Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-03-15
THE LATE PROF. PADDOCK THoMP.
gnN

many departments OF natural science the most
learned man in the State, and had few super
iors anywhere. lie held at the time Of his
decease, the office of State Geoloqist, to which
place he was first appointed by Governor Ros-
INsoN in 1858, in conformity with an act Of the
Legislature, which authorized and directed his
appointment "as State Naturalist" and made
1t his duty 10 institute a survey Of the State,
and publish the results of it, embracing the
physical geography, scientific geology and min
eralogy, botany, aud general zoology, Of The
State. In this work he had since been enga-
ged, with his Characteristic zeal and devotion,
having suspended his abors in his Professor
ship Of Natural History and chemistry, in the
University Of Vermont, to which he had been
appointed two years before, tina, he might bring
10 this great public work his undivided purpose
ond strength. II is perhaps not too much to
anticipate that had his life been prolonged, he
would have accomplished it, to the entire salts
faction Of all-which, in these times Of inter-
meddling pretension and ignorant hypercrilicsm
is indeed saying very much, more far than we
should dare affirm for any man less learned
less devoted and painstaking in his Aork, or less
DNl III Is Cut Ol III Tue ullucl
of this most indispensable undertaking. And
although we are assured the work is already far
advanced, it is scarcely possible that another
can take il up, where death decided the prepa-
ration, and finish il with either the same facil-
ity. or tho same symmetry and perfection as tho
original protector.
Soon after he left the University he received
Deacon's Orders in tue Protestant Episcopal
Church, but his sense of his own deficiencies
was so overwhelming as always to deter him
from assuming the responsibilities of the Priest
hood, for with him all sacred Offices were places
of deep and solemn responsibility For many
years he devoted himself to the instruction of
youth with unvarying ard almost untiring zeal
and assiduity. We very well recoleci our first
opportunity of seeing him, at this same period,
while holding a service in a retired school house
by the wayside, miles from any place of public
worship, where the services of the Churutsat
the time were almost unknown, and consequent
ly less pprcciaied-wiih few attendants, and
they, for the most part, wholly unable TO assist
In the service, and he the more earnest. the
more solemn. and The less hesiiating in regard
to his own share in the worship, inasmuch- as
he felt that he was intruding upon the field Of
no more experienced preacher of the Word
With far more ability than the majority OF Chris
tan ministers, we recollect almost no one 50
distrustfal of self, so selfsacrifcing, so little
self seeking.
lie has devoted large portion Of his life TO
the sindy Of Natural History and the kindred
sciences, in which he made eminent proficiency.
SO much so as to have been the recipient Of
more honorary memberships from abroad than
any other in the State, perhaps and, notwiih-
standing the very marked plainness and want
of ornament in all tina. he said or wrote. and
his great dfhdence of manner, which made
him very far from being an attractive speaker.
he was sometimes called to address the mem.
hers OF the mure distinguished scientific Socie-
ties in our large cities, where he was much
known and greatly respected by the most emf
nent naiuralists upon the continent.
lie has probably contributed more to the
Natural, Civil, and Political History of the
State than any other person. His Gasetfeer of
PeTmont-a work Of considerable research and
appeared in 1924. TWAS thor
ouehly revised in 1912, a, which time he pub
lished in connection his principal finished work,
upon the Natural, CiyA, and Political History
OF the Stale, embracing us literature, (such as
1t isl It's literary, scientific and benevolent in.
situations, which evinces great accuracy aud
OF research. The Natural His
tory alone contains nearly two hundred closely
printed doube-columned pages, of the deserip-
1--WE catalogues Of our euadrupeds, birds, fishes,
and reptiles, with about one hundred and ffiy
accurate engravings taken from the captured
specimens of the rarer species, chiefly by his
own hand. In consideration of this portion of
the work, and its great public utility, the Leg
islature voted him liberal graiuity, after the
work was published, which is the more uncom-
mon, and consequently the more creditable to
them and TO him. inasmuch as j, could only
have been prompted by a deep sense of the u,iI
ny and value of the work as a contribution TO
the permanent history of the State.
For more than twenty years he has made
and preserved the records of meteorological OH
seTyaiions, both with the barometer and Their
momeler and other requisite aids, at differen,
hours Of the day, for every day, through the
whole period devolving the duty upon the
other members Of his family, in his absence
The results are certainly curious, and, attended
with the observations and reflections of one so
and discriminating. of no inconsider-
able value.
His cabinet contained many very rare speci-
mems, and among them some fossil bones, or
rather actual bones, more or less tending to pet
reiacIion, of almos, inexplicable wonder. One.
Of species of whale, found Undecided in the
clay, in the valley of Lake Champaign, many
miles from the present bed of the lake. An
other, comprising parts of the bones of the YER
liable elephant of the eastern continent, found
Embedded in a mari cut, upon the line Of the
Rutland and Burlington Railway, near The sum
mil of the Green Mountains. This was first
deposited in the museum OF Cambridge College.
but beginning to crumble, the prince of natu-
Ialls's, Prof Agassiz, surrendered it to Prof.
Thompson, with the hope that he might be able
to preserve it, which we think he succeeded in
doing.
Prof. rhomPson's specimens of the dfferen,
woods OF Vermont, prepared 10 the shape of
Inn