20 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



agriculture, because he felt that he ought not to receive pay when he was 

 doing so little. Thus ended the life of a noble and faithful Christian, at 

 the very beginning of his career. 



CARL EDWARD SCHLABACH. 



BY L. H. PAMMEL. 



It was the good fortune of the writer of this sketch to have made the 

 acquaintance of Mr. Schlabach during the fall of 1881, when he entered 

 the University of Wisconsin. I was thrown in his company, more or less, 

 for two years while he was pursuing special work at the university. I did 

 not meet him again until at the meeting of the State Teachers' association 

 in Cedar Rapids. At this time he also became a member of the Iowa 

 Academy. Although he never presented j^apers, his ioterest in science 

 never left him. As a teacher of science in the public schools of Clinton, he 

 had to keep his zeal and energy towards improving the instruction in 

 science, frequently so poorly done. According to his view, only the best 

 science should be taught, Cj.rl Eiward Schlabich was born in De Witt, 

 August 3, 1862. His parents came to this state in the early fifties, and 

 occupied a prominent place in the affairs of De Witt for many years. 

 It was in De Witt where young Schlabach received his early education, 

 graduating from the high school in 1878, and later attended the high 

 school in Madison to prepare himself for entrance to the University of 

 Wisconsin. He was a successful teacher at Chatsworbh, 111 , holding the 

 principalship of the schools at that place from 1887 to 1889. In the fall of 

 1889 he accepted the position of superintendent of the De Witt schools, 

 remaining here till a call came from Dwight, 111., to accept the same kind 

 of a position at a much better salary. He remained here till the fall of 

 1892, when once more he returned to his county to accept the position of 

 science teacher in the public schools of Clinton. It offered him superior 

 advantages, and was work more suited to hia scientific tastes. On January 

 1, 1894, he resigned to take up his new duties as county superintendent. 

 He was popular with the people of his county, being elected on a republican 

 ticket in a democratic county. He held this office two years and retired 

 from active school work on the 1st of January, 1896. For three years he 

 battled with a bronchial trouble, which finally culminated in tuberculosis, 

 from which he died on April 4th, leaving a large circle of friends and rel- 

 atives to mourn his loss. The Rev. T. Robert Elwell said at the funeral, 

 "I know that this county, and our town particularly, has lost one whom 

 we could ill afford to lose: I know that we each feel that a personal friend 

 has left us. Such, indeed, is my own personal thought and feeling that a 

 worthy and highly esteemed friend has passed awa\; a young man whom 

 all could honor and sincerely respect." He took a deep interest in higher 

 education, and worked steadfastly for the masses and the enlarging of 

 university and college work. During the last year of his illness he was 



