224 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. LIII. No. 1367 



dinate to the American Association. It at 

 once becaime a great stimulus to American 

 geology and has exerted profound influence 

 ,upon its development. 



I During the last two decades of the nine- 

 teenth century the movement to band those in- 

 terested in -minerals together in local organiza- 

 tions manifested itseH in several of our large 

 cities. Thus in 1886 the New Torh Mineralog- 

 ical Club was organized to " develop and main- 

 ,tain an interest in mineralogy, especially in 

 (the minerals and rocks of Manhattan Island, 

 Jfew York City, through collecting and the 

 study and comparison of existing collections." 

 The club has been successful in stimulating 

 interest in mineralogy in New York City and 

 its environs. It has also acquired the Cham- 

 berlain collection of minerals which is now de- 

 posited in the American Museum of Natural 

 History. Reference must also be made of the 

 fact that in 1892, what is known as the Phila- 

 delphia Mineralogical Society, was organized, 

 its purpose being similar to that of the New 

 ^ork Club. From time to time similar or- 

 ganizations had been founded in other locali- 

 ties, all of which have done much to stimulate 

 interest in minerals and especially of those of 

 the region immediately surrounding the loca- 

 tion of the society. 



I It was also during this period that a jour- 

 jKal devoted to the interests of the lover of 

 aninerals was founded in 1885 by Mr. Arthur 

 ^Chamberlain. It was first called the Ex- 

 changers' Monthly but was subsequently 

 changed to the Mineralogists' Monthly. In 

 1892 Goldthwaite's Minerals was published. 

 IFor two years both of these publications ap- 

 peared but in 1894 they were merged into the 

 Mineral Collector, which continued to appear 

 T^ularly until March 1909 when it was dis- 

 continued. 



I 



THE MODERN PERIOD, 1900-1920 



( The first two decades of the twentieth cen- 

 tury have fceen a period of enormous develop- 

 ment in higher education. Attendance upon 

 our colleges and universities has increased by 

 leaps and bounds. The physical plants of 



these institutions were greatly extended. The 

 older departments of instruction were mate- 

 xially expanded by the giving of more ad- 

 vanced and specialized courses, and many new 

 departments were added. Our graduate work 

 developed rapidly. Even before the outbreak 

 of the World War, fewer and fewer students 

 each year found it necessary to go to Eurojw, 

 as had been the custom during the nineteenth 

 century, for they were now able to secure the 

 instruction desired in our universities. In- 

 deed, this instruction could be obtained from 

 'equally competent men and in more modem 

 laboratories with superior facilities than were 

 to be found a:broad. The many contributions 

 '^y the various governmental bureaus and the 

 lestablishment of the Geo-physieal Laboratory 

 in 1907 gave a great impetus to many branches 

 pi science in America. Industrial corpora- 

 (tions also recognized the imperative need of 

 adequately equipped laboratories and com- 

 petent investigators. 



1 During this period, the development of sci- 

 ence was indeed marvelous. This statement 

 applies to no science more than it does to min- 

 eralogy, by which term we obviously include 

 what may be readily interpreted as the broader 

 field, namely crystallography. Moreover, it 

 jwas during the war that the preeminent posi- 

 ;tion of the United States in the production of 

 minerals and mineral products, and the vast- 

 pess of our mineral resources were brought 

 jmost forcibly to the attention of the general 

 public. Mineralogical methods had to be re- 

 sorted to in the solving of many special prob- 

 lems imposed by the war, when it became nec- 

 essary for us to establish our scientific 

 independence. Hence, at present the value of 

 mineralogy is appreciated as never before. 

 On account of its basic value in the training of 

 the geologist, chemist, pharmacist, forester, 

 mining engineer, ceramist, and many other 

 specialized engineers and technologists, miner- 

 alogy has become in some of our larger and 

 more progressive institutions what may be 

 designated as a " service " science. Further- 

 more, it is no longer merely a descriptive sci- 

 ence but by virtue of the development of many 

 quantitative methods and especially as the re- 



