steinmetz’s sharp mind took in everything, including how the German government oppressed many of its people. Opposed to the authoritarian rule of Otto Von Bismarck, chancellor of the German Empire, he drew the attention of the political police by joining a club of college socialists. With just a year left to graduate with honors from the University of Breslau, he was forced to flee to Zurich, Switzerland, to avoid arrest and long imprisonment. Accompanied by a Danish friend, Steinmetz emigrated to America in 1889. He was filled with hope as his ship docked in New York, but officials at Ellis Island pulled him aside. Not only was he deformed, he was also penniless, shabbily dressed, and ill after the long voyage. When asked if he could speak English, Steinmetz, who spoke several other languages, answered, “A few.” Fortunately his English-speaking friend was able to change the minds of the officials, who were just about to refuse Steinmetz entry as an undesirable alien and send him back on the next ship.