Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-09-16
OUR VISIT TO NASHVILLE.
Professor Huxley.

Last week we determined to with
draw our minds altogether from the
whirl of political strife in which we
have been engaged for long time, and
devote our attention to matters scien-
tific for day or two.
The occasion of this escapade was
the visit of the great English savant,
Huxley, to some of his relatives now
residing in Nashville, and our holiday
was such a relief to US, wearied with
the turmoil of politics, that we feel
disposed to invite our readers to d.
vert their minds in a similar manner
from the ordinary staple of our edito-
rails, and accompany US for once to
regions of thought where the air is
purer, the atmosphere more tranquil.
Professor Huxley is well known now
throughout both Europe and America,
as the professor of zoology and pale-
ontology in the School of Mines, Eng
land, and as occupying an eminence in
natural science approached by very
few either in England or on the
American continent. He is less known
in this country, but even more highly
valued in England as one of the most
active and successful promoters of
popular education in that country.
This cause he has aided in two ways
as one of the Board of school commits
sioners in London he has been occu-
pied in the organization of elementary
schools in London, extending thereby
the privileges of mental culture to
hundreds of thousands, and as one of
the public examiners of middle-class
schools throughout the kingdom, he
has aided in elevating the standard of
education for the middle classes to a
degree which renders it doubtful
whether the education of a young no.
bleman at Eton and Oxford is as well
adapted to the needs of his future life
as is that of the son of a small farmer
or a country shopkeeper-at least
where the influence of the examining
board is duly exercised and felt. >
Prof. Huxley is now on visit to
the United States, and spent few
days in Nashville last week at the res
idence of our brother editor. Mr.. AL
bert Roberts, who married a niece of
his some years ago. On our learning
that this was the case, we determined
upon a visit to that place, both with
the hope of hearing one of those pop
ular scientific lectures for which he is
so highly esteemed in England, and OF
acknowledging the great kindness with
which he mad treated us when we we're
last in England.
As we are opposed to the unlimited
license exercised by some of our broth
err editors in interviewing celebrated
characters, we will only say that at the
hospitable dwelling of Mr.. Roberts we
enjoyed during a short visit the intel
ligeut and refined society of Prof and
Mrs. Huxley, of his sister, Mrs. Scott,
the widow of an Alabama physician,
and of her daughters, the wives OF
Messrs. Albert and Robert Roberts,
and her son, Mr.. T. Scott. On Thurs
day night the Professor gave a lecture
at the Masonic hall, Nashville. He
had intended his visit there to be
strictly private, but the cordial and
complimentary attention he had re-
ceived there induced him to reverse
that determination, and to give one
scientific address. The tickets (not
for sale) were at first privately dis
tributed to those who were most COM
petent to appreciate the subjects treated
of, and then what were over, deposited
at the rooms of the public library COM
mittee for such as might apply for
them. They were soon all exhausted,
and the number must have been
closely adapted to the capacity of the
hall, as we did not see vacant seat.
The lectre is given, IS very admira-
Div reported in the Nashville Ameri-
can. on another page. 1t will be seen
that its subject is such as might be
naturally expected from eur knowledge
of its authors main occupations both
as a devotee of science and a promoter
fpublic education.
His subject is that of geology and
the evidences upon which its princi-
ples depend. From this point of view
he is led to contemplate the vast min
.raI resources brought to light by geo.
logical investigation, and his practical
combustion is the necessity of eduea-
ion in the physical sciences in order
o enable the people to utilize them.
The value of all these mineral resour-
,es to you, !" he says, SIS exactly what
,ou have the intelligence to make OF
hem"
In no part Of the world is lecture
f this sort SO appropriate as in Ten
essee for Tennessee is q mining