i6o The American Geologist. March, i904. 
low educational rank, no professional career, and no profes- 
sional organization? 
Geography will find a place in our colleges and universities 
very soon after it is shown to be a subject as worthy of such 
a place as are the subjects whose position is already assured. 
Physical geography is today slowly winning a more respected 
place than it has ever had among the subjects on which ex- 
aminations are set for admission to college. Commercial or 
economic geography is, I believe, destined to attract increasing 
attention from mature teachers and nearly mature students. 
The general geography of various parts of the world must re- 
ceive more and more consideration in our colleges during the 
century that opens with the outgrowth of our home country ; 
and just so soon as mature teachers of mature geography can 
make their lectures of value to the young men of to-day, who 
are to be the leaders of enterprise tomorrow, place will be 
found for geographical courses in our higher institutions of 
learning. Progress in this respect is visible, though not rapid. 
In order to hasten progress, increased attention might well be 
given to so-called practical courses in geography, as well as to 
courses of a generally descriptive nature. The impediment of 
low educational rank is not permanent ; it need not discourage 
us, for it is destined to disappear. 
The study of geography is not likely soon to lead to a large, 
independent career, but it may be made useful in many careers, 
as has just been indicated. It will, however, be made particu- 
larly serviceable to a class of men that is now of small, but of 
increasing numbers, namely, those who travel about the world, 
seeking fortune, entertainment or novelty. With the present 
rapid increase of wealth among us, this class is destined to 
grow, and while it may never be large, it may soon be impor- 
tant, and its members need careful cultivation ; and at the 
same time the teachers of this class and of other classes with 
whom geography becomes important, will win a respected ca- 
reer for themselves. The impediment arising from the lack of 
a large professional career will therefore have no great im- 
portance when the many relations of mature geography to 
other subjects are recognized. 
The third impediment to the maturing of geography is the 
most easily overcome, even if at present the most serious, for 
