138 The American Geologist. Marcii, 1899 
pers of later date. In 1862 he gave me for Wabash College, 
a full set of his voluminous publications, and a complete suite 
of New York fossils, carefully labeled. Owen, Cox, Collett, 
and other Indiana geologists, testify to his readiness to help 
men struggling with new scientific problems. 
James Hall was born, September 12th, 181 1, of parents 
who came over from England early in the century and settled 
at Hingham, Mass. His father was a silk weaver, and from all 
accounts was a man of strong likes and dislikes, and was lion- 
like when aroused by opposition; in which respect his distin- 
guished son somewhat resembled him. Urbanity is not al- 
ways possible amid untoward circumstances. I remember to 
have heard him say that his parents were poor; and he added 
with marked emphasis, "A geologist must dare to be poor." 
I do not know that he meant that'he should stay so if he could 
iielp himself. There is a tradition that he used to walk from 
Hingham to Boston to hear lectures on natural history and 
walk back again at their close. But the fact is that he rarely 
spoke of his boyhood, outside the home circle, though it is 
doubtful if he had many incentives to study in the direction of 
what afterwards became his life-work. His early bent seems 
to have been toward the medical profession, and he had the 
degree of M. D. from the University of Alaryland after he had 
begun to win fame as a geologist. 
He was graduated in 1832 from the Rensselaer School at 
Troy, since made a Pohtechnic Institute; and while there he 
came under the stimulating influence of Prof. Amos Eaton, 
who aroused his zeal for the natural sciences. Hall became as- 
sociated with him in teaching, and was for a series of years a 
geological professor in the Institute. Eaton had reconnoitered 
through the unexplored regions of New York, had lectured to 
the Legislature on the subject of geology, and is said to have 
actually set governor Clinton to collecting fossils. He was 
largely instrumental in creating the state survey, and both he 
and Mr. Stephen \^an Rensselaer, who did so much by his far- 
sighted liberality to make such explorations successful, wished 
Hall's appointment at the outset as one of the four chief geol- 
ogists. But the governor thought he had better take a sub- 
ordinate place at first mainly if not altogether on account of his 
\outh. His friends did not lose sight of htm: and we remem- 
