Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-08-21
PeniIXese.
HOW PROFESSOR AGAssIz AND his PUPns
.... STUDY THERE.

I H.. s..- -.-.- STUDY THERE.
a correspondent of the Chicago Inter
Oeea71, writing from the Anderson
school on Penikese Island, remarks that
the buildings being yet unfinished,
there is unique and attractive primi-
tiveness to life on the island, so far.
The lecture room is in the old Ander-
son barn; the dining room is as yet the
same structure. 1t is pleasant TO see the
swallows fly in and out over Professor
/ AgassiZ's head as he describes. in his own
feTyid manner, a species of Frenchiness
| ilaYoring his speech as he talks. that
which has been the darling study of his
life, glacial action. And when yester-
. day some happy thought brought down
| the barn with shouts of laughter, and
the nestlings on the rafters, moved to
expectancy by the racket, opened wide
| their yellow mouths, il seemed but a
| bit Of ludicrous but very proper ap-
/ plause. ...........
Glance over the room a moment
You never saw a school just like it be-
fore. There are gray heads not few.
| There are those who have already spent
years in the scientific study, and those
again who are far behind them in all
save earnestness. The first lecturer is
! most likely, Just now to be Guyot OF
course his subject is physical Geogra-
/ ply" His first words bring a hush.
and then the pencils ply busily, that as
much may be caught and fixed as posi-
/ bic. ....... .-
Agissiz sits back in the corner, enjoy
/ it all as DO one else can, .'For ] have a
| pleasure in it which none of YOU have, I"
/ l. ra1l of+ar l.o.1 4
! speaking, II am carried back to the
! time when he and ] were boys together
/ and pursuing the same studies. And
/ with that his own lecture began-or
! talk, rather-f0r it happened TO be this
time, a series of practical hints, as to the
/ preservation of specimens. and care Of
! the tables in the laboratory.
! DR.. Wilder or DIR. Packer may or may
/ not have something to say. OF late, ac-
! tive work has superseded lectures to a
/ great extent. so we will say they have
/ not, and betake ourselves TO the labora-
i tory. What a buzz Most settle down
/ at their tables to work-some stroll off
i for specimens. All follow their own
4 sweet win as to what they shall do, only
/ they must do something, and that some
! thing must accord with the plans Of the
/ school. One is dissecting a fish, another
I q bird. another a turtle. Here one is
/ busy watching the movements of jelly
/ fish, there another has forgotten this
world in that strange other one which
/ the microscope unveils. y botanical
! group has gathered about a dish of float
! ing. seawecds. All day yesterday and
4 the day before was that same group ov-
er that same dish, for the study and
/ classification Of the algIe is no play
The long shelves above the tables are al
! ready loaded with specimens dried and
/ in alcohol, which the students are TO
/ carry 10 their own schools, as nuclei for
| future amusement.
Out doors they are busy, too. Sea
! animals are interviewed in their own
! homes, and forthwith it is bruited abroad
4 how they keep house. The little birds
! yield, perforcc, their precious secrets,
not likely at all to be watched. Here a
I student is netting butterflies, there anoth-
er is hammering at boulder. Down in
/ the shallow cove, two or three are wad-
ing about dip-nets. Each Is about that
which he likes, for specialism is encour-
aged.
That handsome yacht anchored out
/ there few hundred yards from shore is
! the Spritc, presented to Agassiz by Mr.
/ Galioupe, Of Boston, for the purposes of
the school. She is trim as a bird-cage,
/ and is valued at $4,000 You viii see
/ two boats sent out from her presently to
take the dredging party aboard-that
/ party there at the wharf, with pals,
! jars, bottles, satchels, and the dear
knows what all As to dress, they are
nondescript, for dredging is not dainty
work. Count Pourtales is chief in these
! eXpeGitions-a brawny, sailOr-like man,
! to whom all sca-folk are familiar, and
/ who has their longest names at his
| tongues end When the dozen or so
/ whom Professor Agassiz drafted at the
breakfast table as the dredging party of
the day are all aboard, the Sprite moves
off to the deeper waters of the bay, an
chors, and down goes the dredge. There
! is the fascination of the lottery about it.
1t may come up full of rare treasures !;
it may contain nothing but few shells
and pebbles.