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Carthage Ill. June 7th 1887

Dear Sir:

Although entirely unknown to
you your unprecedented liberality in the cause
of education encourages me to address you.

For some years I have had in
mind a mode of administering money in
the cause of education which if not entirely
novel would yet in a practical way be
a new departure in the educational method.

My idea is to establish in the university
curriculum a sort of roving school.
The practical way to teach the natural sciences
is to bring the students face to face with nature.
Nature presents so many faces in mountain &
valley & sea & shore that within the close
edifice no matter how well situated, a great
number of her most important & loveliest
features must escape attention. Briefly:
I would propose a floating school in
which nearly all the natural & physical
sciences might be most successfully taught.

[large blue note across text: 81]