# J. T. Maston — From the Earth to the Moon character guide > J. T. Maston in From the Earth to the Moon by Jules Verne. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** the famous J. T. Maston, the Honourable J. T. Maston, Maston, the enterprising J. T. Maston, impetuous J. T. Maston, the inevitable J. T. Maston, the impetuous J. T. Maston, Friend Maston, Mr. Maston **First appearance:** 0000-the-gun-club ## Snapshot The Gun Club's excitable secretary, who offers to be shot in Barbicane's place and would not trade his seat at the launch banquet for an empire. ## Who they are Maston is the president's self-declared alter ego, a crippled, gesticulating enthusiast whose loyalty runs ahead of his judgment — he volunteers to die for Barbicane and later begs to join the voyage, only to be told he is too 'incomplete' to present himself on the Moon. He is the club's emotional barometer, shouting, eating, and toasting while the acoustic tube thunders overhead. His function is to make the enterprise feel like a cause rather than a contract, and his exclusion from the projectile leaves a devoted witness behind on Earth. ## Relationships ### [Impey Barbicane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/impey_barbicane) _friendship_ Barbicane and Maston are close colleagues and friends, with Maston serving as Barbicane's devoted secretary and supporter. ### [Michel Ardan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/michel_ardan) _friendship_ Maston and Ardan share a warm, humorous friendship, with Maston admiring Ardan's adventurous spirit. ### [Captain Nicholl](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/captain_nicholl) _rivalry_ Nicholl and Maston initially clash due to Nicholl's skepticism and Maston's fervent support of Barbicane's plan. ### [Major Elphinstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/major_elphinstone) _professional_ Maston and Major Elphinstone are colleagues in the Gun Club, collaborating on the moon project logistics. ### [General Morgan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/general_morgan) _professional_ General Morgan and Maston interact as fellow Gun Club members, with Morgan respecting Maston's enthusiasm. ### [Bilsby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/bilsby) _friendship_ Bilsby and Maston are friends and fellow Gun Club members, sharing excitement for the moon project. ### [Tom Hunter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/tom_hunter) _friendship_ Maston and Tom Hunter are friends and fellow Gun Club enthusiasts, sharing a passion for artillery. ### [Impey Barbicane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/impey_barbicane) _friendship_ Barbicane and Maston are close colleagues and friends, with Maston serving as Barbicane's devoted secretary and supporter. ### [Impey Barbicane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/impey_barbicane) _friendship_ Barbicane and Maston are close colleagues and friends, with Maston serving as Barbicane's devoted secretary and supporter. ### [Michel Ardan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/michel_ardan) _friendship_ Maston and Ardan share a warm, humorous friendship, with Maston admiring Ardan's adventurous spirit. ### [Michel Ardan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/michel_ardan) _friendship_ Maston and Ardan share a warm, humorous friendship, with Maston admiring Ardan's adventurous spirit. ### [Major Elphinstone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/major_elphinstone) _professional_ Maston and Major Elphinstone are colleagues in the Gun Club, collaborating on the moon project logistics. ## In the story ### [The Gun Club](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-gun-club) Perpetual secretary and inventor of a formidable mortar that killed 337 persons (by bursting); threatens to resign if no real battlefield test is offered. ### [President Barbicane's Communication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/president-barbicane-s-communication) Impetuous member who interrupts with cries for war and later reacts passionately to French mockery. ### [Effect of President Barbicane's Communication](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/effect-of-president-barbicane-s-communication) Faithful comrade of Barbicane; participates in the triumphant procession. ### [Answer from the Cambridge Observatory](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/answer-from-the-cambridge-observatory) Member of the Gun Club present at the boardroom meeting to debate the astronomical consultation. ### [The Romance of the Moon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-romance-of-the-moon) Mentioned as a member of the Gun Club, whose undertaking to perfect knowledge of the moon is described. ### [The Hymn of the Cannonball](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-hymn-of-the-cannonball) Serves as secretary of the committee, delivers a lyrical speech on the moral significance of the cannonball, and enthusiastically supports the aluminum projectile. ### [History of the Cannon](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/history-of-the-cannon) Eagerly advocates for an extremely long cannon, calculates the weight and cost of the proposed design, and displays impetuous enthusiasm. ### [The Question of Powders](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-question-of-powders) Secretary of the Gun Club; proposes 800,000 lbs. of powder, later enthusiastically supports Barbicane's pyroxyle plan and embraces him. ### [Florida and Texas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/florida-and-texas) Vehemently argues for declaring war on Mexico to secure territory, but is convinced by Barbicane's map showing suitable U.S. land. ### [Urbi et Orbi](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/urbi-et-orbi) As a member of the Gun Club, he is implicitly involved in the subscription efforts. ### [Stony Hill](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/stony-hill) Accompanies Barbicane, expresses enthusiasm for the project, and threatens alligators with his hook. ### [Pickaxe and Trowel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/pickaxe-and-trowel) Follows Barbicane everywhere, described as his 'bluebottle fly,' assisting and observing the work. ### [The Ceremony of the Casting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-ceremony-of-the-casting) Acts as a guide for the Gun Club delegation, enthusiastically showing them every detail of the furnaces and works. ### [The Columbiad](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-columbiad) Secretary of the Gun Club, nearly falls into the Columbiad, and is intensely impatient during the cooling period. ### [The Passenger of the Atlanta](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-passenger-of-the-atlanta) Among the crowd on the Atlanta; enthusiastically calls Ardan a hero and refuses to leave the deck. ### [A Meeting](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/a-meeting) Nearly falls from the platform in excitement and later proposes rectifying the Earth's axis. ### [Thrust and Parry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/thrust-and-parry) Present as a colleague of Barbicane, observing the confrontation. ### [How a Frenchman Settles an Affair](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/how-a-frenchman-settles-an-affair) Informs Ardan of the duel and accompanies him to the wood, offering himself as a substitute target. ### [The New Citizen of the United States](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-new-citizen-of-the-united-states) Proposes to join the moon voyage but is refused; his squirrel is eaten by the cat in the experiment. ### [The Projectile Compartment](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-projectile-compartment) Volunteers to test the air renewal system by living in the projectile for a week; emerges triumphant and fatter. ### [The Telescope of the Rocky Mountains](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/the-telescope-of-the-rocky-mountains) Maston is implied as a key member of the Gun Club involved in the telescope's construction and observation plans. ### [Final Details](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/final-details) Assists Barbicane in keeping sightseers away from the guncotton and enthusiastically supports Ardan's resupply idea. ### [Fire!](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/fire) Sheds a tear on Barbicane's forehead and asks to join the travelers. ### [Cloudy Weather](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/cloudy-weather) In despair over the cloudy weather, Maston sets out for Long's Peak to observe the projectile himself, nearly going mad from the delay. ### [A New Star](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/chapters/a-new-star) Observes the projectile from Long's Peak and remains confident in his friends' ability to overcome their predicament. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters/j_t_maston - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/from_the_earth_to_the_moon_se/characters