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Sequestered from the pomp of parade, from the roar of 

 funeral gun, from the cemetery that hides under marble 

 columns the victims of battle strife, here in the peaceful 

 halls of learning we assemble to commemorate the life of 

 a man whose ways were "paths of peace," whose chariot 

 of progress through the world bore no scythe of destruc- 

 tion, whose life was wholly beneficent, whose youth was 

 devoted to learning, whose early manhood was devoted 

 to instruction, whose prime was devoted to research, and 

 whose old age was devoted to the organization and devel- 

 opment of institutions for the increase and diffusion of 

 knowledge. 



It falls not to my task to characterize the student life 

 of George Hammell Cook. That his opportunities for 

 training were wisely used is abundantly demonstrated by 

 the monument of success which he unconsciously reared 

 for himself in the years of his public activity. It is not 

 in my province to speak of his professorial life. The 

 scholars and public men who were guided into a higher 

 intellectual life constitute a living monument to his fidel- 

 ity and genius as an instructor. It was as a man engaged 

 in research that I first knew Professor Cook and learned 

 to honor his untiring industry, his deep insight, and his 

 intellectual integrity. The catalogue of his contributions 

 to science is long — too long to be recounted here, for it 

 constitutes the annals of a long life. Only a few examples 

 can be used to illustrate the wealth of his accomplish- 

 ments — in chemistry, geology, and geography. 



In 1854 Doctor Cook became an assistant on the Geo- 

 logical Survey of New Jersey. This was his induction into 

 scientific work. For three years the field of his research 

 was in the southern part of the State, in the marl-beds 

 and amid the potter's clay. Up to that time little atten- 

 tion had been given to these sources of wealth and fields 

 ■of industrial operations. While in this field of labor he 



