The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-10-18

ottawa Academy oi NatuTai
The following specimens received since last
report:
From D. S. Ebcrsol-l specimen hornhIcnd, from
Starved Rock / specimen clay, fossil tooth and
stratiiicd rock, from Streator coal measure;
plaster cast of human head from drift near Rock
Island.
From S. S. McKcnncy, Chatfcd, MIMI spec.
linen wood, from blue clay of Fillmore Co., Mimi,
pudding stone, jasper, gypsum zine, cor
nelian from Lake Pcpin; silver ore, from Ne
yada.
From Dr. j. T. Snyder, Virginia, I'LL skull Of
grounding, skull gopher, trilobtes.
From Geo Avcry--l specimen charcoal, | buck.
eye coral, / Indian dart
From D. Walker-R.port of Department of Ag
r,Culture.
The Society are also in receipt Ola very inter
csting letter from W. W. Calkins, Esq, of Chica-
90 from which the following is an extract
"On recent occasion had the pleasure Of in.
s2ectng the collections in the hall Of the Acad-
cmy, at Chicago. and must say that you have
at present larger and finer display than the Chi
cago Academy. You are aware, however, Of the
rnisfortuncs that have come upon us here from
time to time-want Of money is the trouble with
all our scientific institutions. This Is one ofyOur |
difficulties as well know, but be not discour
aged The foremost society in the cOuntry-thc !
Philadelphia Acadcmy,--was originated, and il |
first collections displayed in Il balc-shop, where
they spent many struggling years. We have. !
however, arrived at an epoch in the progress Of !
science lis various branches have become the |
subject of study and Investigation not only among
the learned, but among the masses there is adecp
interest manifested in scientific questions. You
have only to look around among your own neigh
lors and acQuantanccs to observe this. This Is
especially true Of our young people; it Is not
difficult to tell the cause. We are living In
golden age Of culture and inteihgcncc and in a |,
country where education i, within the reach of
every living person, and, as a rule all desire 10
avail themselves Of the advantages offered And
it is noticiblo that they do not de>irct to conhnr
themselves to certain course Of study and mere
formulas, they acquire all that i laugh, and then
reach out beyond. Th, i cmiucntly natural and !
proper; it is an evidence Of progress. In 10 de- ,
'srtmcut has such progress been made within
The past years a. in hcstudy Of natural sciences Il
and as UNDERESTIMATE your Academy wa, founded
for the purpose OF fostering and building up the
interests Of science In your locality and also fur.
lishin- nucleus around which TO rally your 4
youngnaturai,t,, and all those interested in de-
'eloping the many interesting facts that ,cwi,h-
ID the field Of young inquiry.
Research is your business, and perm; me to
say YOU have abundant material for some time TO
come, upon which 10 labor. For instance. there /
is your Geology and Plconto,ogy; your Botany
Entomology and ORTHODOXY. Most interesting
90 me is your ConcAology-a subject 20 which {
YOU have given scarcely any attention presume /
Yet when I can point out to you more than
eighty defined specie, # ,hell-ifc I'm You county
you win adm. that here is certainly an interest.
ing field. I must not, however, omit 10 mention
your Indian and French antiquities. You have I
yet % examine systematically and thoroughly ;
tie site Of old Fort =. Louis the Indian mounds
and the site OF the great Indian city that for j,
sugh, wc know might have riysllcd Ottawa Of
the present time, in size and population. This :,
certainly enough 10 occupy your attention for
years to come. Cslr growing generations will.
nd 10 interest themselves in questions that are
arcly touched in our 'chouls and school books
IN institution Of thi, character YOU should make g
the Ottawa Academy twill be cmincutly use
,ul in supplying what our system OF schoOl, lack,
and turn the current Of public thought and the
attention Of educators in this direction
Do you knew Of any text books on natural his.
tory in use in your schools: ! do not. And yet,
our boys are constantly picking up curositcs
N that department, and asking about thcruamcs,
&c Who can answer? Not many. So in geology .
and other branches. Why in the time Of Arts
oIe, two thousand years ago, text books on these -
subject were in common use in the schools Of
.rrcacc, how much are We ahead Of them. | am
ware Of the difficulty your Academy labor, un- (
Ter think you have the means OF doing much
good il it c%tcad- no further even than your own
county.