Michael Tuotney. — Smith. 207 
It was while he was residing- in the family of Mr. Dennis 
that he became iiequainted with Miss Sarah E. Handy, a near 
relative of that gentleman, to whom afterwards, in 1837, he 
was married. 
In the meantime being anxious to pursue his scientific 
studies, he went to Troy, N. Y., and was graduated from the 
Rennselaer Institute. After his graduation he was engaged 
as engineer upon a railroad then in course of construction in 
North Carolina. The year after his marriage, which occurred 
while he was thus engaged, the monetary crash which was 
then prostrating business stopped work upon this railroad, 
and Mr. Tuomey entered into an engagement to teach math- 
ematics and natural sciences in the school of Miss Mercer, in 
Loudoun county, Virginia. Here he remained eighteen months, 
after which, with his wife, he established a seminary in Pet- 
ersburg, Virginia. While in Petersburg, Mr, Tuomey began 
to put his scientific acquirements to some practical use. Here 
he met and entertained on both his visits to America, Sir 
Charles Lyell ; here he made large collections in geology, min- 
eralogy and paleontology : here he entered into correspondence 
with Agassiz, with James Hall, state geologist of New York, 
with Prof. Bache, superintendent of the Coast Survey, with 
Prof. Dana of Yale college, with Dr. Gibbs of Charleston, and 
also with many foreign scientific men. 
It was near Petersburg that he discovered a bed of infuso- 
rial earth which was considered a great piece of good fortune. 
Foremost among the friends Mr. Tuomey made in Petersburg 
was Edmund Ruflin, so well known in the department of chem- 
istry and practical agriculture. By the kindness of this 
friend he was recommended to governor Hammond, of South 
Carolina, who appointed him state geologist of South Caro- 
lina in 1844. While thus engaged he became associated with 
Prof. Holmes, of Charleston, in the publication of a magnifi- 
cent work on the fossils of South Carolina. He published 
also two oflicial reports on the geology of that state. In 1847, 
he was appointed to the professorship of geology, mineralogy 
and agricultural chemistry in the University of Alabama. 
During his professorship, Prof. Tuomey began to make exam- 
ination of the geology of Alabama, the University defra^nng 
his expenses; and in 1848 he was appointed state geologist 
