eeminiscences of the academy by me. pratt. 193 



December 14:TH, 1877. — Historical Section. 

 J. A. Crandall in tlie chair. 

 Twenty -five persons present. 



This evening being the tenth anniversary of the founding of 

 the Academy, Mr. Pratt read the following paper : 



Reminiscences of the Early History of the Academy. 

 BY W. II. PRATT. 



The occurrence of another anniversary of the organization of the 

 Academy, and the completion of the first decade of its existence, recalls 

 to mind some reminiscences which may not be out of place here in the 

 meeting of our Historical Section. 



Ten years ago this evening, four persons met in a small real estate 

 agency office in this city, and agreed and pledged themselves to each 

 other and to the community, that their efforts, feeble as they might be 

 and must be, should be united and directed towards the acquirement and 

 dissemination of scientific knowledge, and that the limited means at 

 their command should be used to the best of their knowledge and ability, 

 to awaken an interest in such studies, to unite the influence of those who 

 were already interested, to encourage scientific research and scientific 

 reading, and to promote the introduction of practical scientific instruc- 

 tion in the public schools. In this attempt they were merely taking the 

 initiatory steps, relying upon the co-operation of others of equal earnest- 

 ness and greater ability, who should join in the good work and carry it 

 forward. 



During several years this matter had been discussed from time to 

 time between Mr. Barler, Mr. Alfred Sanders, Mr. Eiepe, Frof. D. S. 

 Sheldon, Dr. Parry, Mr. Tiffany, and myself, and perhaps some others 

 whom I do not now recall, with the rather vague determination of doing 

 something sometime, and a full conviction that something ought to be 

 done by united^effort. 



We had been gradually forming private geological and natural his- 

 tory collections, those of Frof. Sheldon and Mr. Sanders being the 

 principal ones. With a rich field for study and collection of specimens 

 in the several branches of natural history, situated in a flourishing city, 

 surrounded by a rapidly increasing population, and at a time when a 

 growing interest in scientific subjects was everywhere manifested ; it 

 seemed as if something more might and ought to be accomplished than 

 had been or would be by such scattered and desultory action, and there 

 was encouragement in the work already done. We were, of course, en- 

 tirely unaware of the rich mine of archaeological treasures hidden almost 

 at our feet, as scarcely any attention had at tliat time been given to the 

 subject in this region, and comparatively little anywhere. 



Prof. Sheldon had scoured the woods and fields and explored the 

 rivers and ponds in a very assiduous and successful search for plants. 



