American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-19
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For the American Telegraph.
MECHANISM, No. xv-3Y Josiah HoLm

Il. MECHANISM, Nd. Ay.--BY josiah HoLsRooK.
In this age of progress practical science
stands in bold relief 1t is the broad, strong
foundation of support, the grand centre e-spring
of movement in every work Of progress. First
clements" ultimate principles science,
applied TO human wants, used as the primary
lever Of business, adopted as the q First Les
sons Of elementary instruction, have already
produced mighty results. They have occasioned
a .fi Worlds Fair" ,for the exhibition Of such
results for the universal diffusion of such prin-
ciples. They must be thus diffused. 1t is the
voice of public sentiments: that is onnipotent.
potentates despots, and tyrants cannot resist
III II is itsefthe potentate of all earthly powers
| The history. OF practical science Tor the last
quarter OF u century il, in no small degree, the
history of the world, especially Of human pro-
A gress in this most remarkable age Of the world.
The sciences showing most progress are geology
and chemistry. Half century ago the word
| geology, was not named even in our colleges;
il hardly had place in our dictionaries. Now
| il is in every child's mouth. One OF the most
distinguished professors, in one of the oldest
and most distinguished of American colleges,
remarked that when he took possession of the
chair assigned him in that institution, about
| thirty years since, he did not know the name Of
quartz, nor Of any place in the country where
he could learn it. The name and character of
this professor are now as wide as the science he
teaches. g.r a...rg. .5,I . "a 4d .ggan iiigy
Another professor, appointed to q similar
| chair in another distinguished college, about
the same time, remarked that when he took
possession of the place assigned him in the in
stitution he did not know that there was more
than one Kind of stone in the world, and he did
not know the name of that. Not many years
after he prodneed large volume on geology
and mineralogy, which was pronounced by the
English reviewers the best work extant on the
subject. 1t was translated into the French and
| German languages, and used in both those coun-
tries as the most substantial Textbook. zHF
In the. unparalleled progress of this highly
practical, also fascinating, science--g geology
schools have had an effective agency. By the
agency Of young hands in Boston, near twenty
years since, each member Of the Massachusetts
Legislature was furnished with small elenlen-
tary cabinet of geology, in behalf of the schools
in his legislative district, by him to be circua-
ted for the benefit of the whole. The next Le
gislature ordered geological survey of the
State The generous young spirits of Philadel-
phia, not long after, engaged in similar agen-
| cy, and produced like results in 'Pennsylyanla.
From these juvenile efforts came the appoint
| ments Of President Hitchcock, of Amherst Coll
| lege and Professor Rodgers, Of Pennsylvania,
as the geologists of their respective States BY
both these gentlemen lectures have been given
before the Smithsonian Institution. 4 sa57a4r
The geological surveys of the other States
by Legislative enactment, followed in quick sue
cession, leading to scientific explorations of
, nearly every State in the Union, with others on
/. more extended scale, under the provisions Of
our National Legislature For combining the
efforts and enriching the fruits produced by
State and National geoogists, they organized
themselves into n society for the mutual aid Of
| themselves and the common benefit of the coun-
4 4 g ITnla, ,hal 20.
this little club Of geologsts has, by various
steps, advanced and enlarged into the 'Ameri-
can Association for the Promotion Of Science"
| embracing large numbers of scientific men com
ing up in the course of this progress, now hold
ing annual and semi annual meetings very
largely attended, in different and distant parts
| Of our country, making special aim to co-ope-
rate with kindred societies in other countries
1t is due to the generous young spirits Of Wash
| ington, the heart Of the nation, to mention that
offerings kindred to those rendered to patriotism
and to science, by the noble energies referred
| to in Boston and Philadelphia, for Massachu-
sets and Pennsylvania, have recently been
made and are now making by them for American
citizens and the worlds progress. With them
progress is the watchword. vgik r.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES twelve years since the
pupils of female seminary in country town
in Massachusetts sent to n similar institution
i'll Georgia n box of common stones picked up in
their streets. Within year or two after that
the Georgia school had on one side of their
room a large, handsome glass case, labelled in
gold, Mineral Cahinet," filled with choice
specimens. On another side of the same room
was "A similar case, labelled I" Botanical CaDi-
net" richly furnished with plants. Another
similar case was labelled Library" with a
good selection Of books. This school was then
in scientific correspondence in seven different
States. The whole produced by a"dor Of com
/, man siones'