The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-27

OTTER CREEK.
-----------------------
tFor the Rutland Globe.
sCrENTlEuo STUDIES.
The study of the natural sciences. or the
phenomena and laws of nature as they are
explained and classified by the great minds
of our age, Is rapidly becoming an indie
spensblc part of IA liberal education.
education" IL is coming to be understood,
should represent the existing state of know
ledge"
1t is not desirable that classical learning
should be abandoned or discouraged. We
should he positive losers without that
knowledge of ancient literature and Ian
guages and that general classical culture
and discipline, which have been preserved
perpetratcd in the established curriculum
of the colleges. Yet it is not in the pur-
suit of mathematics, and grammar, and
belcs-lettcrs alone that discipline and cul-
turc are TO be obtained.
There is discipline, no less than most
valuable knowledge and culture, in the
study OF physiology, and chemistry, gcolo-
~, and botany, and natural history. In
our modern languages arc to be found all
the grandest ideas and facts of modern dis
covery and thought. Few are the ideas
really worth knowing, or of value in mod
crn life, to be found exclusively in ancient
languages.
To be educated to-day one must know
somewhat of the world we live in, and
what our greatest living men have discov-
cred. The progress of the last twenty-five
years has in reality made education new
science, demanding and justifiying the
charges which have begun to be instituted
in our Universities. But education now is
not confined to the school or college. The
press is the great educator, and through the
printing and wide dissemination of scicn-
tiic books, newspaper and magazine alti-
cles, the people are coming to an education
cases puts in the background the profess
sional college graduates of twenty years
ago.
The coming of Prof. Tyndall TO this
country, and the large hearing and hearty
appreciation which his lectures and bril-
liant revelations in spectral analysis, re.
ceiycd, together with the immense sale OF
the Tribune sheets which reported the lee
lures, and Prof. Tyndall's generous dona
ton of the $4,000 of profits from the lee
lures to the aid of American students OF
science, this, with such gifts as NJ. Ander
son has made to Prof. Agassiz for schoo
of natural history on Penckese Island, ant
many other like signs of the times, indi
Gates in part the deep and strong intcres
which is awakening among the people o
our country in natural and scientific know
ledge
America is peculiarly fitted in natural re
sources and freedom of civil and religion
institutions, to take leading, pre-eminen
position in the development and general diff
fusion of scientific ideas; and while tn
. old world is the home of the classics
America should be the leader of moderl
scientific thought. But are we doing wha
we might ? In England there is move
ment on foot to form Il union or guild o
workingmen to cooperate with the Univcr
sity of Cambridge in giving courses Of lee
lures by professors of the University il
various towns and cities for the benefit o
the people. II is said the heads of the Uni
versity give the project every encourage
ment.
We have here in the United States man,
! richly endowed colleges, some of whc
1 could do vastly more for the education o
3 the people in some such way than they ar
{ now doing. For instance, let either Mid
dlebury College or the University of Vel
J mont take all the students now attendin
1 or who will be likely to attend upon bot
+ institutions, and then let the other appropri
ate its funds, under the direction and man
2 agemcnt of the State authorities, to provid
l ing able and interesting courses of lecture
l on natural sciences in the various towns @
G the State. The idea is certainly practic;
5 one, and if acted upon, cannot fail to II
1 suit in great benefit to the young men an
+ women of the State who must acqlil
t learning in some such way if they acquil
G it at all, because they have not the mean
/, of spending four years in college, thong
e they have minds ambitious of learning an
n may thus become most valuable and Unfit
e entail citizens of the commonwealth
: years to come. a. y. A.
1 Fair Haven, May Goth, 1878.