1880.] ■^'^ [Robinson. 



Limoges, at the age of eleven, and made the most brilliant progress in his 

 studies. He bore off nearly all the prizes in his classes, from the day of his 

 entrance in this institution. He was equally distinguished in both the 

 literary and scientific classes, but most remarked on, for his attainments in 

 mathematical science. His taste and aptitude for the last, enabled him to 

 undergo earlier than usual, the examination for the Polytechnic School at 

 Paris, which he entered in the month of November, 1823, at the age of 17, 

 one of the first in the list of candidates for admission of that j^ear. At the 

 end of 1825, he left the Polytechnic School, equally remarkable for his at- 

 tainments in it, as at the Lycee of Limoges, to enter as Eleoe Ingenieur in 

 the School of Mines. In 1829, he obtained his degree of Engineer of 

 Mines, and was sent as Resident Engineer to the important department of 

 Valenciennes. 



Had the ambition of Mr. Chevalier been only professional, he would, 

 jvith this starting point, have probably been like his distinguished contem- 

 porary, Mr. Le Play (the CommissiouerTin-Chief of the Great Paris Expo- 

 sition of 1867), at an early age, one of the eminent members of the 

 profession of Mining engineers in Europe ; but his reading and researches 

 both in tlie Polytechnic School and School of Mines, in Paris, had gone 

 far beyond the curriculum of studies in those institutions, comprehensive 

 as that was, and including as it did every thing pertaining to the subjects 

 taught in them. The quick intellect and remarkable memory of Mr. Cheva- 

 lier enabled him, during the six years of study at these grand institutions, 

 the chairs of which were then filled by world- renowned names, to spare time 

 for outside reading and research, as well as the preservation of the early 

 classical lore and polite learning imbibed by him at the Lyceum of Limoges ; 

 and his tastes were for everything useful and ornamental to our race, but 

 especially for the useful, and what would add to the comforts of and elevate 

 the masses. 



The revolution which dethroned Cliarles X. and made Louis Philippe 

 King of the French, which, in the language of General Lafayette, " made 

 France a Monarchy with republican iustitulious," tooli place in the follow- 

 ing year (1830). Many now living among us must recollect the excitement 

 throughout the civilized world, which followed this change. It was 

 naturally excessive in France, and it is not remarkable that at such a time 

 minds of the highest order with corresponding aspirations, were most pro- 

 foundly agitated. Mr. Chevalier in his various reading had been attracted 

 by the writings and doctrines of St. Simon, in which at the commencement 

 there was much to attract, as well as to find fault with. There was noth- 

 ing like communism in them, but the reverse. ,The leading maxim of St. 

 Simon was, " To every one according to capacity, and to every capacity ac- 

 cording to its works," ?ind it is not surprising with such a motto on its banner, 

 that St. Sinionism should have found among its votaries, young minds of 

 the highest ability and culture, and especially those who, like Mr. Cheva- 

 lier, believed that the advancement of France in wealth and prosperity, 

 would be greatly and rapidly promoted by imi^roved lines of communica- 

 tion, especially by a well arranged system of railroads, and more freedom 

 of trade than existed previous to the revolution of 18oU. 



