Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-02-23

recollection was her fathers conf
dant and intimate friend.
In 1854 he removed with his fam
lily to Nebraska and engaged in the
work of the pastorate. but, his health
falling, We find him in 1857 devoting
himself for the most part to scien-
tific work and also engaging in
making geological, mineralogical. boz
tanical and Genealogical collections
in Dakota, Nebraska and Wyoming,
for scientific institutions, principally
for Professor Henry of the Smith
sonian nstitution-indeed for %
years thereafter he was an accredit-
ed representative of the Smithsonian
Institution, to which he made regu-
lar reports
In 1860, in company with Pro-
fessor Hayden, he made various eX-
plorations. He was the first white
man to explore the Niobrara river
and the first geologist to visit the
Bad Lands of the Dakotas.
He was professor of natural sci
ence at the University of Nebraska
during the first 13 years of its
history
He began with no laboratory
extraneous helps 49, nothing but
Natures open book before him. The
first desks for laboratory instruction
were built at his own expense. He
was pioneer of modern methods Of
research and investigation and latter
day scientists have entered into his
labors. Old time residents of Ne
! braska who heard his lectures of
quarter of century ago will recall
that he taught and urged the prin-
ciple of dry farming" many years
before the system was known by that
name. He held the then honorary
position of state geologist of Ne
braska.
In botanical research he was a
pioneer. He made the first eollec-
ton of plants in the territory of Ne
braska and published the Flora of
Nebraska" the first work on botany
in Nebraska. This publication be-
came the basis for similar works by
other authors in adjoining states. His
largest work, The Physical Geog-
raphy and Geology of Nebraska" was
the result of laborious and long-cOn-
tinued exhaustive original study and
has received the highest commenda-
ton from scientific men.
His papers on Zoology are interest
ing and of permanent value. He was
the first scientist to study the food
of birds and was the first to recog-
nize the relation of birds to fruit
trees and plant life. A new and i'm
portant contribution to scientific
knowledge was his catalogue of the
Land and Fresh Water Shells of Ne
braska."
On the occasion of a certain COM
mencement season G874) the de-
gree of Phi. d. was conferred upon
him simultaneously by the Pennsyl-
vania College, Wittenberg College
and the University of Ohio. In 1878,
Wittenberg College honored him with
the degree of l.. l.. ID.
Thrice was he called to the presi-
dency of as many institutions of
learning, but declined them all
During his professorship in the
University of Nebraska he organized
a Lutheran church some 2 miles
from Lincoln and was it's regular
pastor for eight or 10 years. 1t is
strong church today.
In March, 1882, he was appointed
territorial geologist of Wyoming and
unanimously confirmed-the first,
think to hold that office in that ter
: ritory. Wyoming, as is we'll known,
is richer in fossil remains than any
other locality in North America, Pro-
fessor Aughey found that while the
museums of this country and Europe
had many specimens from these fos-
sill beds, Wyoming herself had no mu-
| oVuAh' lie vi SSu the legislature W
found a scientific museum for the
proper housing of her own fossil
treasures. | am not advised as to
whether this wish was realized. Pro-
fessor Aughey was a member of the
first board of regents of Wyoming
State University. He chose the 81
for its location and with his own
hand wrote out it's scheme of organi-
! zation.
During his labors in Wyoming he
contracted a severe case of lead poi
soning and for the next five years
made his residence at Hot Springs,
Arkansas. During these days of af-
Fiction he was by no means idle, but
he kept up his scientific writings in
the way of contributions to scientific