90 Edward Livingsto7i Youmans. 



pected the attendance would fall off at the next lecture, 

 but it did not. 



The following- is taken from a Buffalo newspaper 

 of 1873 : 



The seventh lecture in the Young Men's Association 

 course will be delivered at St. James's Hall this evening by- 

 Prof. E. L. Youmans, of New York, editor of The Popular 

 Science Monthly. The subject upon which the professor 

 was originally announced to lecture was What is Social 

 Science ? A change became necessary, however, and the 

 subject of the lecture to-night is The Modern Doctrine of 

 Forces. A lecture upon any subject by Prof. Youmans is 

 sure to be both interesting and instructive. The hall 

 should be filled. 



But, notwithstanding the eminence which Prof. Youmans 

 has attained as a scientist, those who know him most inti- 

 mately candidly admit that as a penman he is anything but 

 a success. Some time since Mr. F. D. Locke, chairman of 

 the Lecture Committee of the Young Men's Association, 

 wrote to the professor, reminding him of his engagement 

 here this evening. In due time the chairman received a 

 letter postmarked New York, and having for a signature 

 a combination of hieroglyphics which was supposed to be 

 meant for the name of Prof. Youmans. This letter was 

 evidently intended as a reply to that of Mr. Locke, though 

 it was utterly impossible to master the contents. It was 

 studied and pondered over, and submitted to experts, but 

 "no fellow could find out" what the deuce it was about. 

 Finally it was returned to the writer, with the regrets of the 

 committee that their early educational advantages had been 

 so limited that they were unable to decipher the epistle, 

 and requesting a copy done in a style more easily legible. 

 In reply to this the following was received : 



