The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-12-20
Natural History sooietz--OnOe More.


various capacities of our nature move in har-
moDy to high ends. And a wen balanced
communityis that in which the institutions oil
society are SO blended that the intellectual
and material powers are steadily deVeiopeu'
and the whole people are Elevated 10 nignef
plane of action and progress "hen COM
munity is in its rude beginnings, requiring all
its resources III rninfstcr to its physical neces-
stiles, II ia evident that there is no room for
bioh noontoI requirement. But as it advances
ia ,.;rii;uot ion it gathers around it the ameni-
+,os ~ life; the arts become more artistic,
nvuries rise upon necessities, and literature
and science take their appropriate place in re-
Heving labor, administering to the comforts
and pleasures of lifes and raising the whole
community to a higher sphere Of intellectual,
moral and physical being. No city Of moder-
ate dimensions can be considered as well bal
anced and properly furnished, which has not
its due proportion OF intellectual and materi-
al means OF instruction. The school should
go hand in hand with the work shop, the
church with the mandatory, literary and
scientific Institutions with ships and marts Ct
commerce. The hand should not say to the
head, 4 have no need of thee. And as all the
members of the body have their necessary
and appropriate field oflduty,so in the body
polite, thesweep and sway Of its action is inn
perfect, unless it he's its schools of science, of
literature and art, as well as those Of manual
labor. Opie, the painter, well expressed the
idea, when in answer to the question how he
mixed his admirable colors, he said, with my
brains.p The hand IN all its skilfll move
ments to the highest accomplishment, requires
the guidance of the higher power. Material
propress will never absorb all the energies of
any generation, remember when the me-
chanics of Portland were humble order
in the community; their habits were not
generally good, andntheirs work only in an
ordinary style. The Mechanics institution
was established, temperate habits introduced,
literary efforts in their new institution were
encouraged, their apprentices were well in
structed, and our common schools following
at the same time1theprogressio the age, the
whole order was steadily raised to higher
scale, and the general level of society in our
city was rapidly elevated. The same pro-
gress has been made in other, departments by
the introduction of higher standard of in
struction, the establishment of scientific and
literary Institutions, and the cultivation of the
fine arts. Past generations have worked that
Others nlay enjoy greater comforts and have
more leisure. The intellectual workers of
this age have induced thousands to read, IN
derstand and admire the productionsiof cult
waited minds and Of other ages. ,asaga2 aaos
One need not look back more than quar-
ter of a century to mark the great change
that has come over tiie whole face of our So
ciety 1t was ust at that time that few per-
sons began to take an interest in Natural HIS
tory, aud efforts we're made to inspire deep
er feeling in this inexhaustable source OF
pleasure and Instruction. The Mercantile Ii
brary Association followed, addressing itself
especially to young merchantsa and merchants
clerks then came the Young Mems Christian
Association, appealing particularly to the
moral element in our community.
These were the intellectual and moral
workers, and the progress OF our city to Its
present well cultivated position shows that
they have worked we'll We need point to but
few examples to illustrate what we have done.
In literature our native authors, Neal, Long
fellow, N. P. Willis, Bishop Southgate, DR..
Humphreys Storer, Professor Henry B. Smith,
VIM. Law Symonds, have reputation not
limited by the boundaries of our own country.
In the fine arts, we shall scarcely find better
examples than Akers, the youthful Siinmonds,
full Of grace and power, Goldman, Tilton, Cole
man, Brown, Kimbail, Beckett, Hudson. And
10 more solid productions, have we not had
DR.. Payson, Simon Greenleaf, DR., Nichols,
Judge Ware, Charles S.Davies, DE-. Bartol, DIR.
Ray and numerous Others who have used their
great learning aad abilities for the welfaresof
the race. All these are intellectual workers,
who have worked, not only for the present,
but future generations, and whose works and
whose names we cherish as part of the herit-
age. of cur city. or
The only institution devoted to science and
thearts, which we have allowed to langnish
in this age of progress, is that for the cultiva-
ton and advancement of Natural Science.--
The few workers who have been laboring in
that noble cause, unfolding the rich and hid
den stores of nature-goiDg to the bottom of
the sea along cur coast and bringing up natu-
raltreasures which had never before seen the
light of day, or been seen by human eye-bur-
rowing in the mud of our coyes and in the
sands ofour hills, furnishing new evidenced of
he inexhaustible power and infinite variety in
he creations Of Deity, the living specimens
or the fossil remains of past geologic ages,
and leading the mind from nature up to ma,
lures God.
These patient laborers in the cause of
science have been toiling on, that others may
enjoy; having no compensation but the pleas
nre OF their toll, and the knowledge that 9TH
ers would reap the benefit of their labors.--
And the papers now tell US that notwithstand-
ing ali the benefits they have conferred on
his community, there is a fear that want of
sympathy in our city for their great and unre-
Quilted efforts, will permit this most usefu! and
valuable institution to perish for want of ma
ierial aid. But I will not entertain that
gloomy thought; for the noble response, re-
Gently made TO the awakening calls Of the So
ciety BY one Of cur venerable and native-born
citizens, does net permit me to feel or to say,
that sympathy does not-exist in this commune
ity, toward the exertions of those who are
striving to promote more universal cultivs-
ton OF this useful knowledge. The generous
donation of $500, and few weeks ago, one of
500 from the wife Of the same gentleman are
most gratifying acts, and give the society an
assurance that the institution will live; that its
Efforts will not cease in its general and large
contribution to the knowledge and cultivation
Vi cur people. Let others, according to their
g l' aad their gifts to secure this object.
remember now many years the Boston Soci-
ETY. OF Natural History had TO struggle. and al