The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1858-01-06

/
ever went from his laboratory without lair
chance of learning all that was newest and
best in the departments he presided over.
Indeed whatever DR.. Mitchell undertook he
| tried to do as well as it could then be done.
\ Ills plans were generally drawn to a large
scae and where he was permitted to finish
what he beganit rarely ever required amends !,
ment. Perhaps there was often an album
dance Of labor, mental ndphyscal, in bis un-
dertakings that savoured Of prodigality. But
DR.. Mitchell was rich in resources and
strength. lie wasted enough in his life to
make the fortunes of half dozen common I
men. One who knew him we'll. on hearing
| that he was to deliver the address al our State
| Fair in 1856, exclaimed "l'll warrant that
So he did, and by the time that he got down
to his own recent visit to Chatham County,
he had. as usual, given to the public an essay
full Of rare learing and abounding 10 useful
suggestions.
As preacher DR.. Mitchell was ofa sound
theology. lie acknowledged most heartily
that this Kosmos, with whose minute phe-
nOmena he was so conversant, was created
aud controlled by personal God. to whose
power, wisd0m, goodness, and awful holiness
he directed bis hearers with no little skill.
For the redemption Of mankind from the
abyss of sin and misery into which the fall OF
Adam has thrown them, he looked the mys-
terry of the Cross received BY Faith into the
heart of each individual His philosophy
led him TO advocate the leayening of the mass
by the subiection Of each component soul to
the law of God in Christ So then, he never
expected much permanent good to result
from those efforts which have different start
ing point. lie saw during his eyentful life,
50 many associations for the reformation Of
the ills nf Society skilfully organized and
vehemently recommended, and yet suppressed
ed By their original projectors, that while he
never opposed any scheme which relied
on the influence Of an organization for the at.
tainment OF this great end, vet he never ex-
pected much permanent good to result from
them. DIR. Mitchell believed that man was
TO be permanently raised above his natural
condition only by help sent down from Hea-
ven, and that this help could be expected by
thnse only who were reconciled to God
through i Divine and Priestly Mediator.
Hence he constantly taught the necessity OF
prompt and perseyering attention to the
claims Of personal religion.
hs dtHdH Ot eAleUslfc anu NuIlcu
and of scientific skill in his investigations, il
is well known that DR.. Mitchell had no supe-
riOr il any equal in our cOnutry. He was al
ways learning. The wonderful variety OF
subjects that is fonnd among the books Of his
library irresistibly impress one with the fact
that their owner was Of Unsuitable curiosity;
while the quality Of those books establishes
that his knowledge was Of a high order. He
kept himself well posted up as to the current
literature and science. He supplied himself
literally with the Reviews and Journals,
4 Magazines, &c, of the day. Hence his lib
rary. which cost him great deal OF money,
will not proye valuable TO his heirs. Others
wait until the proceedings oflearned Societies,
Scientific Journals, &C., are winnowed. until
the trash that is in them has been estimated
and the truth has been ascertained with a
close approximation. or until the first and
costly editions Of good books have been sold,
/ and the books are cheap. Such prudent and
economical souls DR.. Mitchell allowed TO
! persue their own plans. lie could not wait
/ Tor stale bread. nor let his meat be cooked
/ and then hashed. lie liked 10 have his food
( fresh. and then lie wanted 10 do his own chew
I ing besides. When new idea, or prolific
principle well illustrated was to be obtained,
dollars and cents rarely were hindrances TO
DR.. Mitchell. Some may say that had he
pursued different plan his family might
have been thousands of dollars richer. But
then his own soul and those Of his pupils and
children would have been thousands OF truths
poorer. aud DR.. Mitchell cared most for the
meat that does not perish. No man ever
deserved better the appelation Of "a walking
Encyclopaedia Besides intimate aequain-
tance with the subjects Of his own depart
mcnts, his general reading was so extensive
that there were few topics Of conversation
among scientific men oI any profession where
On nr. Mitchell was not an intelligent and
interested listener or an interesting and in.
sirnctise pxpnundrr. Some may Judge that
he might have d1ne more fnr his fellOw-men
had h. confined the attention Of his own pow
errul mind to a more limited range OF sub.
icets. So he might had such been his incli-
nataon. But Or. Mitchell loved to "expa.
titate free o'er all the world of man," lie
loycd t9 realize the miglitiness Of is maze.
J and to examine Tor himself in every direction
tie propfiety ol his plan. Besides We may
! say tliat Just such varied requirements we're
necessary lpf The proper discharge Of his
duties rs lecturer on Chemistry and miner
alngf and Geology. The bodily comforts Of
! civilized man and his proper understanding
j nf the phenomena 10 Nature around him. de-
pend 80 much on proper apprehension OF
the truths 10 these sciences, that one can be
a powerful expOundcr of them only By pos
sessing the facts to be obtained by general
reading. DR.. alitchcll's library made him
q man II puarr 10 bis laboratory.
I. rut il wns asa teacher, and as All oliccr Of
tic University. that Dr. Mitchell chiefly i'm
| proved the talents committed 70 him. Du-
ring the forty years be was connected with
tic University he never published OF wrote
. as much az other professors aud men Of sci.
cnce have written aud published. His large
...t.tf..faalz afnraa tycra far hia nuntis anil