El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-04-24

2
1t has been easy for women to
secure. advanced scientific education is
/ comparatively short, the work they
/ have accomplished already has been
| OF practical value to the world. As yet
| few have attempted solitary research
: but their efforts have given assistance
! to men who have had long experience
! and, therefore, greater amount Of
! Madame Marie Curie, the celebrated
] diScOverer Of radiun, Possessed the
| ability to lead the world in scientific
] research, although this ability doubt
less would have remained dormant had
not her sympathies with her husband
LED her to devote her OWL energies TO
work for which, it developed, she was
even better qualified than he. Madame
I Curie has been refused admittance to
| the French Academy of 'ImmOrtals"
. because of her sex, but her scientific
ability was so we'll recognized that the
University of Paris is glad to give its
students the advantage of her wisdom.
so she holds the chair Of professor of
physics and has received every honor
the scientists of the world can beStOw
upon her. As a young Polish girl,
Madame Curie's educational OppOrtu-
mites were limited, but her discovery
has paved the way for the latter woman
scientist to achieve a more liberal
recognition
American WOman'S Achievement.
u
American woman had won greater
honor in astronomical science than any
other woman in the world Maria
Mitchell. the first professor Of astrOn-
omy in VasSar college, had little but
an undaunted will to help her in max
ing her studies Of the skies Miss
Mitchell discovered new comet and
by so doing won the gold medal offered
by the king of Denmark for the dis
cCvery of a new telescope comet This
discovery was made while she was
eking out her living by acting as IL
brarian in the PaWtucket library at the
salary Of 500 year But the position
gave her time and opportunity to study,
and thus made possible her greater
work Miss Mitchell visited Europe and
received the homage Of all the dis I
tinguished scientists Of the day.
The standards in astronomy founded
in Vassar college by professor Mitchell [
still give that institution the lead as
regards that particular science among I
the other colleges for women, and I
continual reserch work IS going on IN I
connection With that observatory An /
interesting work which lately has been 1
carried on in the astronomical depart /
ment of Vassar college is "CataloS I
Of the Stars Within Two Degrees OF /
the North Pole Deduced by Photograph !
ic Measures" which has been prepared I
by professor Caroline E. Furness, the (
head Of the department. and published {
last year through the Carnegie institu-
ton of Washington a number Of eE- (
pert women mathematicianS are en-
of the leading ObservatOries- The great
solar observatory Of the Carnegie in
stltutiOn. located on Mount wilson,
California. employs seven women upon
its investigatOry staff, besides others
in less important positions
Women In Botanical Science.
In botanical science, women have
been doing important work for years
A line of work of much practical value
lately has been developed by Miss
Edith Mosher. formerly teacher in the
Grand Rapids public schools Miss
NOsher felt that there was need for
broader general knowledge of the
ordinary trees with their habits.
growth and general appearance and
there was lack of adequate literature.
A course Of tree study was planned in
the Grand Rapids schools and Miss :
MOsher undertook the necessary studies
to prepare for it. She had the hearty
other leaders IN forestry, and special
permission was given her to attend the
ale university summer school in for
eSUry, although this is not a cO-educa-
tiOnal school As a result of her spe-
cializatiOn in tree botany, Miss Mosher
mas been able to produce a number OF
books more practical in their scope
than any which had previously been
available. They include, Fruit and Nut
Bearing Trees" Our Oaks and Ma
pies" "Our Cone Bearing Trees"
studies in Evergreens," and others
The subject of tropical botany is re-
ceiying the attention of a large NUM-
Der Of women Some of them are in
tereSted from an amateurs standpoint !
although their superficial interest
sometimes has brought about real sci
entlflc research Mrs. D. D Gaillaird. {
wife Of one of the officers of the Pana-
ma canal commission, developed an alb
sOrbing interest in orchids and other }
tropical vegetation to enliven the
tedlum OF her stay upon the isthmus. !
She sent many specimens to the Smith
sCnian Institution for analysis and ex-
animation. As a result of the interest
thus created, the institution last year
sent down a party of botanists to
study the resources Of the canal zone
and the adjoining territory. The re-
serch accomplished by this party which
owed its origin TO the amateur efforts
o. woman, have added greatly to
the knowledge of tropical botany which,
until recently, has been a much neg
lected branch Of the science.
Prosecute Research in Arizona.
The department of botanical research I
Oh the carnegie Institution is at pres !
ent combining its efforts chiefly to the I
study of the plants of the desert It's
are located principally in Z
Arizona Two women are conducting
research under this department Mrs
Forrest Shreve and Mrs. Effie S. Spald-
ing. Mrs ShreTe has been especially
interested in the different varieties of !
the cactus, and also in the compilation |
o. vital statistics of the plants of the !
lesertS ana conditions which affect
their length of life. Mrs SpaldinC is
interested in their biological forma- I
ton.
A number Of women scientists. par
-Icularly botanists, are connected with :
the department Of agriculture under
he bureau of plant industry. Mrs Flora |
patterson who now is in charge of the
mushroom division, formerly was an !
at the Gray Herbarium con-
lected with Harvard university. She !
s a recognized authority upon all
kinds Of fungi growth throughout the I
world, having been a prolific writer /
or scientific journals upon the sub
ect.
Mrs. Phelps a Pioneer.
Among the women pioneers in bo-
anical work must be numbered Mrs.
clvira Lincoln Phelps who shared with 1
Dr. Maria Mitchell the honor Of being |
me OF the two women members ad- /
nitted to the American Society for the Z !
Advancement of Science. At a time :
when but little was known regarding
biological formations as compared .
With the present. she was an earnest ]