The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1855-07-10
Amounment Worth While Erect.

| 4ldootCtS IuO hotuCu1uINiou, SSuSSivCo vi Ao
home in Germany; theambitious project ofcon.
verting the Atlantic seacoast of the United
States of America into an imperishable monu.
ment of his fame and his labors. The com.
munieation of his desire to plan and execute
for our government complete survey of its
eastern coast, led finally to his engagement to
do, the work. :. = '- -
How he performed it is we'll known to that
portion of the public that take an interest in
navigation, and in the federal legislation con-
nected with the hydrographical bureau at
Washington. To but few, however, is known
the absorbing passion with which this distin.
guished mathematician pursued his lofty purpose
Of erecting durable monument to bis memory
in the American coast survery. In heat and in
cold-in rain and in suushine-by night and by
day-did he, bred to the best society, and
familiar with distinguished men in his own and
in this. country labor at his task upon the
seaside, on exposed headlands, in wet swamps,
in, marshes in the broiling sun-exposed to
Fswarms ofinsects, and the miasm Of damp and
unhealthy localities.
He was in the habit of correcting the work Of
bis subordinates, and revising and generalizing
their results, at his lodgings in Was hiugton.
Once while thus engaged, the carriage of the
Russian Minister, NJ Bodisco, came to his door
The. footman rang, and was by and by opened
to by a small, STOPPING man, with spectacles
and clad somewhat remarkably in green baize
loose coat. rs Mr. -Hasser in He is. THE
Russian Minister would like to see him Let
him enter'-and the, door was left open, and
the green baize and the spectacles and the stoop
ing form receded into large room
N. Bodsco entering there alone, found the
Surveyor surrounded with maps charts, and
written and figured memoranda, that covered
all the floor. He introduced himself to Mr..
Hassler, and said that he had been commission
ell by the Russian Emperor to offer him en-
ploymeht in his Empire at any salary he might
see fit to name-that if he had pecuniary en-
gagements here they would be paid for him,
allowed biln-but that his early departure for
ST. Petersburgh would be desirable. 49,.
The German listened till he closed, and in
simple language told the diplomstist that he
was not working for money, that be was building
bis monument upon the American coast, and
could not rest till it was done. To the sugges.
ton that he was receiving an inadequate COM
pensaton for his labor, the mathematician replied:
In money, sir, I no get paid-b but shall accom-.
plsh one invaluable labor for this American
Republic that shall never perish, That, Count,
is much better than money.
How wise was his ambition--if ambition of
posthumous. fame is ever wise! The reputation
conferred by wealth is as evanescent as it is
vulgar. Only works of genius and of benevolent
utility endure the corrosons of time, and retain
a place in mans memory. Long after the names
of the Rothschilds shall have been utterly for.
gotten in Europe and America, De Foe will be
held in general honor for bis Robinson Crusoe
On the Atlantic coast the now dead Hassler
is in afectionate mention among all seafaring
men and dwellers near the beach. They speak
admirngly of his passionate, selfdenying devo-
ton to his great work. Ills veneration for land.
marks, too, which sailors can so we'll appreciate,
is often talked Of The navigarors of the dan.
gerous Delaware Bay will remember Liston's
poplar below Reedy Island, and the Bomb hickory
famous landmarks in those waters These great
and much.cberished trees intervened in the sur
vey frequently, and interruptedthe observations.
It never entered Hassler's head to cut them
down; but at great trouble he made station
thirty miles Of, upon the height of bleak Iron
Hill, and there got his observations by firing
tar.barrels at night at the base of the trees so
dear to the Delaware Bay navigatom.
-. -; Buffalo Democracy.