Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1878-02-13

THE annual report OF the 6eolog-
ical Survey Of the State of Wiscon-
sin has been received, which con-
tains beautifully written appendix,
from the pen Of c. Chamberlain.
State Geologist, as memorial OF the
death of Moses Strong. Here it is:
"The lapse OF geological age is
little to us save in the record it has
left us. The infinitude of days are
of little moment if they form "Lost
Interval" The record is little to US
save in its character. An con of
ages may have heaped up an immen-
sity of sands, but if they have buried
neither life nor treasure, it is but a
Barren Interval. The years that
formed the coal. the ore and the life
beds, however brief arao ng the eras
of the earth's history, are more to
us than all lost or barren intervals,
however vast their cycles. So the
con Of life. June II, 1S46-Aug.
Is, 1877. These arc the limiting
signs of human age. What is the
record
The earlier years of Mr.. Strong's
life, the period of fundamental intel
lectual deposit and moral accretion,
were spent where the basal strata of
character are best laid, at home,
His early training and instruction
were largely received at hands of an
intellectual father and pious moth
err, the combination which best ma
lures thought and develops morals.
TO this was added something of the
cosmopolitan culture of the public
schools. In his thirteenth year he
entered the French and English
school then located at Sank City,
where he acquired some knowledge
of the versatile language of the
French. a collegiate course, had,
however, been selected as an import
ant feature of his education, and in
his fourteenth year his studies we're
turned specifically in that direction
under the tuition of Rev. Mr.. Skin
ner, then rector of the Episcopal
Church at Mineral Point. The last
few months of these preparatory
studies were passed at Delavan, in
this State, whittier Mr.. Skinner had
removed, and some of the citizens Of
that place will recall the quiet man
ner of the young student. Let it be
noted that thus far, more than half
the span of his life, he had been
chiefly under the quiet but potent
moulding power of parental and pas
toral influence. Under these aus
pieces the predominant traits OF his
character were formed and the most
important part of his education ac-
complished, the education that looks
toward manhood.
But, though the home is wide
enough for the boy, the world is
none too broad for the man, and Mr..
Strong now entered upon that wider
culture which was to fit him for the
still broader school of life. In Sep
TENDER, 1868, he was admitted to
Yale College, in whose classic at
mosphere he passed the succeeding
four years. 1t was in our Judgment
fortunate circumstance, in view of
the fact that he subsequently turned
his attention SO largely to engineer
ing and scientific studies, that SO
considerable an element of literary
study entered iXto bis course at this
period. In the junior year OF his
college course, he selected the pro-
fession of mining engineer as his life
pursuit, and during the remainder
of his course his reading, ontside of
his class studies. was mainly such Us
was germane to his chosen profess
sion. Immediately after his gradu-
alton he was afforded an opportunity
to engage in practical civil engineer
ing in connection with the survey OF
a railroad line along the Mississippi,
between Lacrosse and Winona This
work, however, was cut short by
sickness.
In the fall Of the same year he re.
turned to New Haven, and spent the
year in the Sheffield Scientific School
in the study of natural sciences,
higher mathematics, drawing, and
kindred studies. In the pursuance
of these studies he was much indebt-
ed to Prof. Brush, CT the chair of
mineralogy and metallurgy, who had