, 1863-10-07
a GEOLOGICAL PICA-P0CKgT.
His Adventures in Dubuque,


HOW HE VICTIIMzED low ANS
1F1om the Dubuque TimcaI
A great ecientifc Light which has recently
Illuminated and gone out Of our best society
came to Dubuqne a few dayB slncs on steam
boat fIom below and introduced himself to
,Judpe Wright, the first day Of the State Fair.
as Professor James Dale Owen, SON Of the
great Geologist David Dale O*en, and Pro.
fessor in the Geological Department Of the
smithsonian Institute. he had been sent out
and make note Of what Was new and curl
ous among the articles exhibited, and to pur-
chase the rate geological and 1niltralogfca1
specimens that he might see In his trarels,
Ot course he was warmly received by the
Judge, Who gave him season ticket to the
intnt men On the grounds, and to not a feH
ladies. For three days he lived in clover.
He was Invited to dine, to ride, and to sleep,
and he never failed to accept the Invitation, al
If he we're comforting IN honor upon the host
To person Of influence he expressed de-
sire to Tisit "Walled Lake, ," and forth With
pasEes were procured for hin over the west
e1n railroad. These he used with grand effect.
He would introduce his mission into conyer.
satipp, relate how passes over the railroads
had been furnished him at Washington before
starting, and exhibit those giving him q free
ride over the Dubuque and Sioux City road
as tito prove his t1uthfulness aud the high
appreciation In which he was held at the "a.
tlonal Capital.
There happened to be a vacancy in the Com
mittce on neurological and geological spcci.
mems, and he was Immediately appointed to
fill the place. He had very littls to say about
the science Of geology: He avoided bis com
grounds; they were never able to secure
his attention but once, and then when
Iool ing at specimens be sagely remarked that
"Mineralogy of Iowa has not heen developed,
but that Its Pathology had" He made the
aeaoaintaS9ee zee Of young lady fen the coun;
dtdn't he talk paintfug to her though? He
visited her at her stopping place, sat up late
with her, took her to concerts, and In pres
ence ofothers told her that he would buy her
productions If he did not receive orders from
Washington not to spend any more money;
privately with her that he should spend the
winter In Washington, but tkat be should 60
to Europe In the epring, and ended it all By
offering himself to her. She should travel
oyer the continent next summer, and should
Italy, the land Of the great masters. She dis
liked the man, but travel would be such an
advantage to her, she said, She went to
friend and asked bis advice. Her friend asked
the advice of another who knew the Professor.
He was astontshed, thought it strange, but
tod the nan that Owen was an eminent man.
and would be match for any woman. It Is
thought that the lady accepted him. And it
turned out that two others in our city accept
ed him also, he holding up to both the same
world.
The Professor was oftenseen with Governor
kj1kHood. He roomed with the Governor, he
told his victims. He made the Governor &C.
quaintance at the Presidents dinner table,
aud the President thought the Governor
very able man. As there was nothing In the
Governors conduct to contradict this, all be-
Geyed 1t, and as consequence, a reverend
prelate invited the Governor, the Professor
and DR.. Horr to dine with hin, and the Pro-
fessor took 1t upon himself to invite others,
WHO were personal and political euemies Of
Mr.. Z. It 50 happened that the Il enem1es''
called at the house first, and when told the
lanes OF the parties who we're expected, they
eloped, thinking the Professors etiquette
very strange sort for man OF his eminence.
He also became Ihtlmate with Judge Mason,
Of Burlington, whom he cruelty sold. The
Judge took him ore day into Gloert's Book,
store and Gilbert made mention ofthe Young
Mems Library: .sAh! .t Young MEMS Libra:
tco. By the way, Judge, hare you copy
Of me fathers Geological survey Of iowa, Wis
con5in md Minnesota" ?"
II bare"
"Well, suppose you present 1t to this Ii.
brary, and when reach home I'll send you
tplendIdly bound one in Its p1acc.''
The Judge asscnted, aud after he had reach.
ed home sent the book, with his compliments,
He Nil probably feel little angry before
lo1g. His was one Of the very few copies Of
the work In lows, and 1t can't be purchased
at triaiug cost, as the volume is out Of
print.
The Professor pretended to have in his pos
session several sets Of tho works Of Darwin,
Lytu and other eminent Geo!ogtsts, which
had been p1aced In his hands by Mrs. Senator
Harlan to tell for the benefit Of tha United
lars eett, and those who would like to have
them could give him the money and he would
forward the volumes from Washington,
Eis ht Or ten Of our cltizens handed him seven
dollars each. They havn't received the books
yet.
day. He had just received IN Invitation to
Tide out to the mines, but be had left his over
ct at at the hotel, his friends were waiting In
Il e carTiage-wou1d the doctor be 90 kind as
to lend hin IN oyerccat or chaw1? OF course,
aId great, vel made, warm, expensive
rather large foI him, he said, but just the
thtrg. OF he rent, and ths doctor has never
seen the &C at sipce-nor the Professor either.
do resemble me father:" the Professor
asked Gen. Wiltse one day. The General had
for years been Intimate with DaTii Dale
bis son. He could discover no similarity be.
tween the celebrated father and the emioent
son. The Professor was astonished-othe
not balf SO well acquainted with his father,
could detect q ikeness-and he laughed be-
| cause the General ''could Mt see II" and be-
cause be WAS cure he Would before long!
Gen. ". NOW thinks he knoHs why the rasch
/ laughed.
He told mony Of the exhibitors Of machines,
impleme ents &c; that he was correspondent
| If the New York Tribune, nud daily sent let
tezs descriptive OF tho Fair to that paper: The
special MENTION" fHe 1t tt first always % de- de-
clined to receive the money, but always con-
cluded, at last, that It would shelp the
he arrived in New York. The Tribune folks
had also requested him to vieit different por-
lions Ct the State and describe the country,
the crops, and the way things looked po}iti-
cally.. The story took well, md be VAS the
recipient Of many an invitation from persons
Nearly every one offered to py his expenses
| Of the trip, and two gentlemen actually give
him money to purchase his own and their
| tickets, because, he raid, he could purchase
the tickets at liberal deduction from the
| fegulor ta1e. -.
| buL We uaStu'L Sp9EE 10 WelL1OQ I'LL MS au-
| dacious games. He dined with tho wealthy,
and ftirted with the wealthy daughters, and
borrowed money until he should return from
the hotel, where his own was deposited in =
safe..
But there Was one man Hho saw through
he Professor the very first Interview, and
that was Capt. Tom Lc7ens, who, afeer the
Professor had looked at bis Cabinet, de-
nounctd him Us t.no geo1ogtst d--t fool,
and bogus In every thing" =.
And DOW It turns out that " Pref. James
Dale Owen was nothing less than pick
pocket. SeVeral who had money taken from
ed it shortly after being introduced to him,
and that he contrtred to make their acqnaint-
auce in iostli1g crowd. He relieved one
lady of fifty dollars In less than ten minutes
atter first speaking to her. He took eighty
| dollars from the pocket Of an exhibitor Of
stock, who was showing him his animals, and
It is now ascertained that he was the Thief
| who stole the money and clothing from the
rooms Of dodgers In the Key City House. He
stopped the bolt holes Of the doors with put
| ty. 10 tlat the bolt could not enter them, and
At night slipped in the rooms and picked the
pockets Of the sleepers. He probably took
away from the city nearly 81, 500 of stolen
| money.
And yet, The strapgest part OF all is, that he
1 was not Intelligent in conyereation-he was
sharp enough to talk but little e-gentlemanly
in behavior, nor fine looking in appearance,
aud was dressed 1ather shabb1ly. He is about
i've feet Fix In height, has thin, straight, light
brown hair. a1ways combtd backward, very
keen. penetrating blue eyes, speaks In q
ances under his lower jaw, living It tbs ap. al
peorance Of chipmnnk with his Jaw crammed
with hrnch DufS Whrn 1,p loft hara h fo nj