264 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



taken from him. On the contrary, General Buckner went out 

 into the field -where the regiment was guarded, and thanked 

 Colonel Owen for his kindness to the four thousand Fort Donel- 

 son prisoners at Camp Morton. He was treated very politely by 

 General Bragg, with whom he had become acquainted in the 

 Mexican War." 



Later Owen was in the battle of Arkansas Post, and took part 

 in the campaigns of Sherman and Grant about Vicksburg. He 

 was with General Banks in 1863 on the Ked River campaign, 

 and while thus engaged was elected by the trustees of the Uni- 

 versity of Indiana to the professorship of natural science. He 

 accepted the position on condition that his place should be tempo- 

 rarily supplied till the end of the war. 



On January 1, 1864, he assumed the duties of his professorship 

 in the university, which he continued to fill for fifteen years. In 

 June, 1879, at the age of sixty-nine, he resigned, an increasing 

 deafness, the result of sunstroke, having made his college duties 

 burdensome to him. He retired to his estate at New Harmony, 

 where he lived until March 25, 1890. His death was a tragic one, 

 caused by accidentally drinking a quantity of arsenical embalm- 

 ing fluid. 



While connected with the university he continued his work 

 for the United States Geological Survey, exploring New Mexico 

 and Arizona. During 1869 he traveled widely in Europe and 

 America. 



Of Dr. Owen's work as a teacher I may speak briefly. Under 

 the present system of elective study he would have been an ideal 

 teacher, earnest, thorough, and inspiring. Under the old system 

 his best powers were never called for. He had neither skill nor 

 taste for the work of drill master. He taught those well who 

 cared to learn. He believed in large freedom of the student. His 

 students were on their honor, and those who had no honor abused 

 their freedom. It was part of the vicious system which prevailed 

 in our colleges in the last generation that learned men capable of 

 the highest work, and full of the inspiration which comes from 

 thorough knowledge, should be compelled to spend their time and 

 strength in crowding the elements of various subjects upon un- 

 willing and unresponsive boys. A teacher should have the oppor- 

 tunity to give the best that is in him, and to give this to those 

 who are ready and worthy to receive it. 



In 1872 Dr. Owen was elected President of Purdue University, 

 the agricultural and mechanical college of Indiana, established 

 under the Morrill Act. This position he accepted, but, as after 

 two years the school still remained unorganized, he never assumed 

 the duties of the office. He published an interesting report to the 

 trustees on the proposed method of organization and government 



