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LIFE AND LETTERS OF GEORGE FREDERIC MATTHEW • PALAEONTOLOGIST AND GEOLOGIST An annotated list of G.F. Matthew's geological correspondence in the New Brunswick Museum Archives and Research Library NEW BRUNSWICK MUSEUM • LE MUSÉE DU NOUVEAU-BRUNSWICK 2007 Randall F. Miller and Diane N. Buhay Publi...

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LIFE AND LETTERS OF GEORGE FREDERIC MATTHEW • PALAEONTOLOGIST AND GEOLOGIST An annotated list of G.F. Matthew's geological correspondence in the New Brunswick Museum Archives and Research Library

NEW BRUNSWICK MUSEUM • LE MUSÉE DU NOUVEAU-BRUNSWICK 2007

Randall F. Miller and Diane N. Buhay Publications in Natural Science No. 8 / Publications de sciences naturelles No. 8 1990 (revised 2nd edition 2007)

Miller and Buhay – Life and Letters of George Frederic Matthew • Palaeontologist and Geologist - New Brunswick Museum

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New Brunswick Museum Publications in Natural Science

New Brunswick Museum Publications in Natural Science are designed to provide information concerning the natural history of New Brunswick. Manuscripts are given critical review by specialists and are issued at irregular intervals.

Publications des sciences naturelles, Musée du Nouveau-Brunswick

Publications des sciences naturelles du Musée du Nouveau-Brunswick son conçues pour dispenser l’information disponsible sur l’histoire naturelle du Nouveau-Brunswick. Des spécialistes font l’examen critique des études scientifiques qui paraissent a intervalles irréguliers.

_____________________________________________________________________________________ New Brunswick Museum, Publications in Natural Science No. 8 revised 2nd edition (2007)

Miller and Buhay – Life and Letters of George Frederic Matthew • Palaeontologist and Geologist - New Brunswick Museum

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LIFE AND LETTERS OF GEORGE FREDERIC MATTHEW • PALAEONTOLOGIST AND GEOLOGIST An annotated list of G.F. Matthew's geological correspondence in the New Brunswick Museum Archives and Research Library

Randall F. Miller Natural Science Department New Brunswick Museum and Diane N. Buhay Ward Chipman Library University of New Brunswick Saint John 1990 (revised 2nd edition 2007) Publications in Natural Science No. 8 / Publications de sciences naturelles No. 8

New Brunswick Museum 277 Douglas Avenue Saint John, New Brunswick Canada E2K 1E5

Cover: George Frederic Matthew © NBM

_____________________________________________________________________________________ New Brunswick Museum, Publications in Natural Science No. 8 revised 2nd edition (2007)

Miller and Buhay – Life and Letters of George Frederic Matthew • Palaeontologist and Geologist - New Brunswick Museum

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DEDICATION This volume is dedicated to the descendants of George Frederic Matthew. Their interest in his work and their generosity have played a significant part in expanding our knowledge about G.F. Matthew and his place in the history of geologic investigation in Atlantic Canada. “Matthew Family” members from Canada and the United States of America have taken an active and important role in providing information and inspiration in our efforts to research the life and work of Dr. Matthew. George Matthew’s descendants were also instrumental in establishing the George Frederic Matthew Research Grants in Geology. The grants are awarded by the New Brunswick Museum every year to promote geological research in New Brunswick. We would hope that Dr. Matthew would be pleased to see the interest that his work has generated, both with his family and the scientific community. To the “Matthew Family”, thank you! In 2007 the George Frederic Matthew Research Grants in Geology celebrated twenty years of supporting geological research in New Brunswick. More than two dozen papers and abstracts have been published including papers in Nature, Journal of Geological Society of London, Journal of Sedimentary Petrology, Revista Española de Paleontología, Journal of Paleontology, Earth Sciences History, Canadian Journal of Botany and American Scientist.

Randall F. Miller Diane N. Buhay Saint John, 2007

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Our appreciation goes to the staff of the Library and Archives of the New Brunswick Museum for their assistance in locating and cataloguing the geological correspondence of George Frederic Matthew. Special thanks to Carol Rosevear for acquiring a grant from the National Archives of Canada to facilitate cataloguing of the Matthew collection and for assistance in preparation of parts of this manuscript. Lorna Hutchison catalogued the “Princeton” letters and solved the puzzles of a number of “mystery” signatures. Our thanks go to Janet Bishop for transcribing Matthew’s notebook onto disk. Dr. Ron Pickerill (University of New Brunswick) retrieved Matthew’s collection from Princeton University in 1987 and returned it to the New Brunswick Museum. The collection, including letters and notebooks, had been on loan to Professor B.F. Howell since 1923. Our appreciation goes to Professor Ismail Patel (University of New Brunswick, Saint John), who reviewed the manuscript and made a number of very helpful suggestions. Professor Patel has also kindly provided a number of tours of the Cambrian of Saint John and shared his wealth of knowledge about Dr. Matthew’s fossil sites. Dr. Edwin H. Colbert (Museum of Northern Arizona) and Margaret Matthew Colbert also suggested a number of improvements that have been incorporated into the manuscript. They also shared a number of stories about Margaret’s father William Diller Matthew and her grandfather, George Frederic Matthew. Since the first edition of this manuscript was published, Dr. Ismail Patel and Dr. Edwin Colbert have both passed away. We miss them both. The Archives and Research Library, now under the direction of Felicity Osepchook, has continued to organize the Matthew papers along with the rest of the collection. Most of the papers are now catalogued on the NBM electronic database accessible through the museum’s website (www.nbmmnb.ca). As a result we have removed the manuscript location numbers published in the first edition since most have been changed. Users can search for the documents in this manuscript on the museum’s archives database. Revision of this publication was undertaken as part of a study of geoscience heritage in the Saint John region. The authors acknowledge receipt of a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council – Community University Research Alliances grant (833-2003-1015).

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_____________________________________________________________________________________ RHYME OF THE SURVEY by G.F. Matthew The way was long, the way was cold The compass-man infirm and old His trousers torn, his boots all grey Seem to have known a better day The wheel his sole remaining joy Was shoved along by a half starved boy The road was rough the road was long Old times have changed, old manners gone The people of an iron time, No longer scorn the silver dime The wandering geologist gaunt and poor Now pays his way from door to door And crams into the peasant's ear The stories told him year by year At early dawn he leaves his bed Strewn with the dying and the dead And marches forth through dewy mead Through giant brake and tangled weed To seek in lonely forest nook The purling stream or babbling brook Into the stream he plunges straight Wielding a hammer like feather weight With a light blow, or perhaps two licks He strikes off a flake of petrosilex Then with energy might and main Wins the contents of a mineral vein Loading his sub with precious stone 'Till he staggers from boulder to rock and shore At the ledge below the [driving] dam With felsite and jasper their pockets they cram Carefully noting the course of the rocks As they stepped from the logs to the stone blocks Here they are turned by a [beebling] crag There from a pool their wet garments they drag Following the brook in its course down hill Toward the grassy meadows and noisy mill Now they are seeking how to avoid The frowning cliffs of amygdaloid Bootless their quest for a slippery pole Drops them "Kerchunk" in the Dodging Hole* Wet to the skin they wearily wander Careless of storm, of lightning and thunder 'Till an opening vista beside the hill Shows them at length the welcome mill Here they refresh them, poor drowned wight With generous slices and giant bites Of fresh home-bread and Adam's Beer *Devil's dodging hole, a narrow deep passage on HanFord Brook Their chilled forms and hearts to cheer.

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ABSTRACT _____________________________________________________________________________________ In mid-nineteenth century Canada, geological exploration expanded due to the considerable energy of a relatively few dedicated and energetic individuals. Among the best known are Sir William Logan who founded the Geological Survey of Canada and Sir William Dawson, Principal of McGill College and Director of the Redpath Museum. While much is known of the major figures in the history of Canadian geology, there remain a large number of lesser known, but important scientists who contributed much in the way of basic research and new ideas. One of these scientists was a relatively lesser known geologist from New Brunswick, George Frederic Matthew (1837-1923). Matthew was an "amateur" geologist and palaeontologist. He was self-taught and most of his geological work was conducted while not at his regular place of employment, the Saint John Custom House. Matthew published over 200 scientific papers, making him the most published scientist in Atlantic Canada. During his palaeontological research Matthew described more than 350 new species including Archaeozoon acadiense, the first Precambrian stromatolite to receive a scientific name. Matthew's work on Cambrian geology produced pioneering work on Lower Cambrian fossils in eastern Canada. He examined Cambrian invertebrates from Mount Stephen, British Columbia, described Carboniferous plants and insects from New Brunswick and determined the identity of reptile trackways from Nova Scotia. The archival collection of Matthew material at the New Brunswick Museum contains over 400 items characterized here as his geological correspondence. It includes communications with some of the most well-known and most influential geologists from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. This publication includes an annotated list of George Matthew's scientific correspondence now held by the New Brunswick Museum Library and Archives. Also included is a short biography of George Matthew, a bibliography of Matthew's papers organized by geologic period or subject and notes about Matthew's colleagues. This publication has been produced to improve accessibility to information about Dr. Matthew and stimulate further research into his contribution to Canadian geology. _____________________________________________________________________________________

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Miller and Buhay – Life and Letters of George Frederic Matthew • Palaeontologist and Geologist - New Brunswick Museum

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CONTENTS Dedication

4

Acknowledgements

5

Rhyme of the Survey by G.F. Matthew

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Abstract / Resumé

7

Introduction

9

George Frederic Matthew (1837-1923)

10

Matthew's Life and Interest in Geology Matthew and the Natural History Society of New Brunswick Matthew's Research and Geological Collections

Dr. Matthew’s Notebook

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Matthew's Geological Correspondence at the New Brunswick Museum

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Author List, including Biographical Notes on Matthew's Correspondents Year List

Index of Matthew's correspondents by year

38

Annotated Bibliography of G.F. Matthew

40

References

62

Selected Newspaper Articles

65

Memorials

66

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Miller and Buhay – Life and Letters of George Frederic Matthew • Palaeontologist and Geologist - New Brunswick Museum

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_____________________________________________________________________________________ Through the Society's Bulletin, the

463, 81p.) for his contribution to

Transactions of the Royal Society of

Cambrian palaeontology and his early

Canada and other major scientific

recognition of a sub-trilobitic interval

as a guide to the work of George

journals, Matthew published more than

in the Lower Cambrian.

Frederic Matthew. Its primary purpose

200 papers on geology, natural history

is to document Matthew's scientific

and archaeology, most dealing with

contributions to geology and

correspondence in the Archives and

eastern Canada (Landing and Miller

palaeontology have remained obscure,

1988; MacDonald 1990). Matthew's

except to those whose research interests

Brunswick Museum. In this revised 2

first published scientific paper

overlap with Matthew's. His research

edition we have updated references to

concerned "Observations on the

collections have been partially

Matthew’s work and added to the

Geology of St. John County" Canadian

inaccessible since his death in 1923. In

information concerning Matthew’s

Naturalist and Geologist (Montreal) 8

1987, the New Brunswick Museum

correspondents. Since the publication

(1863): 241-259. In the course of his

celebrated the 150th birthday of George

of the first edition the letters in the New

extensive research, Matthew

Matthew (Miller 1987) recognizing his

Brunswick Museum Archives have

corresponded with the leading

contributions to the Natural History

been re-catalogued and location

geologists of the day including C.D.

Society of New Brunswick (1862-

numbers entered on an electronic

Walcott, Sir John William Dawson and

1929), and the current New Brunswick

database.

Joachim Barrande among others.

Museum. Coincidentally in 1986-87 a

Matthew corresponded with geologists

number of Matthew related activities

known geologist and palaeontologist in

and palaeontologists from across North

took place: the New Brunswick

the late nineteenth and early twentieth

America and Europe. Letters in the

Museum hired the first geology curator

century. While he was employed as a

New Brunswick Museum archives list

since Matthew left the old Natural

custom agent with the Government of

81 correspondents.

History Society in 1919; a special

INTRODUCTION This publication is intended

Research Library of the New nd

Dr. Matthew was a well-

Canada he practiced his interest in

Matthew was the first to

George Matthew's

meeting on the Precambrian-Cambrian

geology in his spare time or while on

describe an authentic Precambrian

boundary held in Newfoundland

temporary leave to the Geological

fossil (Miller 2003), among the first to

dedicated the meeting to Matthew for

Survey of Canada. Until recently,

recognize a sub-trilobitic horizon in the

his early work on sub-trilobitic shelly

Matthew's role in the development of

lower Cambrian, an authority on

faunas in the Cambrian (Landing et al.

Canadian geology has not been

Cambrian trilobites from eastern

1988) and some of Matthew's

explored in detail (Miller 1987a;

Canada, and a pioneer in the use of

collections on loan to Princeton

Cassidy 1988; Miller and Buhay 1988;

excavation techniques to study

University since his death were

Miller 1988, 2003, 2005).

archaeological sites (Miller et al.

returned to the New Brunswick

2005). In 1987 a conference at

Museum. In addition to a number of

member of the Natural History Society

Memorial University, Newfoundland

type specimens, the "Princeton"

of New Brunswick. The Society served

dedicated the ‘Proceedings’ to George

collections contained many of George

as an intellectual forum for Matthew

F. Matthew (E. Landing, G.M.

Matthew's letters and notebooks. The

and his colleagues and its members

Narbonne and P. Myrow, 1988. "Trace

collection had been loaned to B.F.

became well-acquainted with the

fossils, small shelly fossils and the

Howell by William Matthew.

scientific practices of the nineteenth

Precambrian-Cambrian boundary" New

century (Miller and Buhay 1988).

York State Museum Bulletin (Albany)

Matthew was an active

This publication is intended as a finding aid for Matthew's

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Miller and Buhay – Life and Letters of George Frederic Matthew • Palaeontologist and Geologist - New Brunswick Museum

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_____________________________________________________________________________________ geological correspondence at the New

GEORGE FREDERIC MATTHEW

North America. His father was a

Brunswick Museum and provides

(1837-1923)

merchant in the city. At that time an

detailed information about those people

(reprinted with modifications from

...