334 



PIONEERS OF SCIENCE IN AMERICA. 



unwilling to accept the care and responsibility of treasure." 

 Difficult problems relating to counterfeiting and other coinage 

 matters, also various delicate and confidential commissions, were 

 frequently intrusted to Prof. Torrey by the head of the Treas- 

 ury Department, the utmost reliance being placed upon his 

 skill, wisdom, and probity. Two of these commissions took 

 him to California once by way of Panama and once across 

 the continent and were especially gratifying to Dr. Torrey, as 

 they enabled him to gather from its native soil many a plant 

 that he had himself described and named from the dried speci- 

 mens of some other collector. Dr. Torrey's chemical skill 

 made his advice sought for by various industrial establish- 

 ments, among them being the Manhattan Gas Company, whose 

 consulting chemist he was for a number of years. In his posi- 

 tion as United States assayer he was succeeded by his son, 

 Herbert G. Torrey. 



This enumeration of his scientific labours would be incom-, 

 plete without reference to his great work in educating others 

 in science. In the various professorships he held he was 

 always to the students a loved instructor, and many now emi- 

 nent in science can trace the commencement of their careers to 

 the teachings of Dr. Torrey. His greatest service in this field 

 was in teaching Asa Gray, who came to him with a letter of 

 introduction when nineteen years of age, was invited to a cor- 

 respondence, and soon became an assistant and associate. Not 

 only in the class-room, but out of it, was his influence con- 

 stantly exerted, and he was always surrounded by a circle of 

 young men who never came to him in vain for sympathy and 

 encouragement. He gave to such what was better than pecun- 

 iary aid, comfort, hope, and help in its best sense. There is 

 many a chemist, now standing high in his profession, who owes 

 much to his kindly aid, and scarcely a botanist in the country 

 who has not been a recipient of favours from his ever-open 

 hand. 



As trustee of Columbia College and of Princeton he was 

 largely influential in giving scientific studies their proper prom- 

 inence in these institutions. It was through his influence, more 

 than to that of any other one person, that the School of 

 Mines was established. He always took the liveliest interest 

 in its progress, and its ultimate success was to him a source of 

 great gratification. 



