The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-19
A LIFE GIVEN TO SCIENCE.
Traits OF the LATE PROF. %. c.
| MIRSH or rILY


Ambition Mt YaIc-PractIcniIy All M.
Fortune spent Gathering Collections
NEW HAVEN. Nov. 12-Dccp interest has
been aroused ut Yale by the contest begun hv
Robert H. Waters Of the will Of his uncle the
late Prof o. C. Marsh. whose property was ha-
queathed to the university. Tho COMPLAINT
says:
Yale University induced Prof. Marsh TO give
his time. labor and money to tho university
without salary or compensation. and thereby
impoverished him for many years. Tha, Prof.
Marsh. on account Of his hard and n rye. shat
terinR work for the university. labOtcd undor
the deuson that there was no hereafter, and
that immortality could be- obtained by human
agencies. That Yale. taking advantage OF this
delusion. encouraged him in It. and induced
him to give all Of his collections. his personal
effects and his remaining property to the uni
versity. under the promise that such gifts
would gain for him immortality
Prof. Marsh camo hero in 1893. ak ycars
after he was graduated. to accept the Chair VI
Paleontology and remained in that place until
his death. He was Independently wealthy. and
was reputed ut that time to be worth at least
$4O0.OOO He was an ardent student of sci
ence. and literally dedicated himself and his
fortune to science. He never married and was
wont to say that he had married science, rs he
his whole fortune in his work. and at the tims
Of his death was literally a poor man. Had he
lived year or two longer 1t Is probable that
he might have been in debt.
In the first decade OF his life at Yale he an.
nounced his determination to his closest
never wevered from this decision. ~ lie ftV was
without family ties with the exception, q a
81 Sn Ges Sn W 81, q @ Dn
science that should be second To none In the
country; and it was to bring this about that in
The i Ih nph Ea to civ" 10
With all his fine qualities Prof Marsh
was peculiar in many wnys He was singuarlv
threw away much 81 his fortune on rurS fn"
which have since been proved TO b" almost
worthless he never hesl u,nio to spend large
some Of the stories abou, his dealings in this
line are CLASSIC at Yale: He had logged con-
matters OF science. During his years ut Yale.
Prof Marsh spent upward 81 half million
purchase OF fossils and rare specimens OF
vertebrate and inycrtehrate life, He valued
figure which il has been necessary to rcdncs
TO- more modest proportions since his death.
The value o, his collections + howeyer no, to
Of entirely new material. and there Is no criter-
ion by which i can be valued.
Violently is not denied BY close frisnds His love
for science was so great that he refused to see
and for the greater part 81 the thirty-thres
years he spent at Yale he refused to take any
not at all unusual. az there are ut present a
half dozen professors In the university who re-
Ssye 20 @ ss Swp wa so s?
he lid not need his salary rs professor. until he
bud gone through his money. When he hal
due him from the college. Some four yearago
therefore. Prof Marsh asked the ,univsr.ty Tor
re-: y"n h1 and smf vsa or ,h he
time in his life on 4 limited income Hs affairs
vlous to his death. He built fine house on Pros
pect street. and fitted II IN much like private
pnIntings Il. floors itterad with h" rugs a col,
lected in his travels, It's rooms stacked with
cprios. relics Of ancient races and scientific
tinuo to spend money as freely as formerly he
mortEssSsd. ,hs i'd hcns, to III unyers3y and
informed the university that he had decided
TO leave everything he owned to Yale. and tina,
his death, HI had also the disposition Of an.
other s30OOO left him by his uncle, George
dsTose b OF as made be % wish Hs
At the time OF his death he had Just 81 ~ IN the
City Bank. which represented his total cash
Prof Marsh always con sidered that he was a
business man. and he showed great sagacity
tlfc recommending. aud through a. hundred
sef Informed Of fresh discoveries Of fossil
deposits. He would be- ready for a trir
to the West ten minutes after he received
word Of find, and would 10 on hi. way
on the next train that left New Haven He
spent thousands OF dollars In this way.
He was known to leave a recitation
or lecture on receiving a telegram and
post to the station. Often he would
have to race against other scientific men in
getting to mace where there were chances Of
n flnd. and II Is said that he once had a train
stor in mid prairie to let him on, while his con-
temporary who had unwttingly let him know
that he was hound for the same destination.
rode on unsuspectin that the great fossil seeker
was trampng II across the fields TO arrive at the
scene first. Prof. Marsh never stopped at tho
cost in order to get fossil that he wanted He
spent much money on orchids also. and on
American paintings, OF which he was very
fond.
His opinions on religious matters. while sell
dom expressed. were as vigorous M his scen-
ti6c views. He was an advanced thinker. He
rarely attended church. He was the last man
to be forced into any form OF belief md the
statement that he was cajolod into giving his
collectio to Yale through hopes ~ immortal
ity, either on this earth or In another world
is regarded here by all who knew him as emit
nently nonsensical.