The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-04-04
END OF a GOOD LIFE.

On the 18th of March Prof. o. c.
Marsh, professor of paleontology in the
Yale University died of pneumonia.
His life was that of young man,
who left a Gle rkship in a mercantile
house, at a time when young men
usually feel that it is too late 10 get
an education, and prepared himself for
college at Andover, Mass, entered Yale
and graduated in 1860, and from that
time devoted himself to the study OF
paleontology, and became one of the
most distinguished scientists of the
world
He received at his graduation large
fortune from his uncle, the late mil
lionaire philanthropist of London,
George Peabody. Instead Of becoming
an idler. a man of fashion as the large
majority of rich young men become,
he determined to increase the sum of
human knowledge, and he used his
wealth lavishly for that purpose. He
fitted out, year after year at his own
Expense, expeditions for the explora-
ton of the unknown parts of the Con-
tinent He discovered many fossils
of animals which were of the highest
Importance in the study Of animal life
in past ages. His general collection
was said by Prof. Huxley to be the
greatest of the kind in the world. His
chronological collection was also said
to be the finest in America. He learn
ed through his Hawaiian born asso-
ancient Hawaiians could be found
buried in the sands on the windward
side of the island of Oahu, and he
finally secured a collection of them
which he declared, in later years, to be
remarkable in the size of their bones
and their skulls. Through his in
fuence, the Peabody Museum was
founded in New Haven by his uncle
George Peabody, and he became its
curator.
While making his researches in the
Rocky Mountains he became much in
terested in the Indians, and in 1875,
his fierce attacks upon the frauds Of
the Indian bureau resulted in the i'm
movement of their condition. The
man of science incidentally contribut
ed in this way more to the cause of
humanity than millions of men who
knew nothing of science or humanity.
He was once asked by an idle and
rich young man, Whats the use of
your collection in fossils?'' He replied,
''If yellow dog could speak English
that is just the question he would ask.
Devoted as he was to his great work,
his reputation as a genial scientist
commanded the hospitality Of the rich,
the educated, the fashionable, the
learned in all countries. He carried
no letters of introduction, for he did
not need them. The doors of the
aristocracy in England and Europe
were open to him. He was a guest
that was always wanted at elaborate
dinner parties i'm, the eastern cities.
He illustrated in his life, the great
advantage which man of knowledge,
common sense and humor has over a
rich man in social life, who can only
jingle gold coin in his pockets.
He believed that all accurate knowl-
edge of the history of man and animals
had an ethical side to it. The wonder
full and complicated structure of earth,
and the life upon it, he believed, taught
men that there was a vast spiritual
ignorant of the life upon the earth
could not appreciate. He believed that
truth was one, whether it was spiritual
or physical, because so far as he could
see, they had one common origin