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and also some very fine crystals. It would probably be well worth your while to make a thorough investigation. Specimens are plentiful. W. MCKEE.

Fayette, Iowa, April 1, 1880. W J MCGEE: This is a good point to "geologize" from. If you care to "bunk" with a Methodist preacher, make your stay with me. Prof. Bissell of Fayette University will be glad to have you here. D. M. PARKER.

Dubuque, Iowa, March 10, 1878. DEAR SIR: I have read your article on the "Formations in Northeastern Iowa," with much interest. Will have them preserved in the Archives of the Institute.

ASA HORR, M. D.

Des Moines, Iowa, March 8, 1878.

MR. W J MCGEE:-Have just read your article on the Climatic Difference of the Hemispheres and am greatly pleased with it. Let me know when you write newspaper articles lest some may escape me.

[HON.] FRED. O'DONNELL.

W J MCGEE,

Farley, Iowa.

House of Representatives,

Washington, D. C., Oct. 27, 1877.

Referring to your letter relating to the publication of the Territorial Surveys, etc., I have to say the works are very valuable, much sought after, and quite difficult to obtain. I have the promise that you shall have a copy.

T. W. BURDICK.

The following petition was gotten up and presented to the Iowa State legislature by my brother along in the seventies. Little attention was paid to it at the time. The farmers, then, as compared with the present, received ridiculously low prices for all sorts of farm produce and they could not pay taxes except for the really necessary, practical, and material things. The matter has since been attended to and the departments are in the Science Hall of the State University of Iowa.

PETITION

FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATE CABINET

To the General Assembly of Iowa

WHEREAS, There has never been made in Iowa any complete and general collection of specimens illustrating the Natural History of our State, and

WHEREAS, We deem it essential to the best interests of the State that such a collection should be made and kept at some point accessible to the citizens and students of the State University, therefore,

WE THE UNDERSIGNED CITIZENS OF would respectfully ask that a State Cabinet of Natural History be established at Iowa City, in connection with the State University of Iowa, having for its objects:

1. The collection, preservation, and exhibition of specimens illustrating and representing the native animals and plants of the State both past and present,

2. The collection, preservation, and exhibition of typical and unique relics of the prehistoric inhabitants of the State, together with such plans of their works as may be of assistance in determining their habits, customs, and ethnic rela

3. The collection, preservation, and exhibition of specimens illustrating the natural, mineral, and other resources of the State; and,

4. The general diffusion of information upon all subjects connected with such a collection.

He also presented a bill to the State legislature about this time, asking for appropriations for State Geologic Survey. The letter appended will show the result of this bill: Senate Chamber, Des Moines, Iowa, March 13, 1880. W. J. McGee, Esq.,

DEAR SIR: The committee on appropriations has reported back your bill, with the recommendation that it be indefinitely postponed, which is the polite way of killing it.

I talked with the members of the committee about it and they tell me the entire committee was in favor of the objects of the bill, but they recommended as they did, simply because they do not have the money now for such purposes and probably will not have it until the new capitol building is out of the way. All highly approve the idea of the bill. M. M. HAM.

When my brother was about twenty-one he went to Nebraska on one of his student outings. There he noticed that the lark sang a different song from the larks in Iowa. He could not account for the difference so he wrote to the late Charles Darwin in regard to it. Mr. Darwin could not explain the cause but he wrote a very interesting letter (now lost) thanking Don and saying the information would be useful to him.

A letter from T. W. Reute, then a prominent citizen and scientist of Dubuque, now deceased, also gives an idea of Don's methods of obtaining knowledge and disseminating it, showing that he did not live to himself alone, nor did he get knowledge to hoard it up for selfish purposes.

Dubuque, Iowa, July 25, 1878. MR. W J MCGEE: Your kind note, describing the family of humming birds and offering them to me, is received. I thank you, sincerely, but we have no way of keeping them and they would probably die before reaching here. If you will send me the nest and the branches on which it is fastened, after the birds have flown, I shall be much obliged to you and shall place them in the museum of our Institute here. Yours very truly,

T. W. REUTE.

Mr. Reute was a member of the National Geographical Society and widely known.

CHAPTER VI

MARRIAGE

On Saint Valentine's day, February 14, 1888, W J was united in marriage to Miss Anita Newcomb, the daughter of the most distinguished astronomer of his time. Mr. Newcomb was of German descent. His talents were recognized and fully appreciated in the land of his forefathers. The last time he was in Germany, he was entertained at luncheon by Emperor William, the present Emperor's fathMiss Anita Newcomb's wedding dress was designed by William Dean Howells, who with Mrs. Howells was among the guests at the wedding.

er.

W J's wife is a woman of extraordinary brilliant intellect. Her early education was obtained in private schools in Washington. She then spent three years abroad in special study. After her marriage she studied medicine in Columbian College, Washington. This was before that institution had closed its doors to women. She then took a post-graduate course at Johns Hopkins. She practiced in Washington with marked success from 1892 to 1896. She was director of the D. A. R. Hospital Corps, from April to September, 1898, which corps selected the women for army and navy service. August 29, 1898, she was appointed acting assistant surgeon of the United States army, being the only woman to hold such a position; assigned to do duty in the surgeon general's office in charge of army nurses' corps, which she organized. When the United States Congress approved this work by making the nurse corps of trained

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