THE MUSEUM. 
53 
For The Museum. 
THE LATE PROFESSOR S. S. HALDEMAN. 
BY EDWIN A. BARBER. 
Two miles above Columbia, Pa., on the eastern bank of the beautiful Susque¬ 
hanna, towers a picturesque mass of rock, known as Chickis, named from the creek 
which flows into the broad stream at this point, called by the Indians Chickiswalunga 
(the place where the cray-fish gather). At the base of this natural fortress, and facing 
the river, stands a comfortable, roomy house, with broad and ample portico, sup¬ 
ported by massive pillars, which, for more than forty-five years, was the home of 
Professor Haldeman, and the resort of the foremost scientific men of the age. 
When the unlooked-for death of Professor Haldeman was announced, five years 
ago, a deep gloom overspread the entire scientific world. Many able memoirs and 
sketches, reviewing his inestimable services to science, appeared shortly afterwards ; 
but those who knew him only as a scientist were acquainted with but one side of his 
character. In his domestic life he was a man of the strictest purity, sympathetic and 
sensitive in nature, a model husband and father; as a host his charming hospitality 
was proverbial; as a collector he was indefatigable, and as a friend he was most loyal. 
It is in these aspects that we propose to view his character in this brief sketch. 
Samuel Stehman Haldeman was born at Locust Grove, Lancaster Co., Pa., on 
August 12th, 1812. In his early boyhood he evinced a remarkable love for the study 
of natural history and the languages. He spent much of his time in wading the Sus¬ 
quehanna for cray-fish and eels, in hunting Indian relics and collecting minerals, 
shells and insects. His little museum, in the loft of his father’s carriage house, con¬ 
tained stuffed birds and animals, which a traveling Methodist preacher taught him 
how to prepare. It is related of him that when a mere child at school he discovered 
that another lad could spell words in German, and, determining at once not to 
be outdone, he arranged to study the language with his classmate, the elements of 
which he soon succeeded in mastering. While attending this school he gained the 
confidence of his teacher to such an extent that he was appointed monitor of his class. 
His parents were, at that time, zealous Methodists, and built a chapel or meeting¬ 
house at Bainbridge, which they donated to that denomination. It was their inten¬ 
tion to educate their eldest son, Samuel, for the ministry in that Church, and with 
this in view they afterwards sent him to Carlisle College. But he did not remain here 
to graduate, the restraints of a college course being irksome to his ambitious nature. 
He preferred to direct .his own studies and to extend them into entirely new fields. 
Mr. S. S. Rathvon, now of Lancaster, Pa., was for nearly half a century a collabo¬ 
rator in science, and recalls many pleasing anecdotes of this remarkable man. He 
relates an amusing circumstance which occurred when the subject of our sketch was 
twenty years of age. A dramatic association was organized at Marietta, in October, 
1832; both young men, who were about the same age, became members. The 
first performance took place on Christmas eve. The “ Haldeman boys,” Samuel, 
