Vol.. XXIV. No. 6.] 
POPULAR SCIENCE NEWS. 
87 
A WONDERFUL RECORD. 
SIX ABLE MEN GRADUATE FKOM A SIXGLE 
A. A. CHAPTER. 
Chapter 46, of Walpole, Mass., is siifler- 
ing temporarily from the dispersion of its 
leading members ; but it is worth while to 
note the places to which these members have 
gone. The President left to become a teacher 
of science in the Taunton High School ; the 
Vice President to become an instructor in 
chemistry in the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology ; the Secretary to assume the 
superintendence of the chemical factory of 
W^illiam H. Swift & Co., Boston; a fourth 
member is superintendent of the Wal|)ole 
Chemical Company ; the fifth is superin- 
tendent of schools in Westborough ; and the 
sixth is a senior in the Institute of Technol- 
ogy. " ]iy their fruits ye shall know them" 
may apply to societies as well as to individ- 
uals. 
INFLUENCE OF THE AGASSIZ ASSO- 
CIATION ON SCHOOL TEACHING. 
No one, however young, who has once 
been led to study any natural science in the 
natural — and therefore right — manner, /. e., 
by means of his own senses and faculties, can 
ever be satisfied with that futile attempt at 
education known as rote-teaching. Probably 
no one who has been for six months a mem- 
ber of any live Chapter of the A. A. will 
ever sit contentedly before a teacher who 
imdertakes to teach him natural history by 
the ear alone. The ver^ spirit of our Asso- 
ciation is a constant protest against mere 
book-work. The A. A. does not foster docil- 
ity, but promotes intelligence. It is diamet- 
rically opposed to dogmatism of every sort, 
(iradgrinds who try to use Agassi/, boys and 
girls as pitchers into which to pour a stale 
decoction of facts, will find that they have 
undertaken a difiicult task. The following 
extract from a letter written by a bright 
schoolboy, whose name is, of course, not 
given, illustrates this forcibly, and is only a 
sample of hundreds which prove to our satis- 
faction that the methods of the A. A. lead to 
freedom and independence of thought. 
"Mineralogy will be our principal study. 
I hope to get the greater part of the two 
higher classes of the school into our Chapter 
before we begin, as we shall take up a .sys- 
tematic course in mineralogy, of which I 
shall liave charge. I shall also try to bring 
it about that natural history be given up in 
this school, for I know from myself that the 
hour now devoted to that is the one in which 
we all feel least interest. Thus we had, for 
instance, the 'Monkey Tribe' as a topic. A 
chart was hung up containing pictures of the 
different species. Then the teacher either 
read all about the monkeys, or else wrote a 
long essay about them on the blackboard, 
which we then had to copy and learn by 
heart for the next lesson. This, you will see, 
is the way a boy becomes averse to this hour 
— always dreading it. Now, if this hour be 
given up during the school session, and taken 
every Friday evening among us boys, where 
there are no ceremonies to he gone tlirougJi 
with before a question can be asked, and 
where we have only voluntary members, I 
will wager that each pupil, while he may 
know nothing of the booki will know all 
about the ?nonkcys at the end of a month ; 
while, by the present metliod, he knows at 
the end of a 3ear almost as little, even of the 
book, as he knew at the beginning, and about 
the animals — nothint;." 
EXCHANGE NOTICES. 
I wii.i. send eggs, minerals, fossils, snakes, 
or anything I can find in Southern ("alifornia, 
in exchange for books on astronomy. — Geo. 
HoYT, El Modena, Cal. 
Minerals, fossils, woods, Indian relics, 
and various papers, for minerals or stamps. 
— L. L. Lewis, Drawer 107, Copenhagen, 
N. Y. ^^ 
CHAPTER ADDRESSES, NEW AND 
REVISED. 
It gives us pleasure to record the accession 
of a number of new Chapters. In presenting 
the following addresses, we would suggest 
that our Chapters send to these new friends 
letters of welcome. They will all be very 
glad to receive suggestions regarding methods 
of Chapter work, the conduct of meetings, 
planning of excursions, etc. 
No. of 
No. Name. Woinbcrs 
210 HarriHtiuiK, Penn. A li 
Wllliain lleiKii'-r, 3 S- Kront St. 
Ml Bumilo, N. Y. E ; 24 
Ainadciirt (Irnliau, l.%4 Maple St. (CttrreitpondiHg 
Gentoffical Cttiipfer.) 
212 Indepnxlenee, lo. A ... (> 
Jolin I! Uelstir. 
532 Toronto, Canada. (; II 
W. H. JlrNahn, 4 Haivanl Ave. 
3f4 West lirlilKCwater, Mass. A 20 
MlHH Alice It. Tower, liox 74. 
89 NewVork.NV. C .5 
MlB« Cinicc Knpfer, 123 E 78tli .St. 
4% Dorcliestcr, Mass. A I.') 
Miss Cora Sti<-knoy, Louilianl St. (Asliiiiont 
Hall Chapter.) 
578 Inillanapolls, Ind. I) fl 
Walter S. Uolililns, 12 W. North St. 
732 St. I.ollia, Mo. F (i 
Wni. A. BramlenhurKer, 2348 Hickory St. 
8 Molille.Ala. A 4 
Miss Mary M. Friend, 3.V) (iovcrnnient .St. 
18 Sauk Centre, Minn. A 8 
llaiTy Tobey. 
31 North Amherst, (J. A 10 
Arthur J. Earl, Box .Vi. 
.W Plillailelphia, Penn. D 4 
M1.1S May C. Kri(^k, 1714 Franklin St. 
502 San Anjfclo, Tex. It 9 
Mrs. C. K. Stenger. 
83 Portland, Me. A 6 
Daniel E. Kerr, 28 Emerson St. 
71 Plalnville, Conn. A 27 
Itrayton S. Lewis, Itox 172. 
S3 North Canaan, Conn. A 20 
Joseph S. Adam, Es(i. 
22!) Littleton, Col. A 4 
Hohert K. Hill. 
SKI Far llockawav, N. Y. A (i 
IJrhlgliani Curtis, eare Dr. Edward Curtis, 120 
Itroadway, New Yoik Clly. 
108 New Itritain, Conn. A l!l 
,Io». E. Marvin, State Normal S(;hool. 
110 Elgin, III. A 8 
.lames l>an>rcrflelil, .Jr., 248 Summit St. 
128 Eaton, O A 4 
Clem Reynolds. (Preble Co ) 
4*< 
Reports from the Sixth Century (Chapters 
501-600) should reach the President byjuly i. 
CONVENTION OF THE MASSACHU- 
SETTS ASSEMBLY. 
The programme for the annual Convention 
of the Massachusetts Assembly, called at 
Fitchburg, May 30, is as follows : 
1. Address ot Welcome. . Rev. Wiliiain H. Pierson, of Chapter 
[4S, Kitchburg: 
2. Response A. H. Hall, President Massachusetts Assenddy 
3. Address — "The Agassi/, Association" H. II. Ballard 
4. Address—" ThcStudyof Botany ".Prof. p> Adams Ilartweli 
5. Comnlunications from otlier Asseinbiies. 
6. Reports from Chapters of the Assemblj'. 
7. Annual Business Meeting. 
S. Repoits of Officers. 
At the close of the Convention, 2.30 P. M., excursion's to 
VVachusett Mountain, Rollston Hill, and Pearl Hill. 
At tlie time of this writing, it is too early 
to state whether this pi-ogramme has been 
exactly carried out, but the Assembly pro- 
poses to issue a full report of its proceedings 
in a neat pamphlet, one copy of which will 
be sent dec to each Assembly Chapter. The 
price to those outside will be 3> cents. The 
pamphlet will also include a iiistory of the 
Assembly, its constitution, list of members, 
and list of officers for 1890-91. Every Chap- 
ter in Massachusetts is cordially invited to 
unite with the Assembly. The annual fee is 
50 cents " Q^r each ten members or fraction 
thereof." Letters of inquiry should be sent 
to Mr. H. M. Ballon, Sec, 13 Claremont 
Park, Boston. 
We give the following schedule, not only 
to show the admirable work of the Barton 
Chapter, but also as a suggestion to all other 
Chapters of what they may undertake with 
profit. 
FLAN FOR STUDY OF GEOLOGY, 
BARTON CHAPTER, No. 29, A. A., 
nOSTON (U), MASS., 1SS9.9O. 
Chemhml Elements Mi-s. Lowery 
Physieal Pn)pertles Mrs. Aloore 
Mrs. Boyd 
G. II. liartcin 
Mr. Kay 
Oct. 
21. 
Nov 
4. 
Nov 
18. 
Dec 
2. 
Doc. 30. 
.Ian 
(i. 
Jan 
20. 
Feb 
3. 
Feb 
17. 
Mai- 3 
Mar. 17. 
Mar. 31. 
Apr. 
Apr. 21. 
May r>. 
Haniness } 
Struct lire i 
Crystal I ography 
C ranlte 
Spe<*imen8 (let. riiilned by class. 
Kinds of Qu.irtz Miss Perry 
Uses of Quartz Mrs. Tower 
Kinds anil uses of Feldspar Mr Norils 
Kinds and us(S ot Mica Miss Woods 
KIndr. and uses of Hornblende (Ainpldboie) 
Mr. Moulton 
Accessory minerals of Granite — Class Exercise 
(flay' 
What Is made from Granite j Sand 
( Conglomerate 
Jlr. Ballon 
How (jirjvnitc was made Mrs. Boyd 
Allleil rocks. Syenite, Diabase, Dlorlte,ete. 
G. II. Barton 
Story of a coral animal Mrs. Fuller 
Kinds of Caicltcs (Marbles 
Kinds of Doiondto 
Limestone not formed by animal life. 
Compare Calcite and r>oloinite.....\lr9. 1.owery 
Story of a cave IMrs. Kainsay 
Accessory minerals Class 
KBxIs of Gypsum I 
Formation of Gypsum ( 
Story of Salt Mines Miss Cher. Ington 
How Is Salt formed i' Class 
(Questions on differen(« between minerals mid 
ores. 
Ores of Iron Mrs. Noriis 
LlmonitB, llcmntltc, Magnetite, Pjrltltc, and 
Slderltc. 
Lake Superior Mines (history) Miss Ilamniett 
Copper, Sliver, c;alenite. 
Other Copper Ores Class 
Silver; mines; how prt^pared for use 
Gold; mines; how prepared for use.. Miss Little 
..Studied by Class 
-Mr R. P. Williams 
