The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-12-28

Chemical Society.
 William McMurtrie, son of Abram and Almira McMurtrie, was born near Belvidere, in Warren county, New Jer- sey, on March 10, 1851 His early edu- cation was obtained in the public school and the academy of Belvdere. As a boy he became greatly interested in chemistry through a series of lectures on the subject given by Rev. Henry S. Osborn, then pastor of one of the Pres byterian churches of Belvidere, and the desire thus aroused for the further knowledge of the beautiful science led to the ultimate choice of his profess sion
 In January of 1868 he entered the de- partment of engineering of Lafayette college. taking up the course of mining and metalurgy, and was graduated from the college in July, 1871, with the degree of mining engineer. All spare time in college was devoted to the study of chemistry and work in the labora- tory and after graduation he sought employment in chemistry rather than in engineering.
 In March of 1872 he was appointed assistant chemist in the United States department of agriculture. and while holding this office he undertook, in as- sociation with and at the request of Professor Joseph Henry, the transa- ton of Bethelots work on Isomerism. In February, 1873, he was advanced to the office of chemist-in-ch of the de- partment of agriculture, which office he held until the close of December 1877. Tn 1874 he received from Lafayette col- lege the degree of master in science, and in 1875 he presented and defended thesis and received from the same in- stitution the degree of doctor of philos- ophy.
 In January 1878, he was appointed agent and representative of the depart ment of agriculture at the Paris expo sition of that year, and was detained to prepare and arrange collection of the products of agriculture of the Unit ed States for that exposition. He was also appointed director of agricultural products on the staff of the commis- sioner-g general of the United States at that exposition and in the latter ca- pacity prepared a report upon the agri- cultural products exhibited. In his ca pacity of agent and representative of
  culture he was directed to collect in- formation regarding the agricultural in- dustries as illustrated in the exhibits of the exposition and as carried on in France and Italy. At the close of the exposition and on his return to the Tinted States in 1879 he was appointed special agent of the department ot ag- riculture to prepare series of reports embodying the information collected abroad. One of the results of this is the report on the culture of the sugar beet and the manufacture of sugar there- from Other reports were prepared un- der this commission, but the manu- scripts were lost in the official changes subsequently, occurring in the depart ment.
 During the winter of 1879 to 1880 con eress enacted a law providing that the commission of agriculture should at tend and report upon the international exhibition of sheep, wool and wool pro- 1 ducts held in Philadelphia in Septem- ber 1880, and the subject of this sketch was. delegated to represent the commls- | sioner of agriculture and make the re- ouired report. The law and the instruc- lions included directions to collect sam nles of the wools and other animal flores | exhibited and to submit them to scien- fife examination for the determination | of their fineness, tensile strength and | elasticity The examination was con edera blv expanded and resulted in the report of an examination of wool and | other animal flores, finally published by order of congress in 1886.
 While this work was i'll progress Dr. McMurtrie received call to the chair of chemistry in the University of llli- nois and he entered upon the duties thereof in September, 1882 In 1883 the French government conferred upon him the order of Chevalier du Merite Agri- cole for service rendered to agriculture Tn 1884 he was appointed chemist to the state board of agriculture of Illinois, and in 1886 chemist to the agricultural experiment station of Illinois.
 In 1888 he resigned these offices to be- come consulting chemist to the New York Tartar company and located in New York city. He was elected vice