The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-25

came down the Ohio to New Harmony vobo.
was called "boatload OF knowledge =
keel beat freignted with persons OF emf
hence In the9 requirement OF scientific Iora
Among these passengers was Thomas saw
a famous naturalist and traveller. who had
accompanied Longs expedition, who passed
the remainder of his days at New Har
mony and at whose death. in 1885 it was
said that ''he had done more to mako
known. the zoology Of this country than
any other man" Then there came also tn
New Harmony Charles Alexander lie Seuer
the friend and correspondent OF Culver
who had eircumnavigated the world in tho
celebrated voyage of Peron, the first nat.
uralist to examine the fishes called suckers
and buffaioes. To New Harmony came also
DR.. Gerard Troost the great Dutch geolo-
gist. and DR.. Joseph f. Neef, an eminent
mathematician and the associate of Pesta-
lozzi. Then, with all, and in sense above
ALL there was Robert owen OF Lanark, and
owen, who came TO New Harmony either
with the 'boatload of knowledge" or some
other boat similarly freighted.
And yet New Harmony, as combined
social and financial experiment was a
failure, though never were nlSh intentions
and full and accurate scientific knowledge
more conspiculously associated on any 9TH
er town site in Indiana
Recalling New Harmony and the high
souled men and women who sought 10 re-
store the golden age. if it had existed be-
fore or to create it. If it had not. in POsey
county Indiana there is brought to mind
Brook farm in Massachusetts ana the Won
derf1lI company of intellectual men who
oetbered there. Not under any other farm
house roof was there ever another exactly
like it, and yet Brook farm could not be
maintained as a habitation.
The fact made most prominent In the
sketch of Richard Owen is that, while the
New Harmony experiment was failure,
the men who founded it and whose plans
and hopes connected with II proved the
''baseless fabric OF a vision We're not
failures Separated from their first fond
dream these were successes ROBERT Dale
Owen lived to be remembered as one Of
the founders of the public school system
of indiana and one of the most respected
figures in the history of the state. David
Dale owen was the first state geologist or
several States, for five years United states
geolosist west of the Mississippi, and died
was in early life, teacher, served IN the
Mexican war and in. the civil war in COM
mand of Indiana regiments ana was Tor
fifteen years professor or natural Sclence
i'm the University of Indiana, in all, as his
brief biographer says of him the highest
TYNE of teacher. of naturalist, of scholar.
Of soldier even because. above all his was
the highest type of man. or the otherS
who helped make up the poaIoao OF
knowledge and failed to create a new
earth at New Harmony, lie Sueur grew ola
as curator of the museum in Havrei Dr.
Troost became state geologlst or Iennes-
Scientists enriched the world with mag
nificent scientific collections.
The history of the eXpermenters at
Brook farm a failure as regeheratorS
of society and most remarkable IN lts rec
ord of their personal and individual eleYa-
ton, especially in literature. FROM TINS
n would seem that exertion devoted FOR
time to the attempted regeneration or the
world is not a bad preparation FOR ehcoun-
tering the world as it is IN what seems
Sometimes like its set" and hardened age.
Tlta ATTEMPT is we'll and blesses, If not
the world he who wished it to do So