New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-09
AGASSIZ'S ACADEMY.
OPENING OF THE ANDERSON SCHOOL OF
NATURAL HISTORY.

| VT lnE hNbbISON ''N''ON'| "
| NATURAL HISTORY.
| PROP aGsssIZ's ADDRESS TO HIS PUPIiS-NATURF
AND NOT BOOKS TO BE sTUDED-HOw oRIGEn
INVESTIGATORS ARE TO RE TRAINED-TEACHERs
IN THE NEw INSTITUTION.
IBr TELEGRAPH THR TRTBuSE
PENKEsE ISLAND, July S-About 10 o'clock this
morning the little steamtug Helen Augusta left the
pier at New Bedford carrying those who had assem-
bled to attend the opening of the Anderson School
of Natural History at this little island of Penikese
About 70 in all were on board. including Mrs John
Anderson VIM. GirOd. Mr.. AndeSon's legal adviser
Alexander Agassiz, Of Prof. Agassiz; Thos. q.
Cary Treasurer of the Board of Trustees Dr. Burt
G. Wilder of Cornell University and his wife. Sew
eral gentlemen from New-Bedford prominent in
educational matters and about 40students 10 of them
ladies with their friends also among the number
pleasant sail of two hours across Buzzard's Bay
brought the steamer TO Penikese rather near If,
for landing had to be effected in small boats. Prof
Agassiz stood upon the pier and welcomed his
friends as they landed and led them to Mr.. Ander-
sons house. Here Mrs. Agassiz received and cared
for the ladies' while the gentlemen stroled around
to see the present quarters of the students. The
rooms looked new, neat, and inviting, although the
window sashes had arrived. But Prof Agassiz
afterward told them some hardships must be frs en-
countered in the search for knowledge. At o'clock
the company gathered in the barn near by, which
bad been fitted with chairs and tables for the Occa-
sion. Ii was all Open and the swallows kept flying
through during the exercises When all were seated
Prof Agassiz arose and spoke as follows
PROP. AGAssH's ADDRESS.
LADIES AND .GENTIESES: / feel that YOU are In a
strange position, and mostly strangers to another
/ miss, however, one than 1 can express. The
gentleman 10 whom this opportunity is not
fha al Of hatn
to introduce to you his benevolent face You do not
know your teacher and do know those who TO
be my pupils We havoc here almost without con
Meeting bond, but yet have the desire 10 do
thing TO advance the carise OF education. That will
draw more closely together. think we have the
need of help. 1 know little Of your ways
aud yon know 81 little about mine that
do not feel that l can call on any
one here to ask blessing for MS. L know / would not
have anybody pray for III at this moment / ask you
pray for yourselves. Here the speaker
bowed his head for "a few moments the rest following
his example. and then proceededl II strangers
10 another now trust shah part friends There
IL enough in this realm Of nature 10 excite the sympa
,hies of all those who have them Although have had
no opportunity OF telling you what propose 10 do yoa
i don't know for what reason-have trusted me-
have IL from your letters asking You could ven
tuTe new direction has 10 he given public ednca-
ton. Our object is study nature hit hope L
you in this enterprise that you will learn read
for yourselves.
NATURE As A TEIT BOOK.
There is thing ahOut which rertain-that We
don't begin task by reading by using any report Of
Others concerning the Objects TO which will our
attention We are suppose, all intelligent enough TO
open eyes aud look UPON nature for and
We will try make nature II surrounds us ts
text book. If Will try 10 make you Investigators
10 teach YOU md out what You want TO know for
yourselves that you may DE able 10 do the thing
In other places where you may have no guide When
ever we study books remove away from the
things that would be better acquainted with. In
stead Of the things Themselves appropriate the re-
port OF somebody concerning these things and II we
have appropriated ever correctly the substance
OF book have yet 20 return make new study OF
the objects themselves whenever turn 10 them You
hardly realize how strange student feels who has
had good deal OF book knowledge when he undertakes
TO study the things themselves. He feels IL an
entirely world. OF which the best description ever
given gave but a faint and sometimes a very moor
idea. Now we have very little that Is here, and
you may AJAX how IL 10 that be investigators
among things which we'll known. But nothing 10 80
well known leave nothing TO be done about To- and
then what you don't know yourselves win be considered
| by you something utterly unknown.
The ignorance In which you may be about OF the
features which SvrrVssa ~ ssfbelept ~ nase tbese