18 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BALTIMORE MEETING 



by a great mass of indifferent, nnillnstrated descriptions of fossils, pub- 

 lished by Swallow and by Swallow and Shumard. The descriptions were 

 often so vague and imperfect that I had been more than once tempted 

 to throw the whole mess away and not recognize any of the species. This 

 was already the action of others. As a last resort, I ventured to address 

 a letter to Columbia, inquiring of Professor Broadhead if he could give 

 me any clue to the whereabouts of the old Swallow and Shumard collec- 

 tions. In his reply I learned with unbounded delight that the types and 

 well authenticated specimens were deposited in the university museum, 

 and he had recently spent nearly two years in arranging and preparing 

 the collections for public display. Further, he extended a most cordial 

 invitation to spend a week with him in going over the materials and in 

 visiting and collecting in the original localities, many of which were not 

 iar from Columbia. It is needless to say that I lost no time in accepting 

 the invitation. 



Before arriving at Columbia I had, of course, fully expected to put up 

 at the hotel. So, on leaving the train, without looking about very much, 

 I hastened t6 get the hotel bus. Just before reaching that conveyance 

 my grip was grabbed by a stalwart darky and my arm was gripped by a 

 strong hand, that of the Professor himself, whom I was totally unpre- 

 pared to encounter at this stage of my visit. As we had never met before. 

 I was utterly at loss to understand how, with such unerring instinct, he 

 managed to single me out of that crowd of two or three hundred persons. 

 I had none of the usual accoutrements of a rock-cracker showing. I had 

 no deformities that I knew of by which I might be quickly recognized or 

 that stamped me anything more than a drummer or ordinary traveler. 



After first greetings I was hurried into an awaiting carriage and was 

 speeded down to the Broadhead home, where I was informed that I should 

 be expected there to make myself at home during my stay in Columbia. 

 Most of the day was spent in going over the collections at the university 

 in a preliminary way. That evening, after dinner and after making 

 arrangements for the next day for an early 6 o'clock breakfast, prepara- 

 tory to making an excursion to the Missouri River, we retired to the 

 library. Professor Broadhead was at his best. He was brimful of remi- 

 niscences of the older geologists who had worked in the Mississippi 

 Yalley, of their petty quarrels over priority, of the pioneer difficulties 

 which they encountered and overcame. His fund of information along 

 these lines seemed inexhaustible, as was his knowledge of the rocks of 

 Missouri and the neighboring States. All this was a veritable bonanza 

 for me, and many a time afterward stood me in good stead when deciding 

 questions in stratigraphy. 



