The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-10-29

tHe pflef phrases Of the trlennlal, ana an extended personal acquaintance, In places near and remote, justify the fol- lowing assertions: Nearly two thou sand men have here been graduated, and many more have been well trained, according to their aptitudes, in science and in the applications of science to the useful arts. Many of them have pro- ceeded to higher degrees, or have en- tered at once upon places which led up to a participation in the construction of public works, the conduct of indus trial establishments, the charge of mills, mines, surveys and explorations, and the promotion of public health Others, and some of the ablest, have entered upon the study of medicine A large number have been called to chairs of instruction and investigation.
 The earliest list of graduates was. prog osophy, became teachers, one ,geoiooglst and an explorer of the western territory, one the botanlst of the California Geologl' cal Survey, and third one of the leading fornia or any of the trans Mississippi states, inquire into the work of the United States Geological Survey, scan the mem bership. of the National Academy of Sci ences, look at the faculty of Yale, Of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and of many other colleges, and you will come ut once upon the Sheffield men.
 As an example of their activity. most Interesting story might be appropriately told if the time would permit, respecting the adventures of graduate Of lS62 and his friend, in crossing the continent before the first Pacific railroad was built Of their map of the Yosemite and of their moun- taineerlng In the Sierras which culminated m m the s,, ascent of Mount Whitney N A Then ee came the celebrated exploration of the for tteth parallel, and the subsequent organi- zation of the United States Geological Sur vey, of which the distinguished scholar be- belong to the trophies of the school.
 It is never easy, in a public assembly, to review the progress of science or to esti' mate individual achievement. Many i'm ties which are of interest beyond the cir cle of experts, or even intelligible. The speaker is certainly disqualified from mak- ing such a review or from weighing in q critical balance the services of the able men, his personal friends, who have con stituted the faculty. Their presence for bids him to pronounce their names. yet he ventures to recall some facts which are known even to the inexpert, and to allude to others which the modesty of the faculty might be disposed to. hide You have been reminded that the analvti- cal laboratory, in the old white dwelling house (''the lab" of our college slang, was the first, and for a time the only outward sign of inward grace" which was shown by the new school; even now the manifold ac' tivities of five great buildings do but mag. nifty the importance of their elder departed brother. With increasing vigor and undim, inished enthusiasm, the laboratory study cuted for fifty years, partly for it's own sake and partly because of its relations to agriculture, mineralogy, metallurgy and phy' siology.
 when everygody is conscious that the wei fare of the country, perhaps the stability of the government, is dependent upon 'tho crops" but not everybody remembers when he sees the heavily laden trains, the well filled elevators and the wharves burdened with wheat, cotton and tobacco, that the national supplies are largely results of ad yances made by science. Every state In the Union now has US college of agriculture and the mechanic arts. It was not so when l Norton came to Yale. He was a pioneer l in the scientific agriculture of the United States; and with a longer life would have accomplished much more; for. he knew how He set the pace. When his mantle fell upon Porter, student of Liebg's twenty six leading agricuturists. from every part ] of the country. were brought to New Ha | ven, for a conference of many days, and 1t would not be difficult to show that this unique, primeyal example of university ex | tension had powerful influence in pro
 noting, on right principles; the study oi timated that five hundred persons from q distance came here to follow more or less of these lectures and discussions. Conse quently, came the national grant, associat ed with the name of Senator Morrill,, ar enactment due in no small degree to in l fluences here put forth. From this con
 gressional bounty, Cornell, Madison, Min neapolis, Berkeley and other universities ol the western states derive a considerable part of their revenues.
 pupil of John P. Norton's soon took no one has outstripped him In the race
 His books his suggestions, his scientific
 memoirs, his researches, and his persona ! influence have made the school famous i The list of his publications is a long one
 but it is more remarkable when tested by l qualitative than by quanttative analysis
 One of them, ''How Crops Crow" is al
 most as widespread as the vegetation il Is adapted to every cline. Early in tht 1 seventies the author began to advocate the establishment of experimental stations, ant in due time had the satisfaction of seens
 them established throughout the Union
 while he became director of that in Con
 necticut. This achievement alone reflects
 great distinction on the Sheffield school
 If it had done nothing but make and up | hold this idea, its cost would have beer | repaid.
 Closely associated In the promotion O
 scientific agriculture has been a diferen
 sort of mind, one whose unfailing resources l pEdCClcul sense, ana NarleQ knOWleQS( sometimes overshadows his ability as ar investigator in four important branches O science. He was long a wanderer on tht
 Pacific slope, collecting. plants and experi
 ence, climbing mountains and difficulties 1 but he returned to New Haven at the re
 generation of the school in 1S64-3 and hit | pOst-exilian studies have been directed tC i heredty, the evolution of breeds and th' | transmission of acquired characters, and tt the conditions of public health.
 | New Haven has been a center of min
 eralogcal enquiry during the entire cen tury. Its collections, which began with thu famous candle box of Professor Silliman
 were augmented by the cabinet of Col onel Gibbs, and have grown into the varied | and comprehensive possessions of the Pea
 body Museum. These collections inspired
 the renowned treatise of James D. Dana
 whose work has been extended and made I with this school. Important contribution to the science of mineraogy, involving great amount of accurate discrimination were modestly put forth year after yea | by the director of the school as supplement-
 of Dana's work. New localities were wis ited, and old localities were revisited al ways with good results. not only in beau tifu specimens, but also in positive con tributions to science. His absorbing admin istrative duties have not dimmed his en thusasm nor abated his energy. He is on, of those men, rare at any period, wht
 carry on the most special investigations il | their own domain, while they show broa( sympathy with other workers, and a grea capacity for perception, suggestion, encour l agement and aid.
 So in geology. Able investigators who's, observations and publications have becl
 important have gone hence to other in 1.,@.+ +.,,,F, but Ir,