Box 5, Folder 1: Julia Lapham Correspondence 1897-1899

Geological and Natural Survey of Minnesota.

N. H. Winchel, State Geologist

U. S. Grant Assistant Geologist Minneapolis, Minn. 1 Jan 1897

My dear Miss Lapham:

I will open this letter with a "happy New Year." this being the first time I have thus dated a letter. I hand chosen to day to examine and assess [?] much accumulated correspondence, which I have to neglect during the week sometimes several weeks from [pren?] of work on hand.

You may use your judgment in quoting from my letter to your father, or from my brother's. I am sure my brother must have had a luminous correspondence with your father, but mine I think was meager, and I do not do not [?] any. I probably wrote him to acknowledge his sending me his botanical list of Minnesota in 1872 or 1873. afterwards

published by the Minnesota Horticultural Society.

Please send me three copies of your book when it is done, for which I will pay you. I am sure the volume in your hands will be one of great interest and value as a scientific record of the northwest.

Very truly

A. H. Winchell

U. S. Department of Agriculture

Weather Bureau, Washington D. C.

January 2, 1897

Miss Julia A. Lapham,

# 3118 Mt. Vernon Avenue,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Dear Miss Lapham: -

In reply to yours of the 19th ultimo, I beg to inform you that the report made by your father to the Smithsonian Institution for September, 1849, is now on record in the Weather Bureau. It does not contain, however, the observation you refer to; the latter will be found in the August, 1849 report which is also on file.

In looking over the correspondence of the Smithsonian Institution, I find a large number of letters received from Mr. Lapham, but the reference to lunar tides is quite meagre. I understand from your letter that you have copies of the tidal observations referred to and do not, therefore, desire a copy of the data on the August, 1849 report.

Professor Abbe, to whom your letter was referred, remarks that the observations begun by your father were continued for two months in 1852 for Professor Bache, and for many years subsequently by

officers of the Lake Survey, and that it was afterward shown that the so-called "tide" was due to winds which have diurnal periods and that the true solar and lunar tides are entirely too small to be detected by the observations referred to. *

Very respectfully,

Willis [?] L Moore Chief of Bureau.

* See Gen'l. Meade's letter March 4th 1861 and Gen'l Meade's letter Jany 5 1860 Professor Geo. C. Comstock's of Nov 17th 1892 Gen'l Meade's July 3d 1860 & Mac 4th 1861 I. A. L's letter to S. Stone July 7 - 1865 Cleveland Abbe's letter Jany 7 - 1870 " " article in A. Journal Science vol 2 p. 81 copy in this package I. A. L.'s letter to Cleveland Abbe 1871 material Sec C. Abbe's letter asking for C. A.'s paper in magazine in formation March 25th 1871

Department of Geology

T. C. Chamberlin Head Professor of Geology R. D. Salisbury Professor of Geographic Geology J. P. Iddings Professor of Petrology W. H. Holmes Professor of Archeologic and Graphic Geology C. R. Van Hise Non-resident Professor of Pre-Cambrian Geology O. C. Farrington Professorial Lecturer on Determinative Mineralogy Stuart Weller Assistant to Paleontologic Geology

The University of Chicago. Founded by John D. Rockefeller

William R. Harper, President

Chicago Jan.4, '97.

My Dear Friend: -

I have gone over the copies of letters which you send and find almost nothing that needs suggestion or alteration. On page 12, I made a few trivial changes in the wording so as to make the sense a little clearer to the general reader who would not readily understand the precise meaning of the phraseology as it stood from not being familiar with the exact conditions. The letter as changed gives a more accurate idea of the sense intended than the original.

On page 13, back side, my letter seems to be incomplete, at least it needs signature.

Otherwise I see nothing to change. You seem to me to have exercised excellent discrimination in making the selection

Very truly yours,

T. C. Chamberlin