The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-22
THE DEVOTEES OF SCIENCE
Inner Workings Of the American So
ciety for Its Advancement.
The Reception at Min~neapclis-The People
in Attendance, and Some of Their
Personal Characteristics.


Cf A%C 80 1880 oAN
scientific men and women are being very
handsomely entertained in what must be
considered the metropolis of the Northwest.
Minneapolis never does anything by halves,
as one can see from her rapid growth and
splendid public works, and she has not let this
distinguished occasion pass without straining
every nerve to make it memorable. The asSo-
citation has never met this Jar west, and some
of the Bostonians, who have come to con-
slider New England as all the world this side
of Europe, have been heard to say that this
is "most awfully far" 1t is one lime that
Mahomet has come to the mountain. l take
1t for granted that the majority OF readers OF
the Journal care nothing for the wonderful
papers and discussions, whose polysyllabic
words the very air has become weary of car
rylng. Even the enterprising reporters, who
are attempting to take the proceedings in
full, are struck dumb, and generally lump
the whole thing by saying that the paper
was highly interesting, but too technical for
popular presentation" which phrase has be-
come very pat up here.
The inner workings of this association,
however, are not generally understood by
the public and may be interesting. First
and foremost, the illusion should be dis
PEELED that it is any homo to become a MEM
Der, unless it be an honor to be the owner of
S., for that is the only requirement. After
ward an annual fee of So keeps one fresh in
the memory of the association, and in this
cheap way he may enjoy considerable
local reputation. AS this is far too general
for the real worker in science, a select few
are selected from the members each year and
are called fellows" These fellows are
alone eligible to offices and principal COM
mittees, and it is really an honor to be one
of them.
The formalities of the opening day were
somewhat imposing, as they usually are, and
the great American vice was freely INDUCED
in, namely, speech-making. First-Princi-
pal Dawson, the retiring president, in a few
graceful words, resigned his position to Prof.
Charles Young, of Princeton, the president
elect. The latter then made his little speech
and the association waited for the
formal reception to be given by
local celebrities. First, his excellency,
the Governor, welcomed us, then his honor,
the mayor, and finally the president of the
State University, in whose building the ses-
sions are being held. 1t was apparently
quite an effort for the politicians to address
an audience OF scientific people, and their
free use of superlatives had much the smack
of the stump. President Eolwell's address
was an elegant little affair, and was certainly
quite a comment on the advantages of a
thorough education to a speaker. These
formalities over, the association at once adj
journed to its sections, which were scattered
in rooms all over the building. The men,
bers all wear red ribbons, and upon each
ribbon is stamped a number, so that by re-
ferring to a printed catalogue, which every
one carries, one can tell every man he meets.
1t is a queer feeling to be labeled like the
pictures in an art gallery, and have some in
q~uisitive person come up, read your number,
refer to the catalogue, look you over or pass
you by; but as the red badges entitle you to
many privileges not enjoyed by the common
herd you must be content. These same
vulgar-looking badges are your passes
on railroads and steamboats, to the
many places of interest, to hotel dinners and
university lunches, to the opened mouthed
wonderer OF the natives.
The sections are nine in number, and are
so arranged that no member needs to be
bored by papers in which he feels no interest,
and the visitor can have his choice of nine
rooms, in some one of which he must be able
to find something of interest. The sections
are marked by letters, section A being that
OF methamatiCs and astronomy. section b,
physics; section c, chemistry; section D.,
mechanical science; section E., geology and
geography; section F, biology; section G,
histology and microscopy; section II.
a n~thropology; section I, economic science
and sta tistics. Thus far the sections of
geology and biology have been most largely
attended, the interest in them never tagging;
and probably after them au~thropology has
developed the most interest. Statistics
has not yet had a meeting,
as a quorum could not be
found sufficiently devoted to that interest
ing science to sit and listen to its light and
witty papers. The president of the section
has been button-holing members and trying
to drag them in, but they always have some
urgent engagement.
DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE.
Many of the most distinguished names in
science are on the list of attendi ng members,
and at the general meeting, which is held
each morning, may be seen a collection of
heads which is doing most of the scientific
thinking for this country, and the great III r
prise always is that so many of them are
young looking. The great address each
year is that of the retiring president, given
the first night OF the meeting. This year
the duty fell on Principal Dawson, whose
name is familiar to everyone, and who is
always listened to with very great interest.
He is a large, stoop-shouldered, long-headed
man, with a thin gray beard, very high fore
head, and eyes that always look dreamy,
as if their possessor was thinking over some
great problem. The address was on Some
u~nsolved problems in geology" and the