Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-10-23

AGASsIZ AT PENIKESE.
.s.&*sss..ss..ss......ss.s..s.s $1,000.


Commemorating the hundredth ami
versary of the birth of the great nat
uralist, Agassiz, one Of his pupils, Pres
ident David Starr Jordan, Of Leland
Stanford University, describes in the
independent the summer school which
Agassiz conducted at Penikese Island,
off the south coast of Massachusetts.
The schOolhOuse was an old barn,
which served both for lecture hall and
dining-rOom, and the lecture and din
ner went together. At the end Of one
Of the three long tables, says Doctor
Jordan, with movable blackboard al
ways at his side, sat Agassiz. and when
the dishes were being cleared away the
lecture would begin.
On tho second morning occurred the
memorable event Of that summer. Agas.
siz arose as the dishes were taken out,
this time without chalk In his hand,
and began to speak-with that wonder
full touch of eloquence which Is denied
to most men Of science-of his pur-
pose IN calling us together. The swal-
lows few in and out Of the building,
grazing his shoulders in their flight.
He told us that the people Of America
needed q better education-one that
would bring them into closer contact
with the realities Of nature, and there
fore with truth. He told us how this
training Of people to think clearly and
rightly and righteously ought to be ac-
complished, and dwelt on the results
which might come to our country from
the training and conservation OF fifty
teachers-young men and young women,
armed with enthusiasm and with youth
on their side.
This summer at Penikese was to be
no ordinary piece of school work, stin
less a merry summers outing. We
were there for a mission work of the
highest possible Importance.
He spoke with intense earnestEess
and with great dramatic power, and
this was heightened by the deep re-
ligious feeling characteristic of his
mind. For to Agasslz each object IN
nature, as well as each law of nature,
was a thought OF God; and trifing
thoughts and conduct in the presence OF
Gods ideal expressed in nature was
to him the most foolish form Of sacri-
lege.
What Agassiz actually said that
morning can never be said again. No
reporter took his language, and no one
after all these years can call back the
charm of his manner or the simplicity
and impressivenesS of his zeal and
faith.
st the end he said abruptly, as he
sat down, 81 would not have any one
pray for me now"
For moment we were surprised, not
knowing what he meant. Then it fash
ed over US that he wished to say that
he would not like to call on any one
else to pray in his place. And he con-
Guided with the hope that each one Of
us would utter his own prayer in 81
lence.
After this, during the summer at
Penikese, with it's succession of joyous
mornings, bright days and calm nights,
with every charm of sea and sky, the
master was with us all day long, all
the time ready with help and encour-
agement, always ready to draw on his
own wide experience in Europe and
America, always ready to give us from
his own stock of knowledge.
Whatever he said was translated into
language we could understand. The
boundlesS~ enthusiasm which surround
ed him like an atmosphere was always
present. The thing n~-aad in hand was
the one thing best worra-~ doing tbe
people round him were the H., hast
worth helping; and the "bit OF sod u
der his feet was ''the sweetest to him
in any world"