838 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Every attempt to extend the bounds of human knowledge or 

 to give the benefit of enlightened direction to the activities of 

 mankind aroused his interest. His attention was thus drawn to 

 the so-called new religions, Mormonism and Millerism, as they 

 arose ; to the religious teachings of Channing and Emerson ; and 

 to the study of Egyptian antiquities. He studied phrenology, 

 and became a believer in its theories. At a time when the sub- 

 ject had hardly been thought of he was a strong advocate of the 

 emancipation of woman from the narrow sphere of activity to 

 which she had been confined. General literature did not have 

 the absorbing interest for him that scientific subjects did. As for 

 music, it appeared to have no charms in his eyes ; he declared 

 that far too much time was wasted over it. This fact seems rather 

 unaccountable, as all his brothers and sisters were devoted to the 

 art, and some of them proficient in it. 



For Benjamin Franklin's character and achievements he had 

 the highest admiration ; honoring himself and his place by nam- 

 ing it after him " Franklin Farm," and the entrance hall of the 

 house was adorned for many years by a bust of the great man ; 

 attention often being called to it as " the presiding genius of the 

 place." 



To complete the picture, even of a man of science, the social 

 and domestic side of his character and life as well as daily occu- 

 pations must not be omitted. He was kind and gentle in manner 

 and speech, his somewhat quick temper being under complete 

 control. Though his children stood rather in awe of him, as did 

 many others (of his subordinates), he ruled them by affection and 

 " treated them as intelligent beings," as he said, the result being 

 the most implicit obedience. 



His active mind was engaged frequently upon subjects requir- 

 ing deep thought while his hands were executing works of minor 

 importance. On being asked why he did not plow his own fields, 

 he would reply that he never liked to engage in any manual 

 labor that absorbed the whole attention, as he desired to keep his 

 mind free for other matters. His knowledge of chemistry was 

 brought into use in the cultivation of liis farm much to the 

 amusement of his less enlightened neighbors, who did not believe 

 in " book farming." He had learned the use of carpenter's tools 

 when a boy, for his father, in order to keep his sons off the street, 

 had wisely provided them interesting occupation at home by 

 fitting up a shop for their use. Prof. Vanuxem turned his skill 

 to account in making the cases and chests of drawers in his cabi- 

 net a room measuring about fifteen by twenty-five or thirty feet 

 and otherwise as occasion required. 



" Always cheerful, intelligent, bright, and full of anecdote," it 

 has been said of him, " he was gladly welcomed into every social 



