The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-06-28
The Usual Glass Day
Exercises.
New Trustees and Instructors
Elected.



waterville, June s7.--Coiby commence
inent Is now going on, and waterville Is
full OF returning alumni and alumnae.
The graduating exercises do not take
place until tomorrow; but today the class
day exercises have attracted large audi
ence to the campus
One Of the most important events Of the
occasion occurred this evening at the
Baptist church, when the college GRAFTON
was delivered by Prof Ira Remsen, LII.
D., of Johns Bop kins university. This
GRAFTON has long been the chief literary
event Of the week. and It was looked
forward to with especial interest because
OF the scholarly fame of the orator. Also
Colby has Just opened hei new chemical
laboratory building. and the grafton was
considered as In sense dedicatory of TINT
building TO the uses of science.
President Butter presided, and after
prayer by Rev. DR.. A. 4. Dunn, ex.
the head of the chemical department, was
not able to be present on account Of Ill
health. He expressed the fervent wish
of all present that he might be speedily
restored to health. DIR. Butler then
spoke of DR.. Remsen as the man who had
made the dedicatory address at the dedi-
cations of science buildings at the Uni
versity of Chicago and at the Case
school, and he was ths most fitting ora
tor for such an occasion.
DR.. R9msen was received with enthusi-
astic applause. He said that In these
days the word chemical had come into
Dad repute. 10 say in these days that
beef has been chemically treated is to say
the worst Of It, daughter and applause
Laundries display ostentatiously the
sign "No chemicals used.'' So chemist
in presenting himself to his audiences felt
like apologizing for his profession. How
ever. 1t gave him much pleasure to speak
q few words on this o3casion, especially
AS he had made his summer home in
Maine and felt entitled to address his
audience as fellow citizens. Applause. }
DR.. Remsen then proceeded TO speak of
the evolution Of the chemical laboratory
as tine working place OF the modern
chemist. The work of the old philoso-
phers was carried on under great Diff
culties. Some of the most learned of old
discussions, like that of the infin lite
divisibility Of matter, or of the intinity
of the universe, were of little use because
entirely theoretical. 1t was necessary
that practical work should go hand in
hand with thinking. There was too great
a tendency to theory and speculation; and
too little real work to establish the truth
OF relations. The laboratory method has
come in with modern times to correct the
although their reputation Is not wholly
good, were in reality practical workers.
who In their tolls and sacrifices found ed
the laboratory method. The alehemists
were not regarded as entirely respectable
especially by the philosophers. They were.
in fact. looking for the philosophers
stope. which would enable them TO
change baser metals like silver into gold.
1t was q fact worthy Of note that there is
now in operation in this country fac
tory, OF which the object Is the turning of
silver into gold.
The alchem lists also had the elixir of
youth. the effects Of which were givsn by
nm old writer quoted at length by DR..
Remsen, who remarked:
SIN any other state but Maine should
be confident that this description carried
with 1t its own explanation. daughter
and applause.) But alcoholic beverages
being unknown here, (Laughter) some
other explanation may be needed"
Alchemy also devoted itself to the dis
co.ery Of medicinal virtues In chemical
lsnbstances, SO in the process of evolution
the pharmacist 81, shop became lahora-
tory. Later came the scientists like the
Swedish Apothecary Of the last century,
who discovered tartaric acid. oxalio acid,
oxygen and chlorine, and other chemical
substances. He discovered all these In
bis apothecary shop. but worked rather
for the glory of science than forJremu-
neration. Lavoisier, Priestly and Caven-
dish also were figures in the great tran
sition to purely scientific work. as distin-
guished from the work undertaken for an
Immediate practical result. 1t Is only
In very recent times, however. that chem
| ical instruction has been thrown open to
students at large. The early laboratories
were very crude. In 1894 the great Ger
man chemist, Lisbig fitted up the first
laboratory for students, and was forced
to use an old barn for the purpose. 10
this prototype all the great aud palatial
chemical laboratories of the world owe
their origin. In iS4s Prof. Hosford at
Harvard, a pupil of Liebig, erected the
first chemical laboratory in America.
Prof. Norton. at Yale, soon followed with
the second.
Dr. Remsen here recalled that he him
SELF had been permitted to attend the
lectures Of Liebig, and IL was with great