Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-19

~
Mr.. Gardiner G. Hubbard.
that it shows in keeping abreast of or
little ahead Of the times in its lectures and
publications, the reputation of its leading
members in the world of science, the char
acter and size of it's audiences and the
range and quality of its lectures are hardly
equaled by any other society of the KIND
in the world.
Officers of the Society.
The president of the society. Mr.. Gardi-
rer G. Hubbard, recently elected as one OF
the regents of the Smithsonian Institution.
has been its presiding officer since it was
first organized, in the winter of 1SS7-SS,
and no one disputes his title to the honor
of presiding over the society that he has
done so much to bring to Its present hlgh
standard of efficiency.
Associated with him as vice presidents
are DIR. Chas. w. Dabney. department of
the land; Engineer-in-chief &. w. Melville.
U. S. N, department of the sea; Gen. A.
w. Greedy U. S. A., department of the air;
DIR. C. Hart Merriam. department Of life;
Prof W. B. Powell, department of geo
graphic art, and Mr. Henry Gannett, de-
partment of commercial geography.
The treasurer is Mr.. c. ]. Bell, and the
secretaries Lieut.. Everett Hayden. U. s.
N, and Miss Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore.
now on a tour around the world. The
board of managers comprises also such
Well-known names as Mr.. Marcus Baker,
Mr.. Henry F. Blount, Mr.. G. K. Gilbert,
Mr.. John Hyde, Mr.. w. J. MCGEE, Mr. +.
H. Newell and Mr.. Edwin Willis. Among
former members of the board were Capt.
John r. Bartlett and Lieut.. G. L. Dyer, U.
S. N, photographers to the bureau OF
navigation; Capt. Rogers BRINE OF me ORD
w. Powell we'll known as the former di-
rector of the geological survey, and now of
the bureau of ethnology; Prof. A H.
Thompson of the geological survey, and
Dr. T. c. Mendenhall, now superintendent
of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. and
Mr. H. G. Ogden of the coast and geodeuc
survey. While such list-and 1t might
easily be extended-comprises what may be
called the leaders and wheel horses of the
society, many other names of men and wo-
men prominent in every branch of sci
ence literature and art are found among
it's members. as well as members Of the
cabinet, Supreme Court, Congress, army,
navy and diplomatic CORPS and large
element of laymen, who are as well known
locally as their associates are known SCI
entifically and politically.
Popularity of Its Lectures.
In fact, it is becoming fad" to attend
meetings of the society, and the loan of
season ticket to attend one of the course of
popular lectures is appreciated as highly as
an invitation to one of the Lowell Institute
lectures is valued at the Hue"
Nor is it to be wondered at that this city,
with its enormous facilities In the way OF
literary and scientific work, should support
a big society of this kind, which year by
year provides a program Of such character
and merit that the annual dues of $ would
not pay a tenth of the expenses of the
lectures, let alone the publications, were it
not so largely labor of love on the part
of the great majority Of the lecturers, who
regard as ample compensation the honor Of
an invitation to lecture, and the opportun-
ity to lay before cultivated and appre-
ciative audience the latest and best results
CT their own and others efforts and re-
searches.
The list of lecturers who have appeared
on the platform of this society embraces
such distinguished speakers as DR.. John
Murray, or Challenge Murray" as he is
the great Challenger expedition; Prof. w.
M. Davis of Harvard University, Lieut..
Peary, U. S. N, who, perhaps. at this very
moment holds the proud honor of having
point north: Gen. Greedy, Engineer int Chief
Melville and Capt. Stockton of arctic fame;
the late Miss Edwards, the authoress; DR..
Emil Holub, Mr.. Paul B. du Chaillu, Mr..
George KEENAN,, the Japanese minister Mr.
Kurino; Maj. c. E. Dutton. U. S. A.; Serg-
ius Stepniak, Prof. Mckinney Hughes, Ad-
miral r. w. Meade, U. S. NJ: Mr.. Charles
Sprague Smith, Mr.. I. C. Russell, Mrs
names are household words wherever mod
ern civilization has penetrated.
Lectures This Spring.
A new and interesting course Of illus
trated afternoon lectures has been plan
ned for Mondays and Fridays in Lent, the
first of which was given yesterday after
noon, descriptive of trip across the cofi-
tinent, from Washington TO the Pacific
coast and back again. via Pittsburg, St.
Paul, Portland, San Francisco, Flagstaff,
Denver, St Louis and through Kentucky
and Virginia, with visits to the Yellow
stone Park, Mount Rainier, Crater Lake.
Mount Shasta, Yosemite, the Grand Canon
Sonora, the Mammoth Cave and Grottoes
of the Shenandoah, and the West Virginia
coal mines. Each section Of the trip will
be under the guidance of expert and
the scenery and economic and scientific
traled To those who have made the tour
this course Will be as attractive, probably,
as to those who have it still in store.
Extended reference is not necessary 10
point out the great aid given by the So
ciety to original research, such as that of
Mr.. Russell in Alaska, carried on by this
society, to its encouragement of geographic
study in our schools by the award of prizes
for essays. or to its publication, the Ma
ticnaI Geographic Magazine, and all of
these must be passed over here with this
brief meation.
Social Features.
That less serious subjects sometimes &C.
cupy the attention of the society is evil
denced by the fact that every year there
is reception and dn spring. an excursion
and field meeting, when practical geogra-
ply and pleasure pure and simple are COM
bined in about equal proportions. What
bids fair to be the most brilliantly success
full of these receptions is to take place to-
morrow evening at the Arlington.
Al -, LN~v