Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-03-14
FAMOUS CEOLOG|sT WAS
ONCE POOR QUARRYMAN
Hugh Miller, Author of "old Red
Sandstone Started His Scientific
Inquiries as Laborcr.
nj GARRETT T.. sERvIsS.

The Sigh, recently OF huge stone
Z quarry, with It's s9uarc. vertical aces,
opened for many. years. but which ]
now sat up until after midnight TO
read again II WAS Hush Miller's Old
Red Sandstone" written about eighty
years ago. but still forming one OF the
most delightful and ONE OF the most
secure pathways into the wonderland
of geology that has ever been opened.
! am often asked - recommend books
on science that are at once trustworthy
IN their statements and ATTRACTIVE IN
their style Here is such !, hook, still
White's Natural History OF Selborne,"
belongs 70 the "inmortais' Of popular
scientific literature.
must SAY 81 once. however, that
this book cannot he read today with
ou1 a certain amount OF nIcdernizinE
which the. noHScicntIic reader VIII
find no difficulty iii Ctfectinc by after
ward rcadinS Same brief up- date
Textbooks or geology. which I've viii
fsci s.cat desire 80 DO after Hugh
Miller ass lneNt:nsutsh3biy tired his
!TSsEia a lion. Read THE Old Red
Sandstone" ;i-St: then YOU Will prob
Ably no; rest until YOU have found out
what eighty years Of later discovery
nave added TO the marvellous story the
oeEinninSs Of when that book unfclds.
Hugh Mile" was . poor Scotch hoy
gifted with EXTRAORDINARY imagination
power Of expression. power of 'obser
walton and love OF knowledge. When
such boy. grows up lie becomes a
DlSoSll6 " lAlS rtlfi tNAOI ana 20 sue
ceedinS generations. There Is nothing
IN a combination OF Sjfts OF ihat Kind
ina; can harm mankind.
After Il little schooling lie had 10 go
10 work to earn his living. He be-
ysme quarryman and st0nemason.
Fortune had placed his birthplace ON
Scotland's sea-csadles. where the ocean
waves had uncovered some OF tie
ga YES OF the ear,h's rockwritten his
tery. and among these quarry leaves.
IL. :
Slim, loose jointcd boy" arrivcd at
sanrisc one morninE. 10 blister his
'mne> with a pick. and 10 ind in the
sed6ed ROCKS =, richer scene Of ven
acrs thsn could nave fancicd in even
ny dreams" THAT morning a geoIo-
rs; was born one who was destined to
.1splSe hun1reds OF others, even long
know of no modern work on geol-
rSS tNat posse SSoS so much Of the sail,
ne inward hight and inspiration Of the
pare science. hut they are always per-
tcctiy clear and always Interesting,
Tor they are like the inscriptions in
museum which guide YOU from mar
vel TO marvel and tell YOU where those
'narrels are. and which OF them are
especially 70 be admired and WHY.
that was opened before Hugh Millcr'S
eyes happened to Ia" one Of Ia" most
in'ercstins and peculiar In tn" whole
nook Of the earth The old red sand
stone belongs to The DevoHian period,
formerly generally spoken OF az the
age OF hshcs.' because of the abund
ancc OF those creatures in the life OF
the time. The great family OF The YER
iebratcs had it's first cons idcrabIc de-
vclopment IN The Dcvonian period,
when all OF it's members We're marine
animals. some OF the fish forms Of The
old red sandstone. whose deposits are
IN some places IN the British Isles
nearly. four miles thicI' are very cx-
traordinary lookin animals. and It was
these that Hugh Miller began by dis
closing ia his own astoniShcd eyes
With stroke OF his hammer. and that
!'s ate CTar! depicted in his book with
power Vivid description that few
SCIENTISTS have Do>Ecss.G.
Ths Old Red Sandstone and ii is
70 b. rad - . piece Of literature.
aEsec eoa solid Foundation and con
. =; s-Ustz 7tial materials.
No. pgs-ey= deep charm nutR IN
ss-zre @5a 4n it@ manner !n
'hft 49, "-1-E-. -pg=tGer.
Z-zE --.ss 90 g.plc-v j. ap. 10
z'sr<z- s.. tzeo1-zce Ia. o-Iinars.
IVA tse e-r5Hc-. blt ffGgh A!ilpr's
--9s .s--.s'aeS $40 attraction together
IN = E.-,sri@l u has ;hc magnet
81 3: S.orE united WITH the in
epEs 4-ion z. lesson.
IL 21ts IT, strange Features Of tho
~ sar4-i9ne epoch Oh ihe stage,
-? az. rfaou'" actors In 4 world
"aen the great Acassiz. visit
iAE M!ier's collection I'm tho presence
"f- Sco'i*nd's most famous geologis,.
So: nik eyes Ugnn q heap Of scSly
fragments which no one had been able
% explain the moment becomes dra-
"His ryes Enlightened as lac con
turning 10 the company--i win ,oji
Aou what theSc aro-tnc remains OF
inst lobster! he arranged The fra@-
!nen'S htior" hlm With aS much APP
i'areni ease RS have seen . young
si'l arranging the pieces Of ivory OF
mother OF pearl "a an indian -lizzr.
aud there lay the huge lobster before
Us, palpablc to ALL,
But that lobster. so huge That QUO
- the average l"ns,crs common in our
markets might stretch It's entire length
itcrosS the ta'i-!iap IA which the crGa-
i'ire terminated lived uncountef mill
lions OF years 40, /.