Bismarck weekly tribune., 1889-10-18
WONDERFUL LIFE WORK OF COL.
N. s. Goss, oRNlTHoL oGlsT.
He Has Every Bird of Kansas, and Nearly
All Those of the Western Continent Well
Preserved. Mounted and stufred-His Ad-
ventures in Many Queer Regions.
Especial correspondence.l


the air. This collection embraces 756 species
and sub-species, representing all sections of
North America.
To Col. N. S. Goss, an educated, cultured
gentleman, and an ornithologist of national
for this rare and valuable collection of birds.
In the spring of 1857 Col. Goss came to Kan
sas from Wisconsin, locating in the Neosho
valley. He was appointed register of the
land Office at Humboldt, serving the govern
ment faithfully until he accepted the position
of land attorney for the Missouri, Kansas
and Texas railway, with headquarters at
Neosho Falls. Here it was that Col. Goss
prosecuted his labor of love during his leisure
hours, and added to his then beautiful collec-
tion many rare specimens A devoted student
Of the natural sciences and possessing the
finest library on natural history in the west,
he looked forward with pleasure to the great
life work which he had mapped out Having
accumulated sufficient means to make the
remainder of his life comfortable, he decided
to retire from business and devote his life to
this interesting study and work.
In 1881 Col. Goss presented his collection to
the state of Kansas, on the condition. only
that it should be forever called the "Goss
Ornithological Collection" that the state
should provide suitable apartment for it,
and that he should oe during life the custo.
dian. This generous and praiseworthy offer
was gladly accepted, and the legislature
framed law embracing all the conditions
of Col. Goss' proposition, setting apart
large room for the collection, which has be-
come one of the most interesting places in all
the west-the work of man whose whole
soul has been wrapped in the study of orni-
thology Attractive as these winged inhab-
itants of earth and air are in their beautiful
glass cases. their silvery plumage as bright
as when they fitted from tree to tree or
when they took wing from the northland to
their southern winter home, they are no more
interesting than the custodian himself.
Beginning life poor boy, he devoted his
spare moments to the study of natural his
tory, and amid the cares of laborious life
has found time to make collection which
will remain as a monument to his untiring
devotion more enduring in the minds of the
people of Kansas than any inscription upon
the monument which shall mark his resting
place when his labor of love is ended Col.
Goss knows the birds better than most parents
know their children; he has paid more atten-
tion to them than many fathers do to their
boys and girls Silent and watchful, he has
for hours investigated every little popularity
of bird nature, and all this wondrous bird
lore he pours forth to the interested visitor.
People who know nothing of bird life ex-
cept as described in books can have little idea
of the fascination attending this recital of
facts known to the enthusiastic naturalist.
Birds, charming in themselves, are rendered
yet more attractive by the glow thrown
about them by their friend and companion
Beside the main collection favored visitors
are allowed sight Of Col. Goss' library and
Office, which the sea has given up its treasures
to adorn. The book lover finds here, too, the
books dear to the student of nature, from
"White of Selborne" to the magnificent works
of Wilson and Audubon. Col. Goss is bro
ther of Capt. B. F. Goss, Of Lake Pewaukee,
Wis, who donated a wonderful collection of
eggs to the Milwaukee public museum. Heisa
life member Of the American Ornithologist
union, organized in New York in 1883 with
limited membership Of fifty of the most dis
tinguished ornithologists of the country.
In looking at Col. Goss' rare collection one
should take into consideration the toll, hard
ship and travel required to collect these speci-
mems, representing as they do nearly every
section of the western hemisphere. He has q
folding bed, folding chair, bed clothing and q
tarpaulin, which he folds up into small
bundle, the whole weighing less than forty
pounds and very little larger than the ordi-
nary valise. With these articles he starts on
q long journey each year, and is absent sew
eral months in far of regions searching for
new and rare specimens. It is pleasure to
talk with Col. Goss about his travels He
has hunted all about the Gulf Of st. Law
renee, even to the confines of Labrador, and
southwark to the Bay of Fundy, and especial
ly among the Magdalene islands Here he
has passed months with the French fisher
men, amid the boiling waves beating upon
the rocky shores and the mists which perpetu-
ally envelop that region, sleeping often
under an overturned boat, and once passing
eight days in the hut of fisherman without
mouthful,of meat
Col. Goss says that around these islands
there is such life in the air and water that
we do not dream Of. The war between wing
and fin goes on forever. Here are the Bird
rocks. rising perpendic cularly from the waters
hundreds of feet, beset at their base by the
white waves, and at their crest surrounded
by what seems to be a gray undulating cloud,
but what is reality mass of birds, gulls and
gannets, which make their nests on every
shelf and on the summit by millions. The
people who live on these islands and who
were the companions Of Col. Goss when he
visited that region, know no more of books
than the birds. They live to no purpose, and
ambition and industry are strangers to them.
Though Louisiana is many hundred miles
distant from the Gulf of st. Lawrence, Col.
Goss has penetrated its bayous and secured
for his Kansas collection many rare speci-
mems from it's wealth Of bird life. Not only
Louisiana Nks been visited, but all the coast
Of the Lone Star state. One of the haunts
Of our naturalist was the battle field Of San
Jacinto, now tenanted only by those who fell
there To far OFF Wyoming Col. Co.'s has.
gone in search Of the wild goose, finding their
nests hid about In mountain retreats. From
that territory he wandered west to the Pa
ciflc coast, the line Of which he had previous
ly explored from San Diego to Puget sound.
The naturalists description Of his journey
to Costa Rica and Guatemala is Of special
interest, He says the low country is pesti-
lential; the government a ruthless despotim,
though perhaps quite Is good as its subjects
deserve The birds Of that region, whose
gorgeous plumage is 50 much commented on
BY travellers, he found in many instances
.wsre northern birds, like the oriole, who 60
south in winter. One Is also interested in his
a. y = r. = =