30 T/<> Chicago Academy of Sciena 



years intervening - since its organization he raised it. in 

 the magnitude of its collections, to the fifth. and in certain 

 departments, to the first in rank in the United States. 

 He organized a system of exchanges which extended to 

 distant and widely separated regions. He maintained 

 a correspondence with kindred societies at home and 

 abroad. He classified and arranged the materials gath- 

 ered from every quarter of the globe into a harmonious 

 system, of use both to the public and to the student. 

 He was profoundly versed in many branches of natural 

 science, and was one of a few in whom was combined 

 ability as a collector of facts and specimens, with the 

 power accurately to describe and classify what he had 

 gathered. In his social relations he was kind and 

 courteous, and. while ready at all times to impart in- 

 formation, he was not obtrusive in his opinion. He 

 loved science for its own sake, and all his labors were 

 directed to its advancement. 



A statement of the direct losses by the fire by no 

 means includes all the misfortunes which the Academy 

 had to bear because of that catastrophe. Shortly be- 

 fore that time friends conspired together in its behalf. 

 They entered into an agreement that they would build 

 for it a new edifice, at a cost of §100,000. This project 

 was fully ripe, even to the drawing of the plans, when 

 the fire prevented its realization. These friends were: 

 Eliphalet W. Blatchford. George C. Walker and Daniel 

 Thompson. 



Immediately after the fire the citizens of Chicago 

 were aliame with the ambition to rebuild their city, and 

 to make it more substantial and attractive than ever 

 before. This same zeal was the controlling spirit that 

 animated those who had so wisely guided the affairs of 

 the Academy. They determined to rebuild the museum, 

 and to erect upon the front of the property a handsome 

 and commodious block suitable for business purposes. 

 The funds controlled by the Academy were not sufficient 

 for such a project. Therefore the board of trustees 



