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THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



ergies and gifts to improving the mi- 

 croscope, with the result that he won 

 world-wide recognition. 



"Tolles was associated with Charles 

 and Herbert Spencer in the invention 



THE MICROSCOPICAL MONUMENT. 



of a three system lens that all lens- 

 makers accepted, although it changed 

 the entire opinion and practice of mak- 

 ing and using microscopes. He also 

 invented telescopes that had remark- 

 able penetrating powers. 



"His real genius should have given 

 him happiness and comfort in life, but 

 he met the sad fate of many an in- 

 ventor. He had all his life had weak 

 lungs, and in his frenzy of ambition 

 and activity he constantly neglected 

 his health, so that the last ten years 

 of his life were filled with hard practi- 

 cal labor to provide for his simple ma- 

 terial needs. 



"He worked to the last, and even 

 upon his deathbed he had microscopes 

 brought to him and tested lenses. A 

 few minutes before he died he thought 

 he was at work on a lens, and sud- 

 denly he stopped, said 'good-by,' and 

 breathed his last sigh." 



He is one of our scientific friends 

 that strongly urged the establishment 

 ol this magazine, but he desires with 

 the editor that it may be prominently 

 developed along the line of seeing 

 things by the aid of the lens. Under 

 date of December 25, 1906, he wrote 

 as follows : 



"I am rereading my 'Observers' and 

 getting lots of pleasure out of them. 

 Why can't we have a scientific maga- 

 zine like that now? There are now 

 people who are hungry for such. The 

 people who wrote many of the papers 

 in the old magazines have passed to 

 their reward, and we who now read 

 them are passing happy hours with old 

 friends. I had a letter from Alfred C. 

 Stokes, M.D., of Trenton, New Jersey, 

 and he seems to be hungering for such 

 a magazine. 1 haven't come to you 

 for so long that I must be a perfect 

 stranger to you, so my words I trust 

 may therefore be more gratifying to 

 you. I have recently had some photo- 

 graphs of Robert B. Tolles's monu- 

 ment, erected by the N. E. Optical 

 Company in Mount Auburn. I would 

 be pleased to send you each with my 

 regards." 



About eight years ago I had some 

 correspondence with an enthusiastic 

 gentleman with the old-time amateur 

 spirit of microscopy, Mr. Henry M. 

 Brown, of Natick, Massachusetts. He 

 was for many years a subscriber to 

 "The Observer" and continues as a 

 subscriber to The; Guide to Nature. 



"Science" for March 22, 1912, con- 

 tains an article by George W. Rolfe, 

 on the death of Charles X. Dalton. 

 From that article we quote as follows : 



"For one or two decades preceding 

 and immediately following the Civil 

 War there was a widespread popular 

 interest in the microscope among cul- 

 tivated people as a form of amusement, 

 although much serious scientific work 

 was done likewise. Microscope clubs 

 were common throughout the land, 

 and in England as well. Many became 

 experts in microscope technique and 

 there was an active demand among the 

 wealthier of these enthusiasts for the 

 best instrument that could be pro- 

 duced, irrespective of cost. This 

 stimulated the instrument makers of 

 England and America to use the ut- 

 most skill and best workmanship, and 

 in the hands of famous opticians, 

 among whom Tolles with his giant 

 genius shone preeminent, the micro- 

 scope was carried to a high degree of 

 elaboration and efficiency. It was 

 under such conditions that Charles 

 Dalton was inspired to use his skill 



