262 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



occupy himself with the elements of science. Neef left Switzer- 

 land for Paris to introduce there the system of Pestalozzi. In 

 Paris he met Maclure, and was induced by him to come to 

 America. " It is my highest ambition/' said Neef, "to be a coun- 

 try school teacher amid a hardy, vigorous community." And 

 this he became in New Harmony. 



He was an intimate associate of the Owens. His daughter 

 Caroline became the wife of David Dale Owen, and Anne the 

 wife of Richard. 



There were besides these, who were a part of the community, 

 other men of note in science who spent longer or shorter periods 

 in the community as visitors. Among them was the eccentric, 

 " mattoed " Rafinesque, whose stay was so short and whose story 

 80 long that I must pass him by with a word. Sir Charles Lyell 

 was for a time the guest of the Owens. 



Reared among such surroundings, and with such men as 

 friends and teachers, it is not strange that the sons of Robert 

 Owen were imbued with a love of Nature, nor that they formed 

 high ideals of the work they should do in life. 



Robert Owen, in accordance with his own theories, gave his 

 children the. best education which the world could offer, and they 

 made good use of their opportunities. Robert Dale Owen, the 

 eldest son, had a strong taste for philosophy and literature, and 

 was long known as a charming essayist, one of that circle of 

 writers who gave to the Atlantic Monthly its high literary char- 

 acter. He too was a part of the " boat-load of knowledge " and 

 took an active part in the affairs of the community. He be- 

 came a member of the State Legislature, and exerted a powerful 

 influence in shaping the school system of Indiana. He must 

 ever remain one of the prominent figures in the history of the 

 State. 



William Owen, the second son, died early at New Harmony. 



David Dale Owen was the third son, and Richard Owen the 

 youngest of the family. These two were intimately and con- 

 stantly associated.both in their early education and in their later 

 work. They were alike in taste and disposition, and, if we can 

 trust the portraits of David Dale Owen, they were very much 

 alike in personal appearance. They were born at New Lanark, 

 in Scotland, David in 1807, Richard in 1810. They studied first 

 at home under private tutors, and afterward were sent to Hofwyl, 

 in Switzerland, to the famous school of Emmanuel Fallenberg. 

 Later they studied chemistry under the famous Dr. Ure in 

 Glasgow, and in 1827 they came to America together in a sail- 

 ing vessel, landing at New Orleans. Until 1832, when Richard 

 Owen was twenty-two years old, he had never been separated 

 from his brother for a single day. 



