Mineral Industries and Geology of Certain Areas - Vermont Agency ...

Sketch of the Life and Work of Augustus Wi ng.*
In this loving record of a portion of the life and work of the
Rev. Augustus Wing, the writer can scarcely proceed without
at once calling attention to two facts that come incidentally
into the story. The first of almost universal recognition is that
the science of geology up to a very recent date has largely been
wrought out by persons engaged in teaching. Their results
have in the main been made possible by the wise husbandry of
school vacations together with the economical use of hours between
exacting class-rporn duties.
The preparation of an address that fellow-workers will care
to remember or of papers which they will care to read and
reread are the results of long time and labor, and these contributions
represent only a fraction of what they have really
accomplished. This labor of love may properly be regarded as
an overflow. The field of science has been made fertile by this
irrigation.
Exceptions, indeed, there are that at the same moment
startle, inspire and depress, as when some favored genius sends
forth in quick succession notable contributions to science. This
is the exception; the rule holds. The rare occasional papers
have been the revelation of thoughts and researches of well
filled hours coming between lecture and lecture, or left over
from other professional work.
The other fact of rarest recognition is that science may be
the richer from the good service rendered by one who never
made a poptilar address nor presented to society or editor a
valuable scientific paper.
The subject of this sketch, the Rev. Augustus \Ving, was
born at Rochester, Vermont, November 19, i8o8.
Portrait of Augustus \Vng by courtesy of The American Geologist.