'X'- 



<2:i)C lax nuvB iHontl)iij biaitor. 



87 



/ 



\ng tlie niiroyny lo inquire a few davs since at 

 Hosion ihc [irifHs m tlie corporolion Mock iit tlie 

 new ciiv of L„i« icnce, wc were told liiaf for ev- 

 ery share ofnne Iiiindred dollars with eighiy dol- 

 hirs paid in the owner could ooiniiiand ii cash 

 sile ill the market ot'om! hundred and eighty ii..|- 

 hirs! We wilhsnpi.OM', ns tin ineiilenta! ^^ -ra- 

 lioii in his hnsiMe?.H,.^;r. Lawrence took h'alC a 

 milliun oC d,. liars of this stock, for the Invest- 

 ment of H l,i,.|, lii., j.,,.,,1 jj,,i|,^ i,| ,,,p course of a 

 feeidiir nwiiinlactuWii-r hnsiness elsewhere fur- 

 nished the easy means, lie pays in fwr hun- 

 dred thousand dollars of the money whirl, has 

 Riven such active eiii|.loynient to many iiit n hoih 

 >.-f New Uani|.slilre ami Massachnsetis the hist 

 eighteen m-.nihs. This four hnndred thousand 

 dollars has risen to the value of one million ! 



The secret of the s.iecess of the great iminu 

 lactnring hn!,Hi«s»of New England, while most 

 ot the small estahlishments in their incipient sta- 

 ges have fdled, has heen the economy of pracii- 

 eal system which mnst he introduced in al! sue 

 eessftd associaiions. The calculations of savin" 

 should extend to all poiiits : ohl machinery should 

 he made to give |.lace to new as soon as accurate 

 eule.ilulion aseertains that the gain will exceeil 

 Ihe sacrifice. A steady hand, ahove all things, is 

 rerpiisiie. Prom the first eslahlishment el' the 

 great munufactures al Wahham a cpjurler of a 

 ceiitmy ago, in all the vicissitudes of husini ss 

 and revulsions in trade, tl.^re has heen a remark- 

 ahle enterprise rewarded hy success lo the great 

 mamifactHiing capitalists of New England of 

 whom the Lawrences and the Appletous are some 

 ol the representatives. 



It (night be supposed that no man in the coun- 

 try Letter understands this suhject in all its ran,- 

 .tications than Ahhott Lruvrenee: we rejoice that 

 ot Ins ahuu.lant means he has the geneious heart 

 lo gfve fifty thousand dollars in one sum Ihr ad- 

 vancing the great purposts of practical science 

 m the arts of li(e. His letter, which we give he- 

 low, is creditable both lo his generosity and his 

 Jntelligeuce. Who shall say that ihe knowledge 

 he has obtained in the pursuit of enterprises such 

 as have given a sjmr to every industrial calling 

 of New England is not belter than that gained 

 hy lou^ and deep study in Idgheracailemic'lialls :- 

 With little sympathy in the nif.st anient political 

 course < f Mr. Lawrence, au.l with a slight per- 

 sonal iiiteicou:SG which was not unpleasant while 

 both of us were as we liave remaiue.l in an an- 

 tagonist political attitude, we are constrained to 

 pay this tribute to a man whose highest motive 

 must be the public good in one of the noblest 

 acts of gsnerosiiy which grace our annals. 

 I>onatioii to Harvard University. 



CORRKSrONDf.'VCE BETWi;r.:V HOW. .IBEOTT LAIV- 

 Rli.NCE A.ND HO.N. SAMIEL A. ELIOT. 



Mr. „ , , Bosro.v, June 7, 1847. 



My Dear S,R:_Ihave more than oiu-e con- 

 versed Hiih you upon the subject of establishin-. 

 a school tor the purpose of leaching the inaciical 

 «.;.encr.=, m .hi. city or neighbo, hood, a,,.! „„« 

 g.ufhed wneti I U..,k.,I Cvon^^ou that ihegovern- 

 ment o Harj ,,,1 U.aversity „,d determined to 

 establish such a school m Camb, i.lge, and that a 

 1 ro.essor had been appointed who is eminent in 

 Ihe science o( chemistry, and uho is lo he sun 

 ported on the foun.latiou creatrd by the n.unlf 

 cenee o! the lute Count Rumford. ' 



For several years I have seen and felt the press- 

 ing want in our community, (and in fact in the 

 whole country,) of an increased nun.ber of men 

 educated in the p.-actical sciences. Elementary 



education appears to he well provided for in Mas- 

 s.,.uuse.,s. There is, however, a deficienc, i'l 

 Ihe means or hi.her education in certain branch- 

 es ol kno.y ledge. For au cariv classical eriuca- 



lion we have our schoo s • f ' f ''" 7"'--»- ■;;'l.vh.is at. eady appointed Mr. 

 -^ ' c out school!, and colleges. Fiom ' Professor, who „;(;i,o«.s m „i 



thence the special schools of theology, law, med- 

 icine and surgery, receive the young "men destin- 

 ed to those proli^s.-ioiis: and those uho look to 

 commerce as their cinplovment, (lass to the couiil- 

 iiig house or ihe ocean. "Hui where cap we send 

 those who uitend to devote them.selves to the 

 t^ic'tical applications of science .' How educate 

 our engineers, <mr mmcr.s, inacliinis'3 and me- 

 c lanics.- Our country ahoiin.l.s- in men ofaclion. 

 Maril hands are ready lo work upon our hard ma- 

 teilas; and where shall s:iu'acious hea.ls be 

 laught to du-ret those hanils I-' 



luveiiiive men laborioiislv re-iuvent what has 

 been produced betiire. Ignorant meu fi-lit against 

 the laws ol nature with a vain eneri-v, and pur- 

 chase their e.vperieiice at gient cos!. \Vliy should 

 not all these start where their predecessors end- 

 ed, and not where they began. ^ Education can 

 enable them 10 do so. The application of .sci- 

 ence to the useful arts has changed, in the last 

 halt century, Ihe condition and relations of the 

 «orl(h J[ secuis lo me that we have been some- 

 vUiat negleclliil in the cullivalion and encourage- 

 ment ot the scientific jiorlion of our national 

 economy. 



Our country is rapidly increasing in population 



and wealth, and is piobablv desiiued in another 



ipiarterol a century lo contain nearly as many 



t inhabitanis as now e.xisl in France and Eu^lancl 



tigelher. " 



We have already in Ihe United Slates, a large 

 body ot young men who have received a classi- 

 cal education, many of whom hud il diflicult to 

 obtain a livelihood in what are termed the learn- 

 ed protessions. Il>elieve the time has arrived 

 when we should make an effort to diversify ihe 

 oeciipations of our people, and develrtpe more 

 /ully their strong mental and phjsical resources, 

 diroughout the Union. We have, perhaps, strong- 

 er motives in New England than ii, any other 

 part ot our country, lo encourage scienlihc pnr- 

 suils, iKom Ihe fact that we must hereafter look 

 tor our mam support to the pursuit of commerce, 

 manulacture.s, and the mechanic arts ; lu which 

 it becomes our duly, in my humble judgmeiil, to 

 make all the appliances of science within our 

 power. We inherit, and are forced to ciillivate, 

 a sterile soil jaiid what nature has denied, shoulil 

 l>e as far as ).ossil)le supplied by an. We must 

 make better farmer.-, through the application of 

 clieinical and agricultural science. 



We need, then, a school, not for boys, but for 

 yoiiu . men whose early eilucation is completed, 

 either m college or elsewhere, .ui-l who intend to 

 enter upoitan active life as engineers or chem- 

 ists, or m general, as men of science, applviuc 

 their attainments lo practical pur|.oses: where 

 they may learn what |.„s been done al other times 

 ami mother countries; and may ac.piiie habits 

 ot investigaiion and reflection, v;iih an aptiiude 

 tor observing and describing. 



I have thought that the three great i,r,,elical 

 branches to which a scientific education is to be 

 applied amongst u.s, are, 1st, Engineering; 2d 

 Aiming, 11, Its extendcl sense, inchiduig metal- 

 lurgy ; JJ, tUe invention ami manufiu-ture ofma- 

 couiery. i hese must lie deemed kindred hraiich- 

 e.s, starting iron, the same point, dcpeudjni' in 

 many respects on ihe .same principles, and ..^,,1- 

 ually di-vergmg lo iheir more special applicarious 



."athematics, especially iu their .• u:atio-: to 



die cousIrucl:oi, and combin,-;tioii of machinery 

 and chemistry, the foundation of kiowltd-e aiid 

 an al imporumt stu.ly tor the mining en'iueer 

 and the key to the proee.sses hy which the rude' 

 ore becomes the tenacious and ductile metal, 

 geology, mineralogy, and the other sciences, iu- 

 vesiigaling the properlips and uses of materiaN 

 employed m the arts, carpentry, masonry, archi- 

 tecture and drawing, are all studies which should 

 be piirsued lo a greater or less exient in one or 

 all of these principal divisions. 



To eslahiish such aschocd as'l have endeavor- 

 ed I., de.»ciit>e III connexion with the r'niversity 

 mid under the care and general gualance of it«: 

 government, rerpures buildiiiiis with suitable lec- 

 ture rooms and philo.sophical apparatus, with 

 models and plan.s, and a place lor their deposit 

 and safe keeping, together with a cabinet, where 

 every description of wood, ores, metals, &c. &c 

 may be deposiieil for the u.se of the sliidenls.— 

 Without the above appliances the professors 

 would be workmen witliont tools. The Uiiiver- 

 ■ily lias atieadv appointed Mr. Horsford, Huuiton! 



\'H inUL'Uf-linli oium 



an enhirged plan in the science of chemistry. I 

 have olteii hear.l Professor Horsford spoken of in 

 leimsol high commeiidaiion, and as in all re- 

 spects competent to take charge of this- impor- 

 lant .lepartment of science, and to bring out the 

 most fi.vorable results. The testimony rendered 

 at hnme to Mr. Hoisford's cajiacily has been very 

 agreeable to me, and had satisfied me that the 

 selection made hy ihe government of the college 

 was lortunute ; hut 1 have lately learned in addi- 

 tion lo the high ehai-aoter given him by hi.s friends 

 here, that the great practical chemist of the age, 

 (Liebig,) has given his most unqualified testimo- 

 ny to the ability and fidelity of Professor Hors- 

 ford, who was Ihe pupil of Baron Liebig for two 

 years. 



I deem it of ihe lushest importance, and in fact 

 essential, that none txnfiist rate men should oc- 

 cupy the profes.sors' chairs in this school. Its 

 success depends upon the characters of the in- 

 structors. 'I'hey should be men of comprehen- 

 ive views and acknowledged talents, possessing 

 industry and integriiy, with an enthusiastic devo- 

 tion to the great interests of science. They should 

 love iheir profession, and work in it day by day. 

 Such teachers will soon gather around them a 

 large number of |>upils. 



To carry out this course of education in its 

 practical branches, there should be the most tho- 

 rough instruction in engineering, geology, chem- 

 isiry, miiiei;,logy, naiiiral philosophy and natural 

 history. Cliiinistry is jirovided for, and in the 

 last two branches, instruction might perhaps he 

 given by the present college professors. In ad- 

 dition lo the.se, it would be necessary to obtain 

 the services at stated periods of eminent men 

 from the practical walksof life. The law Echool 

 is taught by distinguished lawyers of the highest 

 reputation. The medical school by distinguished 

 physicians. In like manner this school of sci- 

 ence should numlier among its teachers men who 

 have practised and are practising the arts they 

 are calh d to leach. Let theory be proved by prac- 

 tical results. 



To defiay the expenditures, means must he 

 procureil for the erection of suitable buildings, 

 (not ii;cluding dwelling houses,) the purchase of 

 apparatus, furniture, &c. «Sic., and inovision must 

 l)e made for the comfortable supiiort of the pro- 

 lessors and other teachers employed. For this 

 pnr[Mise, lei the student be invited freely from all 

 quarters, at a moderate charge for tuition. Let 

 the numbers be only limited by the size of the 

 lecture rooms, and 1 cannot entertain a doubt that 

 a large revenue would be derived from tuition - 

 lees. I would suggest three permanent profess- 

 ors, viz: One of chemistry, (already appointed,) 

 one of engineering, in its various branche.s, and 

 one of geology. The support of the first is for 

 the present time provided for. For the other two 

 a moderate fund must he obtained, as a nucleus 

 of a farther sum which should be added to il, to 

 make the capital equal to thai of the Rumford 

 Professorship. The professors in this school 

 should depend, to a considerable extent, upon 

 lees ; il is the best guaranty to exertion and fidel- 

 iiy, and the permanent prosperity of the institu- 

 tion. I will therefore furtlier suggest, that eacli 

 ol the ahove profiessors shall receive, affr all or- 

 liiiary expenses shall have been paid, one half 

 of the iiriiion lees til! they amount lo a sum an- 

 nii.dly, not exceeding three thousand dollars, in- 

 Ldiidii.g their stated salaries. And that the gov- 

 ernment of the college pay such sums lo other 

 teachers, whether temporary or permanent, ns 

 they may deem expedient, and tlint the other half 

 of the said tuition fee be reserved and added lo 

 any timd that may be hereafter contributed lo es- 

 lablish and found the two professorships before 

 mentioned. 



I have now, my dear sir, given you a brief and 

 very imperfuct sketch of such a school of science 

 as I believe the condition of our extensive and 

 growing country requires, and you will ask how 

 the ineans are lo be obtained lo carry out the 

 plan, when we shall soon have an appeal made 

 to our liberality, as well as to the sense of our 

 best interests, to contribute a large sum of money 

 for the pur|iose of finishing the astronomical de- 

 partment sn auspiciously commenced in Cam- 

 bridge. This department of science has already 

 engager! the public .sympathy, and will, I doubt 

 lot, he taken up at an early day, and placed in an 

 iidcpciideni and useful position. 1 cherish a 



wtjfcli In ae.a lliR nhi^firt'Ctnrv ihn talescj^lje. and 



