THE SUNDAY OREGQIAN, PORTLAND, . MAEOR .5, 1905,
THE OREGON STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
Officers of the New Organization, Its Purposes and Its
Field of Endeavor.
OF MUCH significance Is the hearty
enthusiasm and public-spirited har
mony of effort that characterize
the newly organized Oregon "State Acad
emy of Sciences. Practically all those
engaged in professional scientific 'work in
this state are members of this society, or
else have signified their sympathy -with
its alms. As laid down in the preamble
of the constitution, adopted February 18.
these alms are to encourage scientific re
search and learning, to promote the dif
fusion of scientific knowledge among its
members, to aid In developing the re
sources of the state, and to work in har
mony with-other scientific-Institutions.
Leading university and college men, rep
resenting, as is eminently proper, many
diverse branches of science, as well as
the stated most important institutions of
learning, have been elected officers of this
association, and there is every Indication
that the newly-fledged academy Is being
built upon sound and broad foundations.
Probably in no, other part of the world
is there so much to fascinate and reward
the scientific student and investigator as
here in the Pacific Northwest, the scene j
In past ages of the greatest volcanic out
burst and lavarflow known in geological
history. Here Is to bo found what Is pos
sibly the latest example of mountain
building on the globe Mount St. Helens
which In 1S42 was actively at work up
rearing its mighty dome, comparatively a
new-born mountain, as indicated by Its
symmetrical outline, very little erosion
having taken place as yet upon Its sur- i
face.
And these Isolated snowpeaks, rising to
such great heights from a moist and fer
tile land, where Summer reigns the year
around, afford to the botanist and .biolo
gist an almost unparalleled range of cli
mate for the study -of flora and fauna.
Here in this mild clime where the rigors
of Winter are practically unknown, a few
miles' travel will show representative
lorms of plant life that properly extend
all the way from the temperate to the
arctic rone. The greatest forests, known
to man cover our hillsides.
That compartlvely new and most cap
tivating branch of science, the study of
glaciers and the glacial epoch, from which
we have but recently emerged, may be
pursued with exceptional advantage here,
for one mountain alone In our Cascade
Sange Mount Rainier has no fewer than
20 great glaciers. Its glacial surface rival
ing in area the entire glacial surface of.
Switzerland a little known fact, but one
that has been proved by comparison of
the United States Government surveys
with data collected by the Alpine Club.
To the mineralogist a practically un
known and Il!lmltabl6 field Is offered for
study in the riches stored away by lavish
Nature in our mountain treasure vaults.
And how indispensable will be his service
to the state in this development of its
resources!
Our rivers, lakes and ocean currents
teem with noble forms of fish life, some
of them quite unknown to other parts of
the world, of highest value to commerce,
-but presentipg problems as baffling and
obscure to the biologist and pisciculturist
as to the simplest, fisherman.
To the ethnologist falls the strange and
fascinating task of observing In the en
vironment of modern civilization the cus
toms and mystic ceremonial rites of an
cient savagery, and of deciding the vexed
question of the ancestry of Oils puzzling
people, the North American Indians, the
riddle of four centuries. Are they related
to the Asiatic races, and did they come
hither by way of Bering Strait, or are
they indigenous to American soil, roaming
the plains to the eastward when the
earth was young, and the site of Portland
lay at tho bottom of the sea?
In the rich fossil beds of the John. Day
Valley may be found relics of untold
value to the scientific world, remains of
mammoth and mastodon, rhinoceros and
camel, and several species of the prehis
toric horse, illustrating its evolution to
the form wo know today. In that valley
we find records in the rocks covering
.pearly the whole period of ancient mam
malian life upon the earth. As this life
became extinct, many times owing to
violent cataclysms of nature, new species
cpringing up from these ancient grave
yards, there Is reason to believe, in the
opinion of Thomas Condon, our veteran
geologist, that Oregon Is destined to be
come the great battleground of conflicting
theories regarding the Origin of Species.
Surely no other region of -the globe
promises such rich returns to the ac
tivities and enthusiasm of the man of
science. And yet these are only a few
of the many fascinating problems that
confront the now Academy of Sciences.
The Officers.
Edmund P. Sheldon, the forestry ex
, pert and hotanlst, who has been olected
president of the academy, combines
practical field knowledge with univer
sity training in science. He received j
his degree from the University of ,
Minnesota, after which he rexnaineJ as- j
soclated with that institution for sev- ;
eral years as a teacher, devoting him-
self to botany, ornithology and chemis
try. Six years were spent in field work
In forestry in connection with the Geo-
logical and Natural History Survey of ,
the State of Minnesota. In 1S97 he I
came to Oregon as a special field agent j
of the Division of Botany of the United j
States Department of Agriculture, and
for three years he made a careful study
of the treea and plsnt3 of Eastern Ore-
gon. Tbenme turned Westward to the
Coast, and for three yoars has been
making botanical collections In Cali
fornia, Oregon and Washington during
the Summer months. In the Winter
soason he was largely in tho employ
of the Eastern and Western Lumber
Company, of Portland. Thus for a num
ber of years he has had actual ex
perience in lumbering.
August 9. 1904 Mr. Sheldon was ap
pointed Superintendent of Forestry by
the Lewis and Clark Exposition Com
mission. At the Louisiana Purchase Ex
position, at St. Louis, he had charge
of the Oregon State Exhibit of
Forestry. Under his administration
tea State of Oregon had- the larg
est, exhibit In forestry placed by
any state a tho Exposition, and on
this display Orogon received more
awards than any other state competing.
On January 9. 1905. Mr. Sheldon was
elected Superintendent of Forestry,
Fish and Game, for the Lewis and
Clark Contennial Exposition. It Is now
bis special endeavor to fill Oregon's
! epaec In the Palace of Forestry with
products illustrative of the forest, fish
and game resources of the state of Ore
gon. Albert Raddin Sweetser, of the Uni
versity of Oregon, the first vice-presl-dant,
was born in Mendon, Massachu
setts. He received his degree of B. S.
from Weseleyan University. Middleton.
Conn., later winning the degree of A.
M. from the same. After graduation,
he spent a year in the -Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. Boston, in the
department of chemistry.
He taught science for several years
la preparatory .schools, and in 1893
entered the grauJate school of Harvard
Universltj, where he spent four years.
During this time he devoted himself to
zoology and "botany, particularly the
latter, assisting; in the laboratory pf
Cryptogamlc botany of Harvard Uni
versity during the last two years of bis
stuy. and giving a course in Crypto
gamio botany at Radaliffe College.
.'. Ijo,4,S97 Professor Sweetser accepted
vJl" to .the chair of biology in Pa-
ciflc University. Oregon, and remained
there five years, until "elected to the
same dopartment in the University of
Oregon at Eugene. Three years ago
Professor Sweetser was appointed State
Biologist by Governor Geer, which of
fice he has held up to the present time.
Arthur Burton Cordley. M. S., the
second vice-president, well known as
the biologist of the Oregon Agricul
tural College, received his early scien
tific training at the Michigan Agricul
tural College, from which he was grad
uated In 1S83 with the degree of B. S.
He remained at his alma mater two
years as Instructor In zoology, then ac
cepted a position as Instructor in zo
The New Statue of Frances
TM (Btue of the late France E. YVIUard, vrhlrii iro authorized for the
WtU agios Tra uavellcd is the Capitol February 17, Tke cuts tor 2a Mis
jjl
1 HS
Top rorr reading from left to right: George JE. Co sal 11, Edward A. Beals, L. L. Hair kin, James ATIthyeombe.
tower row readies: from left to rights Martin "W. Goraaaa, A. R. STreetex, E. P.. Sheldon James A. Lyman, A. B, Cordley.
ology and assistant entomologist at the
experiment station of the University of
Vermont, resigning this at the end of tho
year to accept a .position as assistant
entomologist of the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture at Washington, D. C.
Since 1895 Professor Cordley ha3 been
in charge of zoology and entomology at
the Oregon Agricultural College, and is
also entomologist and plant pathologist
at the experiment station.
A graduate student of Cornell Univer
sity (1S99), Professor Cordley Is also-.
member of the Association of Economic
Entomologists, a corresponding member
of the Washington Entomological Society
and of the Ontario Entomological Society.
The Oregon Agriculturist, In a report
of the recent meeting of tho Oregon Hor
ticultural Society, has the following:
"Hon. E. L. Smith, as president of the
State Board of Horticulture, said that
on behalf of tho board he wished to give
public utterance to the appreciation of
the board of the very valuable work done
by Professor A. B. Cordley, of the Ore
gon Experiment Station, in ascertaining
tho true nature of the apple-tree an three
nose and supplying the Information needed
in fighting this serious foe of the apple
orchardlst"
Miss Christina MacConnell, the third
vice-president, has for 25 years held tho
chair of chemistry and physiology In tho
Portland High School.
James A. Lyman, Ph. D., the recording
E. Willard ,
Hall
Selei
of Statues la tic Cayltel at
F. Mean.
secretary, was" bom at Lee .Center, 111.,
entering Beloit College at the age of 17.
from which institution ho received the
degree of A. B. in 1SSS, and of A. M. In
1SSL After acting for a year as prin
cipal of the public schools of Hlllsboro.
K. D.. he turned his attention to the
study of chemistry, and took post-graduate
work In that subject at Beloit Col
lege and the Johns Hopkins University.
From the latter institution he received
tho degree of Ph. D. In 1S92. During th
ensulng year the University of Chicago
began Its work, and he spent a year as
a member of its chemical faculty. From
that place he came to Portland In Sep
tember, 1S93, to take up tho work of in
structor in chemistry In Portland Acad
emy, where he has since remained.
George E. Coghlll, Ph. D., the corres
ponding secretary, was born in 1S72, on
an Illinois farm, where he spent the first
IS years of hl3 life. He prepared for col
Jego at Shurtleff Academy, in the historic
town of Alton, 111. He later entered
Brown University, where ho received the
degree of Bachelor of Arts In 1S96. His
graduate study began. In 1S97. under the
direction of the late Professor C. L. Her
ri ck. editor and founder of the Journal
of Comparative Neurology arid Psychol
ogy, and one of tho pioneers of that
sdenc In America. During 1S93-1900 Mr.
Coghlll was assistant professor of biology
In the University of New Mexico. The
two years following this ha pursued grad
uate study in Brown University and In
Germany. At Brown he was awarded the
Grand Army of the Bepubllc fellowship,
the best fellowship of the university. Ho
was also made a member of the Society
of Sigma XI. which is to the sciences
what Phi Beta Kappa is to tho arts.
During the Summer semester of 1902 he
studied in the laboratories of Professors
Boveri and Koelllker In Wurzburg. and
the same year" received the degree of
THE JOTTINGS OF OLD LIM JUCKXIN
Ople Read's Philosopher Discourses on the "Rebel" and the "Yankee.'
tj BOUT tho old stove in the cross
j roads store they sat, the wise men
of tho nelchborhood. " What they
knew they rejoiced in, and what they did
not know wa3 not worth knowing, xney
possessed the wisdom of satisfaction
irfth self. Amontr them was old icnrj
tBalch, neighborhood's shrewdest guessor
At tha weather. When he guessed right
ly, ho reminded them of his forecast-
When he missed It. he said nothing, in
many of life's departments great reputa
tions have been made in this way.
The conversation had turned Into Its ac
customed bypaths, and it appeared that
there was nothing more to bo said on
any conceivable subject, when old' Llm
Jucklln remarked, addressing Henry
Balch: "You used to be a Yankee, didn't
you. Henry?"
"Who, me? Yes, think I was. about
the time you were a rebel. Seems fun
ny now, don't It?"
"Yes, Ilka a dream that gradually fades
away. And did you ever think of the
fact that notwlthstandln all the blood
shed and the bitterness that necessarily
followed, our family trouble taught the
world the greatest lesson of modern
times? Ever think of that?"
"Well. I don't know as I have," old
Henry replied, reaching over and pulling
out the damper of the stove. "But what's
your p'lnt of view?"
' ''It's Just this: Almost from the very
beginnln of the world, tha wisest of
men have said that a democracy couldn't
exist for any great length of time. Near
ly every republic had begun with blood
and all of them had ended with failure.
And when the American Government was
established they said that it was not es
tablished. They knew that it was an
experiment, and they pointed to history to
prove It, and history nodded and said,
Ah, hah, that's a fact' When our war
came they cried out, "Here you are.'
And it seemed that wo were to fly off Into
jagged fragments, thus proving for the
hundredth time that republics were mere
ly dreams of idle men. It seemed to be
the world's final test. But wo came
through It all, more cemented than ever
before, and the nations of the earth
looked at us and said: "Well, we'll be
blowed. So our war, the test and its
outcome, the proof, finally proved to man
that after all It is roan that governs the
world. Ignorance in the furthereat parts
of tha universe has been Inspired with
hope. The result of tha success of de
mocracy In America has given to man a
broader Idea of God. It has shown that
a few men only wan't anointed by the
Almighty. It has proved that the throne
Is. a man-made seat, and not any more
divine than the work bench. The Lord
may havo been represented a-settin on
his throne, but tho one that redeemed tha
world stood at the work bench. The
time is comin when, tho whole earth will
bo Americanized. Every great book, that
a man reads helps along' this Idea. Yes,
sir. there's comin a time when a man
wilt bo ashamed to live In a country
where he's called a subject instead of a
citizen. 1 wish I had a chance to talk
to every schoolboy In the world. I'd im
press these facts on his mind."
"Yea," replied old Henryt-"but It" seems
Photograph by Kiser Bros:
Doctor of Philosophy from Brown Uni
versity. The year following ho came to
Pacific University as Professor of Biol
ogy. Professor Coghlll's original work relates
especially to the nervous system of am
phibia and has been published in the
Journal of Comparative Neurology and
Physchology. This Journal has formally
recognized his work by giving him a
place upon Its list of collaborators. He
is a member also of the Society of
American Naturalists, tho Society of
American Zoologists, the Association of
American Anatomists, .and is Fellow in
the American Society of Advancement of
Science.
M. W. Gorman, treasurer, is well known
as a leading authority on the flora not
only of Oregon, but of the Pacific North
west Bora in Canada, he came to Port
land, April, 1S85, and was so won by his
first glimpse of the forests of Oregon,
then clothed in a wealth of Spring
beauty, that he decided to make this
state his permanent home. During the
seasons of 1S30-92-93-94 and 95, be made
collections of plants in Southeastern
Alaska. In the season of 1837 he was
employed by the United States Govern
ment to make a report on the vegetation.
of the Lake Chelan District. Washing
ton, and In company with W, G. Steel,
ha was appointed to make the soundings
that proved that lake to be the deepest
as well as the most interesting body of
water in the State of Washington.
In 1S99 he spent a year on the Yukon,
and White Rivers, discovering in that
season alone seven species of plants en
tirely new to science. The season of
1903 -again found him with canoe and
collecting-press, north of Cook Inlet,
making a collection and report for the
United States Department of Agriculture
on the flora of the Lake Hiamna region.
L. L. Hawkins, director of the museum
to me that those fellers In the East aro
a-tryla to make a monarchy of this
country as fast as they can."
"Looks that way," Jucklln admitted;
"but you might just as well say that a
trlcklin' spring branch Is about to make
the ocean fresh. All the power on the
face of the" earth couldn't make a mon
archy of this country. But speakln' about
beln' a Yankee, do you remember old
Sam Nesbltt? Of course you do. Well.
just about tha time tho war got well un
der way, old Sam took it into his head
that ho ought to coma over to my house
and kill me to help things along. He
had raised a squad of fellers and they
wanted to make a name for themselves.
So one night when the moon was a-shinin
hero they came. I had got wind of it,
and was on the lookout. I d been mus
tered into the service and was stayln
home a few days to straighten things
out a little. And I wasn't sleepln down
In the parlor. I was In the garrett, I tell
you,- and I looked out and saw tho gang
a-comln . There wasn't any chance to get
away, and I laid low and waited. Pretty
soon they came a-thunderin at the door.
My wife let 'em in. They asked where I
was qrfl she said she didn't know. She
didn't, exactly didn't know which corner
of the garret I was hidin' In Old Sam
'lowed that ha was glad I wasn't in the
house, for ho was goin to set fire to It
and that It would be a shame for a man
to be burnt up In his own house. When
I heard this I sorter caught my breath,
and so cold a chill ran up my back that
It was all I could do to keep from sneez
in. My wife told him that the bouse was
old and would burn easily. It had been
our Intention to build a new one. and that
If he set It afire It would save the trouble
of tearla It down. There was a pot of
coffee on the fire. Now coffee was a
scarce article, and when the perfume of
It began to rise, old Sara he began to
sniff- He asked her If It was Lincoln
coffee, all other sort beln mado of rye
or potatoes and such like. She -told him
It was, and he told her to pour it out.
So she got some cups and poured out
enough for all five of them and they
drank It and smacked their mouths.
When they had put down their cups she
went to tha door, stepped out, and with
tha door about a third of the way open,
she said: If you are goin' to burn this
house down you'd better be about It. The
fact Is, I was expectln' you, and that
coffee was fixed. DIdn t you notice how
bitter It was? It was dosed with strych
nine- And as Dr. Seymour lives, at least
ten miles from hero you will all bo dead
before you can get to his house. Good
night and good-by. With that she shut
the door and ran away. Well, I never
heard such scufflln In my life. Some of
them didn't wait to get out at tho door.
They broke through the windows, and one
of them carried a window sash Tor up
war,d of a mile I heard 'em going over
the hill, ana j. laugnea ana took, inis op
portunity to sneeze. Well, they galloped
all the way to the doctor's house, threw
themselves off of their horses and
knocked down tho door In their haste to
e'et in: and tha doctor He treated them.
pumped them out and charged them a
horse for his services. Years afterward I
met old Sam In town, and I asked him if
he liked coffee, and he looked at me and
said: 'Llm, you blamed fool, ill give
you the finest game rooster In the country
if you won't say anything about that
affair. I told n'm to send, over tae oiro.
and librarian, was bone at Cleveland, O.,
March 17, St. Patrick's day, 1S4S. Ha
crossed the plains by ox team in 1SS1-K,
and at the age of 12 was thrown upon his
own resources for a livelihood. Ha was
In Nevada for ten years, up to 1S63, dur
ing the days of tho pony express, Pluta
war and Virginia City excitement. He
prepared for college at Oakland. Cal.. and
spent ten years at the University of Cali
fornia, the last as an instructor In math
ematics and civil engineering. He made
.field work a specialty, and Incidentally,, It
mav be naid. hn toolc the first Dost-srrad-
uate degree ever issued by that university.
He organized among the students the first
outing parties into tee nign sierras ana
elsewhere, Joseph Le Conte accompany
ing them. Mr. Hawkins was United States
Deputy Mineral Surveyor and made many
Important underground surveys in tho
mines. In the Fall of 1S79 he was "knock
ing the bottom out of Snake River," un
der Government contract, at Monumental
Rapids. Ho had charge of the portages
at tho Cascades and CeWo for two years
and performed the feat of changing the
14 miles of narrow-gauge from The Dalles
to Celllo to a standard gauge in five hours
and 20 minutes, this being the champion
record on the Pacific Coast for trackwork.
Mr. Hawkins ha3 spent the last 25 years
of his life in Portland in active business
life, devoting a generous share of his
time to the good of the public, as Park
Commissioner, as an active member of
the Boys and Girls Aid Society, as a
Ma an ma, as furthering the bicycle path
movement, etc
He hasydevoted seven years to tho cre
ation pr the City Free Museum, "which
he hopes will not only be the finest on
the Pacific Coast but tho permanent homo
of the Academy of Sciences.
Threo trustees will have tha manage
ment of any property that may chance to
coma into the possession of tho Academy.
These trustees- are L. L. Hawkins, Dr.
James Wlthycombe and EL A. Beals.
Dr. Wlthycombe, by his high-minded;
character and honorable life, has won tho
admiration, respect and confidence- of all
who know his work as director of the
Oregon Agricultural College, Corvallls.
His management of the affairs of that
Institution has been, pre-eminently suc
cessful, and he has been a vital and pow
erful Influence for good in the life of
the state to such an. extent that many
are now advocating him for Governor. Ho
has always been an. ardent admirer of
rural life, a lover of Nature, and an en
thusiastic agriculturist. Preceding his
present work ho was for nine years State
Veterinarian. Animal husbandry" is his
specialty, and he has been engaged in
the breeding of high-class horses, cattle,
swine and eheep for the past S years.
Edward Alden Beals, who is in charge
of tho United States Weather Bureau of
fice in Portland, Joined the United States
meteorological service In 1830, and has been
connected with the Weather Bureau for
21 years. During that time ho ha3 been
In charge of the following offices: At
lanta, Ga., Mount Washington, N. H.,
Chattanooga, Tenn., La Crosse, Wis..
Minneapolis, Minn., and Cleveland, O. Ho
Is the author of numerous articles on
meteorological subjects, among which
might be mentioned the following: "The
Aurora," published in the American Me
teorological Journal; "Psychic Effects b
the Weather," published in -ne supple
ment of tho Scientific American, and
"Rainfall and Irrigation," published In
the Tear Book of tha United States De
partment of Agriculture.
The academy meets on the evening of
the third Saturday of each month, its
present home being the club rooms of
the John Burroughs Bird Society, top
floor of the City Hall. All who are In
terested in science are cordially invited
to become members of the academy, ba
present at tha meetings and take part in
the discussions that follow the reading
of papers on scientific topics of practical
value to tha community and the develop
ment of the resources of the state. The
proceedings of these meetings will be reg
ularly published by the academy, a pub-t
llcatton committee having chargo of this
branch of the work.
At present tho members of tha academy
aro "discussing with much enthusiasm the
feasibility of having a scientific congress
during the celebration of tha Lewis and
Clark Centennial in Portland.
and he did, and I never mentioned it
again as long as ho lived; but about a
year afterward I heard that he had a
chicken from tho Spanish cock-pits of
Now Orleans, and I wanted it. But,
knowin how much ha must be attached
to it I couldn't think of insultin' him by
offerin him money. But I went over to
sea him one day. He was out at hs"
barn talkln' to his chicken. And It was
a beauty. I says to him. says I: 'Sam,
that's the finest bird I over saw. Yes,
he says, "with an air of pride, 'he's tha
finest. 'I reckon that's so says L 'And
he reminds me of one I used to own.
'But misfortune overtook him. Hs came
Into tho kitchen ona day and jumped on
tho table and drank ome coffee and it
killed him. 'You don't say so? saya old
Sam, with a dry grin on his face. I told
him I did Bay so, and then remarked that
I was in something of a hurry and must
ba goin. 'Don't be pulled, says he. 'Oh,
by the way. don't you "want this chicken?'
"Well, as the other one you gavo mo has
about run out, I believe I do.' So I took
tha chicken and went home. We lost a
good man when old Sam died. His Judg
ment of1 a rooster was above reproach,
and was of great benefit to me- By tha
way. Henry, didn't you shoot at me one
night along in sixty-four., down hero at
the turn of the county road?"
"Well, now, really, Llm, I don't rec
ollect. But I was putty sociable, in them
days, and it might have been me."
"Ah, ha. I've intended a number of
times to askfyou about it. It was a sort
of long fire, as if it hated to give up
and as you always hated to glvo up any
thing. Henry, I 'lowed It must ba you."
(Copyrighted. 1SC5. by Ople Read.)
Mrs. Burden's Silk Sheets.
New York Press.
Silken sheets that cost 5500 a pair lull
Mrs. Townsend Burden to sleep in her
Madison-avenue home, and it is likely
similar fabrics will be used exclusively
in her Newport cottage tho coming Sum
mer, although hitherto, when at tha sea
shore she has been loyal to Irish linen.
For her town house, at any rate, silk Is
tho only material Mrs. Burden will coun
tenance. Her shcefe cost so much, not
only because they are made of the finest
silk tho looms of this or any other coun
try can produce, but on account of tho
elaborate embroidery with which their
hems are ornamented. In addition, tho
fastidious matron's 'monogram blooms-in
a corner of every sheet in needlework
that shows It was done under the eyo of
an artistic patron. Gold thread Is used
for tho hem, and the effect certainly is
gorgeous. Mrs. Burden adopted silk for
sleeping purposes on the advice of her
physician, who told her It combined light
ness with warmth to a degree that would
ba highly salutary. Tho esthetic side of
ther innovation soon appealed to her,
though, and whereas the first silk sheets
she had made were white, she now ha
them woven to order to harmonize with
tha dominant hue of her room-
Degrees of Crime In Alabama.
Thomasvllle Times-Enterprise.
An Alabama man was sent tp jail
for kissing a girl after she said:
"Please,, don't." If he hadn't kissed
her after that ho would .probably hav
been lynched,