John Wesley Powell. 379 



which he declined, not wishing to enter the profession of war, 

 but the military title of major clung to him through life. 

 His war experiences may here be considered as a sort of post- 

 graduate study, following the gentler training of previous 

 years, a schooling, both as private soldier and commander of a 

 regiment, a training in the management of men in both field 

 and office, and for bolder exploration. 



The war over, he refused a lucrative civil position in his own 

 town, as he already had a higher military one, and accepted a 

 much less remunerative position as Professor of Geology, and 

 Curator of the Museum of the Illinois Wesleyan University at 

 Bloomington, which was followed later by a similar position in 

 the Illinois E^ormal University. 



In 1867, Professor Powell visited the Pocky Mountains of 

 Colorado, taking with him his class in geology, for the double 

 purpose of exploration and research, and for the instruction of 

 his students in field work. He was practically the pioneer in 

 the actual and practical introduction of extensive expeditions 

 with students as a part of their college training for future field 

 work, a phase of college instruction since so extensively prac- 

 ticed and which has been so rich in results. 



Major Powell, on this excursion, became interested in the 

 Colorado Canyon and its surroundings. For a century or more 

 vague rumors of this region and its wonders had reached the 

 outer world : stories of its awful and mysterious chasms, abso- 

 lutely impassable and entirely preventing passage over the 

 region. The stories became much more numerous and the 

 information more definite after 1850, when the gold-seekers 

 attempted to reach California ; but curiously little was accu- 

 rately known more than that the waters of the Pocky Moun- 

 tains, from as far north as the 1:3d parallel, found their way 

 through an awful canyon hundreds of miles in length to the 

 borders of California and thence to the Gulf. It was reputed 

 to be many thousands of feet deep. One and another had 

 been on its brink here and there ; that was about all, except 

 the disappearance of luckless travelers who had by accident 

 got into it at certain points. 



In 1868 Major Powell organized a little party of moifntain- 

 eers and others and explored a portion of the region, studied 

 the problem, resolved on the exploration of the canyon, and 

 finally went into winter quarters on the White Piver. From 

 there he made further reconnaissances and other preparations 

 for the bold work he had planned. 



The transcontinental railroad, then under construction, had 

 progressed far enough to bring in such supplies and appliances 

 as were not otherwise obtainable, and in the early spring of 

 1869 the expedition left its winter quarters on White Piver 



