Woodstock Vt. 22 March 1859

Page 1

My dear Brother

I wrote Mr Albert D. Hager of Proctorsville, in regard to the new map of Vermont now in preparation by Henry F. Walling 358 Pearl St. N.Y. (For which Mr Hager is general agent & proof reader.) suggesting that Guyots & Prof. Youngs measurements of mountains should be given in preference to any others, & he replies that it shall be done. He had intended to give the height of many points which he has measured himself, but has now concluded not to do so, because the instrument used was an Aneroid in which he has little confidence, but made use of it in obedience to his superior in the Geo. Surv.--Prof. E. Hitchcock, and has substituted the measurements of others.

Much damage has been done by the freshet East & South of us--but owing to the great quantity of snow & little frost in the ground the

Queechy was less affected by the thaw & rain than usual at this season.

Sugar making has commenced in earnest & I shall be very glad to have your & sister Carolines assistance in the manufacture or use of it as soon as may be.

With much love to allYour affectionate brotherCharles Marsh

References in this letter:

Henry Francis Walling, Map of the counties of Orleans, Lamoille and Essex, Vermont : from actual surveys under the direction of H.F. Walling, 1859. New York: Loomis & Way, 1859.

Swiss-American, Arnold Henry Guyot (1807-1884), taught physical geography and geology at Princeton University. Under Smithsonian Institution auspices, he set up a system of weather observatories that utimately grew into the U. S. Weather Bureau. His barometric tables, published as A Collection of Meteorological Tables, with other tables useful in practical meteorology, published by the Smithsonian in 1852, were very influential. Guyot's contribution to physical geography, Earth and Man (Boston: Gould and Lincoln, 1849) inspired Marsh, despite Marsh's disagreements with some of its premises.

Edward W. Hitchcock (1793-1864), a professor at Amherst college, headed the Vermont geological survey.

Charles Marsh (1821-1873), Marsh's youngest brother, maintained the family farm in Woodstock until his death. He and Marsh frequently corresponded about barometric pressure, precipitation, mountain heights, and other natural and meteorological phenomena