The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-09
A VISIT TO WHITEWATER GORGE.
A Fossil Gathering Excursion of the Indianap-
oils High-School Natural History Glasses.

The excursion of the natural history classes
OF the city High schools to Earham College was
success in every particular. Thirtv stuaa.. :,
went on the early Friday morning train. and
were met at the depot by Superintendent Joy
and the college bus. Lunch was served to the
hungry, services were attended at the college
chapel at $50 o'clock. and an address Of welcome
was given by Professor Mills who knew, per-
sonally, nearly every one of the young people
from childhood in the public schools of Indian
apolis. Several Earlhamites who are graduates
of the Hgh-school, formed themselves into a
committee and devoted their entire attention to
their visiting friends. After chapel the visitors
met Professor Dennis for an hour in the mu-
scum, where he showed them the va
rious typical fossils of the vicinity.
which they would be most likely to
pick up from the Whitewater gorge. The visit
ing students then met on the campus, and after
three rousing cheers for Earlham went to the
river under the lead of Professor Dennis. Here
for two hours they plastered themselves on the
rocky lodges and slopes Of the gorge. filing their
baskets with the shells and corals that are to
the Whitewater what pebbles are to Fall creek.
The rock exposure ar Richmond Is known to
the geologist as the Cincinnati group" Lower
ers of rock alternate with seams of clay, and as
it weathers out the harder fossils lie exposed,
often as many as hundred on the surface OF
square foot. 1t is of the best fossil and rock
exposures for study in Indiana
The bus took the young ladies back to the col
lege, where they were given places OF honor In
the dining hall, with college professors at each
end of the tables. Twenty-eight of the students
remained till the late train, spending the after
noon either at the college, collecting in the
<or int ho hao ifntC CTR n H.
mond. A few visited the Richmond High-school,
where lis students attend out of a population OF
49, 600, and much larger proportion of boys
than in the Indianapolis High-school The
sciences are taught by Prof. Fl. B. Porter, seven
years ago pupil of Indianapolis High school.
Professor Porter has large classes in physics,
analytical chemistry, zoology and bot
any, and is using the modern meth
DDS Of individual research and experiment with
eminent success. The High school has doubled
leaning toward the natural sciences. There are
no electives, except in the languages. All take
English, mathematics and science. There are
twelve students in the graduating class.
After tea at the college the remnant of the
excursionists gathered at the depot, and con-
cluded it was little the best day they had ever
enjoyed.
On the way home the students determined to
attend the graduating exercises at DePauw in
body next June. and the following year to either
take their May science excursion to the Falls OF
the Ohio, the State University, or Wyandotte
Cave, or, better yet, to take week and make
scientific research of the entire southern half of
the State, from Lawrenceburg to New Harmony.
But with their limited knowledge it will take
half year to study up and assmilate all they saw
and collected in their recent excursion.