November 13, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



713 



men whose names are well known in scien- 

 tific research, some of the older of whom 

 have passed away, but leaving a record 

 of which their descendants may well be 

 proud. Others, who are now in active life, 

 and in the practice of their profession, do 

 not hesitate to speak gratefully of the in- 

 structions received under him when serv- 

 ing on his personal staff. In fact, up to 

 1849, when the Eensselaer School became 

 the Eensselaer Polytechnic Institute, it was 

 the only school especially devoted to the 

 study of natural history in the United 

 States, and it is with much pride that we 

 all look up to it as a pioneer in this direc- 

 tion ; and while it has broadened its field it 

 still devotes a very considerable part of its 

 curriculum to study of the natural sciences, 

 and has had for many years in its faculty 

 Dr. James Hall, as Emeritus Professor of 

 Geology. 



It was not only in connection with scientific 

 research, and the work and study connected 

 with the examination of field notes, and 

 the proper recording of them, which earned 

 for the State Geologist a great reputation, 

 more particularly in the early days. Dr. 

 Hall was one of the pioneers in this respect. 

 It was necessary not only that this work 

 should be done, and should be put in proper 

 shape, but that the people at large, and 

 particularly the Legislature, should be 

 thoroughly convinced of the importance of 

 the work done, and the necessity of print- 

 ing the same for general distribution. 



When one looks at the long array of vol- 

 umes devoted to the geology and paleontol- 

 ogy of this State, and which have been 

 published by this Commonwealth at a cost 

 of over a million and a half of dollars, any- 

 one will say that Dr. Hall needs no other 

 monument. He is the most successful of 

 all scientists in obtaining appropriation for 

 this purpose, and it may be well doubted 

 whether any successor to him, no matter 

 how young, how active, how efficient and 



how distinguished, will ever be able to 

 equal him in this respect. I may be par- 

 doned for dwelling upon this part of Dr. 

 Hall's record, because many of the younger 

 men do not know of these difiiculties. In 

 some of the States the State Geologist's re- 

 ports go to the State Printer, as a matter of 

 course, and are printed and distributed ; but 

 it was not always so ; it is not always so 

 to-day ; and those of us who have been in 

 Albany and seen this octogenarian facing 

 the snows of winter, at all hours of the day 

 and night, and traveling about in the face 

 of storms which appalled many others, will 

 never forget his persistency, his good humor 

 and his final success in the face of the great- 

 est difiiculties. Wherever and whenever 

 he thought he could obtain a vote for an 

 appropriation of this character, he never 

 failed to try for it, and generally succeeded 

 in getting it. And you must remember 

 that many of the members of the Legisla- 

 ture are prejudiced against scientific re- 

 search of all kinds, and we have had Gov- 

 ernors who publicly announced their oppo- 

 sition to the use of public money for this 

 purpose ; so that often, after a long and 

 weary winter in the passage of a bill giving 

 the necessary funds for this purpose, it be- 

 came necessary to see the Governor and 

 obtain from him the approval of what al- 

 ready had caused so much work to ob- 

 tain. 



In closing these remarks, Mr. Chairman, 

 I take great pleasure in joining with you 

 all in wishing to Dr. Hall a long continuance 

 of his life of activity. I understand that he 

 has taken a long journey from the Pa- 

 cific coast for the very purpose of being 

 here with us on this important occasion, 

 which certainly marks an epoch in his life 

 and in the history of the Society. ISTot con- 

 tent, however, with stopping here for a 

 brief visit, and then continuing in well- 

 earned repose, I understand that in a few 

 days he takes the field again, as a geolo- 



