New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-18
TEACHERS INSTITUTE IN SALEM, MASS
CoTIesr ordenee ct The n. Y. Tribune.
SALEM. Mass. Saturl

see Of the Commonwealth ana uhder the drect
auspices of the Board of misunderstanding SEARS
beng present-s Teachers Institute has just closed
very successful at least very popular session IN
our con IMMUNITY AGAsSIZ and GUY0r have been here;
and literally the natives" beside numerous visit
ors rot naive) have been asonished The THIRST for
knowledge knowledge respecting the earth ITS history
Inhabitants uses and destiny has really worked Itself
into Juror. Lyceum Hall, which accommodates, on
pinch nearly hundred persons, could not begin
10 hold the Bqurers after scientific truth ana so the
capacious Mechanics Hall opened and PILED.
However il may have been at other times and IN other
places technology and kindred topics are anything
but drs alters Just now in the city OF Salem MOI
only tie hard delvng thinker supposed to have what
is regarded AS very rare passion Tor such matters
but the rest of mankind" men, women and children
generally are fully impressed with the Importance OF
knowing something about this terrestrial globe AMI
tie instructions OF Agassz and Guyot have been io-
lowed up with Zest and application truly gratifying
Tie design Of Teachers Institute as hardly
reed be stated is TO qualify teachers as such; the en-
lpLtepnept Of the community at large comes IN as an
Incidental blessing-eyeb being invited to attend
the lectures Happening to belong to the genus eve
"rybody," | have avaed myself OF the rare opportu-
nifty Of sitting at the feet OF the scientific Oanalels
ALREADY named KRUSI, LOWELL MASON and Rus
Sill tbe sloeutiOnis have also been here in the en-
poy of the State and in their respective departments
have contributed toward the general purpose OF the
Intttute.
On Monday evening Profess AGAssIz gave the fret
evening lecture He alluded to the popular error OF
nan sHpposirg himself to DE wholly distinct from the
animals of the globe, and lowered our cOncet some
what by demonstrating that physical man is put To-
eeiher precisely The same general plan as Is every
otler animal of the rerebra,G classes. The fin OF the
fish the wing of the bird and the OF man, are all
made alike having the number and form 81 bones
iointed the same way, and serving similar uses-'he
only difference being in the proportions OF the several
bones. The difference between the physical structure
of an and that of the lower animals is only one OF de-
nd FOIg
was something amusing as well as surprising IN seeing
the learned Professor ehals out his illustrations ON the
black-b The chalk seemed 10 know just what he
wanted of it, and drawing his fingers after IT, scrawled
out the very image he wished 1t to! Everybody
seemed to say, and TO smile as he said, How very e'
"TiOusw
On Tuesday evening LOWELL MASON gave very
sensible lecture the necessity OF teaching scnoars
tLings before cords The whole method of actual IN.
struction is experimental We get the thing trst and
the name aterward; and when the thing IS obtained
the name i'll come almost matter OF c0urse, with
out any conscious effort OF memory thlnk the lee
turer made his meaning clear. Following an ihterms-
si,n in the middle ofhis lecture, Mr. Mason asked US
to ion with him in singing verse which be LINED oil
for our benefit Following this he began 70 talk a0 Dut
Church Music, assuring US that IN Germany alone
could any such thing be found. The mere chOlr or
0uartette did not make Church Music A choir Is
needed but Church Music comes IRON the singing oil
the congregotiOn under The lead OF choir Tins much
said Mr. Mason told us that it was oil ertro; he had
onll taken the liberty with the Secretary permlsson
to get cut bis idea of Church Music aud forthwith re-
sumtd his lecture
Wednesday evening. Professor AGAssZ again took
the platform Thanks to the Professor and the chalk
we were coon informed how the earth was made, and
how il came to its present general charlcteris-
ties. When the crust cooled 1t contracted aud when
it contracted, its surface was rumples The slight IN
dentures and elevations on the surface OF nIiersd
appIe correspond 10 the valleys and mountains OF the
qlobe-the latter phenomena to be accounted Tor Ia
the came way as those on the surface Vi the apple
The unexpected resemblance" (Which, according 70
some philosophers is the essence oil WIT produced tue
usual effect at least thousand persons Gughed The
Professor explained how biologists know the rela-
tive ages of the various strata composing the earths
crust TIE fossil remains peculiar to each lorna
ton Gad PACED the hot! The higher mountains maH be
tie younger, because they must have been thrown up
when the crust was tbckest and the crust must have
been thickest at the latest period The fossil remains
confirm this inference. With one or two exceptions al
most land we do not know that these are exceptions
in act) all the classes of animals, except those comm;
under tbe division Of vertebrate are TO be traced IN all
tie geological periOds-tbe succeeding types IN tne
several form aons being decided improvements over
the preceding Ones Among the vertebrated classes
fishes only are found in the lowest formations; the
reptiles come at later period; the BIRDS az peroa
still later and uan is to be found only during the recent
geological formation. Agassz very hastily brushed
aside the development theory as unsclentlbc al tne
same time speaking Of the author Of the Vestges In
vay that strengthened at least my confidence Ia the
iudament and learning of that anonymous writer
On Thursday evening, 1t raned in torrents ana tne
streets in many places were literally Hooded let,
nothing could damp the newborn seal OF our people
The great Mechanics Hall was nearly hlled 10 sten
TO the third and closing lecture of Professor AoAs
stZ Hs object in this effort to state the geograph-
zeal distribution of animals The same climates nave
similar but not Identical types the world over
tude as well es latitude, has lite varieties ana Pecua
es In no two widely separated portions OF 'ne esrsn,
will tbe same types OF animal life be repeated Even
in cs.es where the essential unity is clear, there
IL S;ver.itv The American in Germany thinks he
soos ard hears tie American robin; but, on close
sxsminatiop. be discovers that the two are by no
means identical. The Professor also spoke Of the
nstIeuaticsl relations Of the leaves Of pants-acts
which were exceedingly interesting, but which l am
wholly incompetent to express in writing.
Friday evening, Professor GuYOr closed the evening
course with a lecture his peculiar theme. Not
having strong voice he declines speaking in the large
Lall, so Lyceum Hall was resOrted TO, and such a
packing Of heads arms and legs, be found in no
former geological period Guyot spoke OF Asia as the
birthplace Of Civilization and RegiOn-"th the land OF
origins" The civilized nations Of Asia ara now
cone TO dead, hopeless stop in their progress Ia
India, particularly, does this statement hold Inc
people, instead Of placing Themselves at the Aead OF Ma
lure place themselYes under and worship Nature
Hence thew have become the " fossil nsstOns OF
the slote We 90 into Europe, ami we
pass from the land Of origins into the land OF devei
horrsepts" Here peni1sues, mountains and forests
eoy reI diversy Of uatiOns-Gnd hence OF politics,
cn,iom, ana SEIZURE Hence follow the struggles Of
soa,.,t.s in eomustition-cs tlnued action and re-