72 Life of David Dale Owen, M. D. 
also transmitted to London on canvas in distemper, views of 
the fossil Sigillaria found erect in situ 12 miles from 
New Harmony. These drawings and the description were 
presented by Sir Roderick Murchison at a meeting of the 
British Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. 
Owen subsequently conducted Sir Chas. Lyell to the locality 
during his second visit to the United States, while his guest at 
New Harmony. It is worthy of note that the early surround- 
ings of Dr. Owen were calculated to promote and strengthen 
this inherent artistic taste and skill. The scenery amid which 
he was born included, within a radius of a few miles, several 
waterfalls, yearly visited by thousands of travelers, the noted 
Cartland crags, Wallace's cave, and other scenery introduced 
by Sir Walter Scott in some of his romances ; besides, within 
a short distance, the classical ground described in the "Lady 
of the Lake," the Trossacks, Ellen's Isle and Loch Lomond; 
with Ben Lomond not far distant, which mountain Dr. Owen 
ascended during his travels in the Highlands of Scotland ; a 
fitting preparation for subsequent ascents in Switzerland to a 
hight on several occasions of over 9,000 feet. 
Dr. Owen's amiable simplicity and integrity of purpose were 
remarkable ; his kindness and liberality noted. His fondness 
for chemistry and skill in that department induced him to 
build at a cost of $10,000 a laboratory fully equipped in every 
respect ; serving as a fine specimen of his good taste in archi- 
tecture ; which was also further evinced by artistic design 
which he furnished for the Smithsonian buildings. He also 
tested great varieties of building stone, before the selection of 
material was made for that institution. 
The unrelaxed strain upon the physical and mental powers, 
of which the above brief statements may serve to give some 
idea, resulted in undermining an originally good constitution. 
Malarial fever complicated with rheumatic attacks, which 
threatened that great internal muscular organ the heart, ter- 
minated Dr. Owen's career of usefulness. He left a widow, 
two sons and two daughters, all of whom survive, besides 12 
grandchildren. 
Dr. Owen had enjoyed his laboratory only a year or two 
when he was called from his unremitting labors to his eternal 
rest, November 13th 1860, leaving an unsullied reputation 
for conscientious scientific work, and causing his many warm 
friends to mourn their sad bereavement. 
