Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-22

rarely heard an address that so well met
the demands of such an occasion. ~ was
popular, but not common place; practical.
and yet thoroughly scientific; fresh and
suggestive. and appealing in ITS interest 10
all classes alike. Besides. Professor Good
ale has the Gift. by no means common
among his scientific brethren, OF strong,
clear distinct. and even musical utterance
so that Though he read his address, every
word of it was heard with ease and plea
sure.
INTERESTING SUBJECT.
His subject was The Possibilities OF
Economic Botany" and under it he con-
sidered the plants, grains, roots. flowers
&C.. used for our food or for our enjoy
ment, considering separately the cereals,
the vegetables, the fruits, the grasses. tho
flowers, &c. He showed how these were
now adapted to our use, and discussed the
possibilities of so applying the doctrines
of evolution TO other as yet little known
or little used plants we might add TO the
list. The wild cabbage, for instance, did
not promise half so well for future
use as many q now neglected.
weed may do. and by proceeding on
lively short time (say fifty years. breed
up" many fruits and vegetables to add 10
our comfort or our luxury. But would
do injustice TO a fine address, which Will
of course appear in full, by any attempt
here to summarize il. | will simply men
ton. as one point, that he looked forward
TO the time when we will have ciitird'ef ont
the inconyenient seeds, &C., OF fruits and
the like. so that those who come alter us
will have seedless raspberrles, cherries.
and peaches. and coreless pears and ap-
ples. Just as we already have seedless pine
apples and bananas.
Oh how happy and blessed under the
glorious reign OF science this earth is gong
to be But, alas for the fact that most OF
us will not be here TO see IT.
TIE BEcxPTIoS.
After the address came the grand recep-
ton of the American Association for the
Advancement Of Science by the Washing
ton Board Of Trade. IL was held in the
magnificent parlors and dining-rooms OF
the Arlington Hotel. and was an elegant
affair. Distinguished gentlemen ana
ladies of Washington did the honors of the
occasion, music by the United States
Marine Band enlivcned the exercises. and
flowers and fair women threw charm
over all. Then there were speeches, OF
course The president of the board and q
commissioner of the District In hearty
words babe us welcome to Washington
They glorifed science and were not for
cettu also to add some strong facts
as to the growth and glory OF
their great and growing city. We were
told Of the ga miles of streets (nearlv 100
being surfaced with asphalt lined by TO-
600 shade-trees. 2S5 miles of sewers that
cost $7,000,000; of the 100 school buildings
with 80 900 pupils. of splendid water sup
ply and low death-rate. and many other
matters of interest TO all who feel pride
III the seat of government OF this great
people. Especially was it surprising TO
Il III 4
from 10000 in 1860 to $50, 600 in 1891.
SECRETARY FOSTERS TALK.
After them came Secretary -of-the-T Urea
sury Foster. the only member of the Cabinet
now in town He spoke in a most Optimis-
tic strain, and assured Us that this country
never had go much wealth and never had
its wealth so equally distributed a. now.
He read vet unpublished note from the
Census Office showing that the per capita
wealth of the country has risen from some
5000, in 1880, to over 81 600. which 1t now
Is. for every man, woman, and child IN
the country. We vaguely felt richer and
more respectable upon this statement, but
we doubt whether the feeling will wear
well.
THE WORK BEGUN.
This morning began the real work Of the
assdciation. | attended pretty closely
-.
took occasional looks into two or three
others Of the eight that are simultaneously
inTsessiOn. in IL Professor Morley gave
us A New Method of Measuring the tx
pansion of Solids" using interference
frlnges and wave lengths. Professor
Henrichs also discussed the connection Of
fusion and boiling points with chemical
constitution.
In astronomy Professor COmstock dis
. 10 ~, 20 MI, bar bor 10
"a secular variation in terrestrial lati-
tude." He concluded that in thirty or
forty years there has been variation
amounting to about four and a half seconds
Of arc i'll century Mr.. Brashear. also.
the famous ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
maker of Chicago. gave "A tino description
with Photographic of great spectre
scope that no has constructed for the
Princeton Observatory. He remarked in
the end That he thought that this instru-
menJ embodied all the points of excel
lence now known for such work. and that
though he would never be paid for his
labor and care in this world, he hoped
that Professor Young. for whom it was
made, would be fully paid hereafter in
the heavens. This is probably Joke.
In chemistry heard apart of paper on
aluminium "a a material for sounding
boards for musical Instruments; one on
the proper spelling and pronunciation of
chemical terms" and one by our Professor
Huntington on the distribution Of Titanic
Onide on the earth's surface.
AM HEoPoLoGY.
The department of Anthropology is one
Of the mos. popular, especially with the
ladies. The centre of interest here seemed
TO be "ALinguistic Map of North America"
by j. w. Powell, head of the geological de-
partment.
His address was full of interest and will,
of course. be published. II seems that
Indian languages ana tribes are by no
means simple matters. There were on
this continent at the time OF its discovery
perhaps 1000 distinct tribes, and the
languages seem to show that so far from
splitting off and increasing IN number the
tendency was the other way, so that indi-
cations point to the time when the number
was still larger, and yet many OF US think
Of the Indians as one people. Superintend-
ent Powell concluded with set thrust at
the proposed universal language known as
Volapuk.
He did not deny that such language
might be formed, but he asserted that this
one, so far from exhibiting the true results
of evolution in language. was behind and
below that of the savages. 1t had in it too
many infections, while the language of the
future was to be wholly emancipated Gas
the English already is. in great part) from
the encumbrance of infections. and all
thought is to be freely expressed simply by
logical arrangement and complete differ
entlation of parts OF speech.