Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-12-17
Death of AgaSSiz.

chest. Saturday afternoon he began sinking
and Sunday evening he died.
Louis Jean Rodolphe Agassiz was born II
Switzerland, near Neufchatel. His family
was French, and his ancestors had left France
for Switzerland, owing to the intolerance Of
Louis XIV. The father of Louis was Prot
estaut clergyman. and designed his son iol
the ministry. The boy, however, preferred
other branches, and while youth excelled
in scientific studies. Leaving the schools OF
Bienne and Lausanne he studied medicine at
Zurich, went to the University of Heidel-
berg and took his degree of doctor OF medl-
cine at the University of Munich. At the
last named place he fell in with some of the
leading scientific men of the day and gave
up the idea of pursuing his profession.
His first work, when yet in his twenty
third year, upon the fishes OF Brazil gave
him reputation which was greatly increa6-
ed by book on the Fresh Water Fishes OF
Europe in 1899, aud by another upon Fossil
Fishes in 1872 He made, early in his ca
reer, the acquaintance of Humboldt, who
greatly assisted him by counsel and BY mon
ey. From 1882 to l845 Agassiz occupied
the chair of Natural History in the college
of Neufchatel, and ic these years had camel
a worldwide reputation.
In 1916 he came to America. His deter
mination to make this country his home,
gave the United States the best years OF his
wonderfully active life. America claims hi Il
as her own almost, and besides he gave re-
markabe impetus 20 study, educating 4
corps Of men to follow in paths which he
has marked out. His undertaking of TWEEN
ty years since was accomp lished: 6 If & ID
spares my life, | will try to make American
science as much respected in Paris, London
Berlin and Vienna as it is in ! ew York and
Boston,
In 1847 Agassiz was made professor IN the
Lawrence Scientific School in Cambridge,
and began the connection with Harvard Uni
versity which ceased only with his death.
He married a second time in Boston, aud bis
home was a truly American one. His three
children were educated at Cambridge, and
his son is, perhaps, the man best qualified to
carry on much of the uncompleted work Of
his father.
Prof. Agassiz went up and down through
the country, always observing, always gath
ering more facts, and always ready to lee
sure and instruct the people of the various
places where his rambles brought him. IL
went along our shores with the coast survey
summered at Lake Superior and wintered il
Florida. He explored the Amazon valley IL
Brazil, and his wife with genuine love fol
the pursuits of her husband, has written the
history of that expedition. The still later
trip on the coast survey steamer Hassler, in
1912, gave Agassiz an immense collection
of specimens in a vast realm of zoology.
The great naturalist wrote much, but n
one of his books stands peculiarly notice
able above the rest. Many articles from hi
pen appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, anC
his last finished work was one which vii
have place in the January number Of tina
magazine.
For years the professor has been devotin;
his energies to the enlargement of the Mu
scum of Comparative BIOLOGY at Cambridge
Collections Of great value have been gathereo
by him and classified, it being his aim t,
have there all specim ems necessary to illus
trate the natural history of the United
States. Last year some weeks were spen
at the school on Penikese Island, where tn
students of the enthus iastic teacher followeC
him to learn his methods of investigation
and to receive from him an Introduction Il
Nature in her own house, where Agassiz wa
always welcome and where he delighted t.
bring his friends.
This school of Natural History was estab
lshed by the generosity of a New Yorl
merchant, and was one of the monuments t
the happy faculty by which Agassiz interest
ed men of all classes in the success of hi
enterprises From his youth upward he wa
enabled to devote his energies to his favorit
pursuits, for, though poor in early life, ther
were always open hands bearing gifts. Still
he did not always get what he wanted, 70
last winter the legislature gave but twenty
five thousand dollars to the museum, wherea
he wanted double that sum.
Prof. Agassiz had, no doubt, the creates
store of facts of any man living. His powe
of generalization has been questioned, be
cause conclusions to which others have com
were not clear to him. His unbelef in tn
doctrines that 60 by the name of Darwinism
is fully set forth in an article in the Januar
Atlantic. Not in accord with the belief
and unbeliefs of many of the men eminen
in science, Agassiz yet stood in their from
questioned whether in the late attacks up0
him made by some of them. they have nc
themselves become dogmatists They hay
theory of science just as they accuse thee
logians of having one of religion, and be
cause Agassiz has said " the facts do nc
show that" he has subjected himself to Ger
sure, and inasmuch his objections coul
not be brushsd away by the =. theological
bias " explanation, these censures have be
come quite personal.
The death of Agassiz is not only grea
blow to scientific study in the United States
but personal bereavement to the many VIII
knew the earnest and kind-hearted man.
PROF. AGAssIz was simple in dress an
mode of living. His figure was somewhs
under the medium height. His massiy