The Memorial Hall and the Natural History Society

Year
1880
Month
11
Day
30
Article Title
The Memorial Hall and the Natural History Society
Author
One Who Knows
Page Number
2
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
THE MEMORIAL HALL AND THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. Sir, I observe in a morning contemporary an article on the subject of a Memorial for the Loyalists, which does not seem calculated to aid the object Mr. J. W. Lawrence and others have in view; and in which I also, a descendant of Loyalists, and a member of the Natural History Society, take a warm interest. No nobler or more fitting monument of those faithful men could be raised than a Memorial Hall, erected to their honor, and so finished as to show the progress their little settlement has made in a hundred years, now almost completed. It seems to me that the writer of the article in question is somewhat disposed to take sides with the lion whom Mr. Lawrence tells us will certainly appear to hinder the work, for he takes exception to the societies which Mr. L. has chosen to look to in aid of the undertaking. I have nothing to say in regard to the first two named, though I have no doubt that in due time they will give a good account of themselves in this matter. But I have a word in defence of the third – the National History Society. No doubt we are a poor “little society” with a “feeble” existence, struggling to do some good in our day and generation, and with not too much aid and comfort from without. Perhaps our “achievements are little” – much less than they would have been had we received the support from public and private sources, that kindred societies in neighbouring cities have had – but still it may be worth while to name some of them, as many are not of a kind to come into public view. Soon after the society was formed through liberal contributions of members, the foundation of a museum of Geology and Natural History was laid, which still exists, and a set of cabinet cases, modern in style, and useful for the purpose, was prepared to contain this museum. This certainly was an achievement, though perhaps only a little one. I may name another achievement. A young man of talent, a member of society, wished to continue his studies in natural science, so that he might be in a position to enter upon a larger field of usefulness in the profession he loved. Being deficient in means the society to aid him, purchased his collection of Saint John fossils for a considerable sum, which was mostly raised by subscription within the society, but to which, I am happy to say, other citizens contributed. This achievement had a double result. It enabled the young man to enter upon a career in which he obtained a world-wide celebrity as Director of the Geological Survey of Brazil, etc.; and it placed in the hands of the society objects of great interest to students of natural history, and which would be attractive in the contemplated Memorial Hall; for among them are the remains of the first known denizens of the air, and these by far the oldest known in the world. Before the first Loyalist dust was laid in the Old Burying Ground, these made its precincts musical with the busy hum of insect life. Another part of this collection contains the most complete suite of plants of the Devonian period known – plants which once breathed the early morning air of the same sacred spot. Nor has this action of the society been without good results in other respects. The ball which C.F. Hartt set rolling still moves on, and the classes of students which he trained are now busy, doing lasting and useful work in the neighbouring republic and in Brazil. When will our province or city provide the means of training such scholars and keeping them at home? Another good deed of the society (through one of its members) is worthy of mention. A few years ago, Acadia College was burned to the ground and its valuable museum destroyed. In answer to an appeal for help a collection of native plants of New Brunswick (which are also those of Nova Scotia), of about 500 different kinds, was prepared, neatly mounted, and sent as a gift to that institution; where, no doubt, it is now of service in giving a practical knowledge of the native plants useful in medicine, for food, etc. If your city editor were to step into museums in Boston, Montreal, New York, Halifax, or even cities of Europe, he would find objects from St. John, contributed by our society, or its members, which hold an honored place. Some years since a movement was set on foot by some gentlemen in St. John to obtain the appointment of a Provincial assayer. This appointment was made by a Government which could give no aid or comfort to the Natural History Society. While not desiring for a moment to cast any slur on the propriety and usefulness of the appointment, I may add that the same gentlemen come even now to members of the Natural History Society to have their minerals examined and reported on. Work such as is done by a society like this is to a great extent of a kind that does not become known to the public immediately, but its results are often far-reaching. Pure science is for a few, but when it is applied then it gets into the newspapers. Through the members of this little society has been made known the existence of the richest fauna (that is, the most varied group of animals) of the beginning of the Silurian period which has yet been found in America. These are entombed in the rocks of our city, and thus the fathers of ancient animal life and our worthy ancestors lie buried side by side. Would not a collection of these interesting remains – I mean the animals, not the Loyalists – be worthy of a prominent place in Memorial Hall? A description of them may be found in the text book of geology most widely used in the New World. Had we a good public library, books showing other “achievements” of this society, beyond those I have named, would probably find their way into it. It was by a member of this society that a valuable description of the native plants of New Brunswick, with complete lists of the species known, was prepared and published in the Provincial Educational Circular. Do the free school authorities place the study of minerals in their curriculum, and our St. John teachers seek to escape from the dilemma of teaching without a specimen or a book? They find a resource in members of this weakly society. It is not for boasting that these matters are mentioned, but because I think injustice has been done to the name of a society which I hope may be better appreciated in St. John in the future than it has in the past. Here is the help of a society with a scientific library, collections of local interest – a valuable museum suggested as desirable in aid of the proposed Memorial Hall. Is it well to throw such a body in the back ground, or cast it aside as useless in an undertaking such as this? ONE WHO KNOWS.