Box 4, Folder 3: Typewritten Letters 1866-1870

1103

1263b. 1866

I hope the day is not far distant when meteorological science will be better appreciated by business men and the public generally - but until we establish beyond doubt some fixed laws they can not be expected to put much faith in weather prognostics.

I am truly yours,

G.W. Hough

1104

-1264- 1866.

Secretary's Office,

Illinois & Michigan Canal, Lockport Ill. Mar. 14, 1866

I.A. Lapham,

My dear Sir,--

I was much gratified to receive by this morning's mail your favor of the 9th inst.,enclosing a map of your state, which you seem to have compiled with much care. I thank you heartily for this evidence of your remembrance.

I don't know whether it is the same with others but as I draw nearer the end of my life's journey I think more frequently of the few still living with whom I was associated at its commencement. Having been an intimate friend of your brother's for many years and having met you first some forty years ago, I have thought of you and mentioned you to my family very often. I have often regretted that I have no opportunity to cultivate your acquaintance since you were a boy and I not much older.

I thank you for your suggestion about laying up a sufficient supply of water (according to the late Mr. Ellet's plan to improve the navigation of the Ohio) to make a permanent navigation of the Illinois R. Such a navigation is "devoutly to be wished."

It will give me much pleasure to hear from you at any time you have leisure to write. I am still a fixture in the old canal office. It is 30 years this spring since I entered the service of the state. Of course I am in the down hill of life, but manage, I believe, to perform my duties pretty well yet.

Very truly yours,

Wm Gooding.

1105

-1265- 1866.

April 2 A heavy rain fell upon frozen ground with snow in some places, the consequence was a great flood, breaking the canal dam as well as almost all others, carrying away bridges &c. &c

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Notes - Forests equalize the flow of water in springs and rivers. They do not increase the quantity of rain. When cut away floods in rivers are increased and their waters are diminished in summer, but the total annual discharge is not supposed to be materially affected.

Plants are capable of absorbing from the soil a quantity of water greater than the annual rainfall: A very large proportion of the water absorbed by the soil is returned to the atmosphere through the roots and leaves of plants.

The abrasion of the soil is increased by the floods caused by removing the forests.

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April 18. Went to Chicago with Dr. E.B. Wolcott, visited the new astronomical Observatory. Saw Professor Safford busy mounting the great telescope, which is not yet ready for use.

Spent the evening at J.Y. Scammon's where we met Alvin Clark and his son, makers of the instrument.

At the Academy of Sciences Dr. Stimpson showed the "[Trichinae?] Spiralis" found in the hogs there !!!

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1106

-1266- 1866.

April the 11th 1866.

I.A. Lapham, L.L.D.

Dear Sir,-

I have the honor to inform you that your map and tables of rain and temperature have been sent directly to Berlin.

In the letter accompanying your map and tables, as well as in another, I had an opportunity to write to Paris, I could not rerain from speaking of your excellent collections as a good instance of what an arduous task Americans are capable.

I am always ready to serve the interests of the righteous and truthful men and you may therefore, whenever it pleases you, help me to do something in favor of those pursuits which have found in you such an able and constant supporter.

I have the honor to be, Dear Sir,

your obedient servt.

L. Burstall.

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Chicago Academy of Science,

April 30, 1866.

Dr. Lapham,

Dear Sir,--

Many thanks for your kindness to Mr. Hathaway and for the fine lot of Unios etc. you sent, many of which we had not in duplicate before.

Mr. Blatchford and I start on our trip down Fox river, on the 9th day of May, commencing at Waukesha instead of Burlington.** **We shall have occasion to shoot birds and haul the seine for fish

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-1267- 1866.

at many points in your state and we shall probably meet with some opposition by some of your people who will perhaps think we are shooting and fishing for market, out of season. *** Mr. Blatchford corners [corners?] with me in thinking it is of the first importance that we should have a letter from you, to the effect that our operations are carried on purely for scientific purposes. *** We will have credentials for Illinois from Prof. Worthen and others.

Very respectfully,

Wm Stimpson.

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Milwaukee May 31st, 1866.

Prof. Joseph Henry,

Dear Sir, -

I send observations of a great depression of the barometer at this station, just past, for the purpose of enabling you to compare with yours and thus perhaps deduce some useful results. You ought to find it about 18 or 20 hours later than at this place; but as the high barometer of January occurred at the two places at the same time it may be that the low barometer also, does not always follow Espy's law of moving from west to east.

I wish we had some Institution here to provide and take charge of one of your self-registering barometers--but we have not! Our city is yet too much in its infancy for that.

Yours truly,

I.A. Lapham.

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Milwaukee June16th, 1866.

Col. Sam'l Stone,

Dear Brother,-- I congratulate you on the prospect of soon hav