CHAPTER XVIII 



TEACHING AND EXPLORING 



1869-1873 



IN the interval between his return from Europe and his next 

 journey abroad, Mr. Shaler devoted himself to teaching, to 

 Museum affairs, to investigations for the United States Geo- 

 logical Survey and the Coast Survey ; work which ranged from 

 the shores of Maine to Florida. In the summer of 1869 he ac- 

 companied Professor Winlock, Mr. Charles Peirce, and other 

 astronomers and physicists to Shelbyville, Kentucky, to ob- 

 serve the sun's eclipse. He used to say that this was a profitable 

 event for at least a part of the community, since he was called 

 upon in the interest of his friends to negotiate for a good many 

 gallons of Bourbon whiskey to be shipped East as a sort of 

 trail to the expedition. 



From a scientific point of view one of the most interesting 

 episodes of this time was the unearthing of the fossil remains 

 of elephants at Big Bone Lick. Mr. Shaler was anxious to ac- 

 quire these specimens for the Museum, and with this end in 

 view he tried to get its friends to subscribe money for carry- 

 ing on the excavations. But while the treasurer earnestly 

 desired to enrich the Museum by these possessions, money was 

 short. Finally the owner of the thirty acres of bones gave 

 Mr. Shaler permission to dig at pleasure. One of the tusks 

 unearthed was eleven feet long on the curve. It may be men- 

 tioned here that these bones, which at first could find no pur- 

 chasers, were later sold by the pound. Mr. Shaler told some 

 amusing stories of the "natives" who sat on the periphery of 

 the excavations silently watching all that was going on. One 

 in particular referred to an old man who had been constant in 



