550 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



New Haven for popular lectures on scientific subjects to me- 

 chanics. 



In 1830 he was appointed to a lectureship in natural history at 

 Yale, which he held till 1847. In the winter of 1832-33 he in- 

 vestigated the culture of sugar cane and the manufacture of 

 sugar in the Southern States, his results being incorporated in 

 Prof. Silliman's report to the Secretary of the Treasury. 



His investigation in the sugar States led to his appointment, 

 in 1834, as Professor of Chemistry in the South Carolina Medical 

 College, at Charleston. This position required his residence in 

 the South for only part of the year, so that he was able to con- 

 tinue his lectures at Yale and to accept, in 1835, an appointment 

 as associate to Dr. James G. Percival on the Geological Survey of 

 Connecticut. 



It was in the darkest hours of Amherst College, in December, 

 1844, that Prof. Edward Hitchcock was raised to the presidency 

 of that institution, and in order to provide for the partial 

 vacancy thus created in his department, Charles U. Shepard, of 

 New Haven, was elected Professor of Chemistry and Natural 

 History, this election "to take effect provided Prof. Hitchcock 

 accepts the presidency." Both appointments were accepted. 

 Prof. Shepard entered upon his new duties in the following 

 year. Only two years were needed under President Hitchcock's 

 able management to restore prosperity to the college. Prof. 

 Shepard, being then satisfied that Amherst would be able to 

 afford him a permanent field of labor, severed his connection 

 with Yale and offered to bring his valuable collections to 

 Amherst if the college would house them in a fireproof building 

 and consider the purchase of them when it was able. This prop- 

 osition was gladly accepted. 



His professorship was divided in 1852, when the college be- 

 came able to have a separate Professor of Chemistry. Prof. 

 Shepard continued to deliver the lectures on natural history till 

 1877, when he was made professor emeritus. After leaving 

 Amherst his northern home was at New Haven for the rest of 

 his life. 



The following history of the growth of Prof. Shepard's collec- 

 tions was written by him for the History of Amherst College, at 

 the request of Dr. Tyler : 



" My mineralogical cabinet was commenced at the age of 

 fifteen, while a member of the Providence Grammar School, and 

 was brought with me when I left Brown University to join the 

 sophomore class of Amherst institution in 1821. An early visit 

 after my arrival here to the tourmaline and other localities of 

 Chesterfield and Goshen served to increase my eagerness as a 

 collector, and at the same time placed me in possession of abun- 



