The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1895-07-25
A REPORT OF PROGRESS.
TBY MEMBER CLASS A.

BY MEMBER GLASS AL
have now been a member of this circle eight
weeks. During this period have occupied my
leisure moments, while in my CELL in carefully
reading the following books taken from the
circle: From Chaucer to TennySOn. by Henry
A. Beers. Renaissance and Modern Art by
Goodyear. The Growth of the English Nation.
ComOn, and a book on geology. ii remember
rightly, by Professor Hitchcock, L am at this
time re-reading the book on Modern Art, and
from Chaucer to TennySOn. l hope to be per-
mtted by this circle at some future time to
make full report of my finished readings in
art and literature from these books. In that re-
port will, by your permission, tell why l have
spent so much time upon art andliterature. All
my life, from the time [ first looked into book
on geology, have been in love with this science.
To me there was no study in my college curricu-
lum to which was more attached than geology
I shall never forget my professor in this study,
for it was he, who first put into my hands Hugh
Millers Testimony of the Rocks" and one of
the best works on geology | ever read. [ we'll
remember the time during my first acquaintance
with geology, how skeptical | was about this
science. | had of course imbeded the opinion
prevalent at the time especially in New England,
that the science of geology discredited the truth
of the Bible, And there were writer's then who
boldly affirmed that the Scriptures would soon
be diSproved by this science and it was with
fear and trembling that pursued my study on
this subject. l have been brought up i'll a
family where the Bible was the treasure of our
household. I often laugh at myself now when l
think, of my absurd belief, that any science would
destroy the Bible. Geology has made rapid
stride within the last decade, and the Bible,
is now read more than ever. To show the
interest taken in the revised New Testament,
at the very time when there was a remark
able controversy going on in regard to the
old Testament's account of the creation. as
to whether the world really created in
six days, OF in six thousand years. or whether
those days were periods. the Chicago Tribune
made special arrangement with the Western
Union Telegraph Co., and as soon as the first
printed copy of the revised New Testament
arrived in New York it was sent over the wires
verbatim ct literatim. and published in one edi-
ton of the Tribune. The paper had an immense
sale, and thousands read the New Testament in
this way. | really believe | read it then myself.
l have had at my home in Maine some excel
lent opportunities to observe the action of
glaciers. Mount Desert Island is about % miles
in circumference. There are three mountains
on the island Gem Mountain. Mount KebO, and
Western Mountain. Gem Mountain is about
1900 feet high and it is within three miles of the
Atlantic Ocean at its nearest point. These
mountains might almost say, are solid block
of granite. At my home there is deep gorge
from which quite a small river has its source.
This stream for over a mile passes through
marshy land. but near the mouth of the river on
either side are hedges extending in some cases
fifty and a hundred feet, having become
smooth by the action of the water; on one side
of this stream, quite near the edge of the bank,
there is a huge boulder, some 10 feet high and
probably feet in diameter, which is nearly the
shape of pear resting its end. Now, for
fully 80 feet there is groove in the ledge,
and this groove runs due north and south.
There is not another rock the size of this boulder,
nor one one-hundredth part this size, within a
space of ten miles. This fellow came from Mount
Kebo ten miles away, from some other
mountain and was brought there by glacier
believe. Professor AgassiZ of Harvard, often
visited it, and has written about it, Well, have
played hide and seek around it often Ere
quently have seen marines test their COM
passes by this groove. To me, geology has
spoken of vast and mighty changes in the sur
face of this earth. Geology has taught me a
design in all this; and whether or not man was
created according to the account in Genesis, OF
came in at the tertiary period the GROWING
piece of the vertebrate animals, or is evolved
out of some other animal, closely connected with
the gorilla, or orang-outang Geology has, the
more / have studied it revealed to me a de
Signer of all these things.