iTiir rinucDO EOinmo mvc QTIDTm THFIR WfiRK
uJikA iUL rAiUILUO riUUKUa -HAIL UllUllLU iuuu "
Darwinian Theory
Jin Error to Suppose It Has Been Finally
Jlccepted by Scientific Men,
E
Cy L. H. Star key:
DWARD DOBSON assumes that "the evolutionary doctrine is
no longer debatable except in minor phases."
It is an odd thing that the "evolutionary doctrine" (by
which is probably meant the hypothesis of genetic evolution
by natural selection), which may be called the Darwinian
theory, is popularly supposed to be finally- accepted by the
scientific world.
There could be no graver error. Natural selection is at
best a working hypothesis with a minimum of scientific evi
dence and a maximum of more or less ingenious but loose and unscientific
reasoning.
John Girard says, speaking of Darwinism: "In spite of its great name, its
success has throughout been popular rather than scientific, and as time went
on it has lost ground among the class most qualified to judge. Evolutionists
there are In plenty, but very few genuine Darwinists, and among these can by
no means be reckoned all whoadopt the title, for not a few of them, like
Romanes and Weissman, profess doctrines whkh cannot be reconciled with
those of Darwin himself."
Professor Huxley, an ardent exponent of Darwinism, could not unreserv
edly accept the theory, and a score or more of scientific men of the first rank
could be named who "reject Darwinism altogether or admit it only with fatal
reservations."
That higher forms of organic life have been evolved from lower is not dis
puted, but that all organic life has been so developed genetically from sub
stantially the fama form of germ plasm is very far from an accepted scientific
fact. Apart from biological research, which cannot b conclusive, all we have
to guide us are the fragmentary records of paleontology, which, when critically
examined, certainly do not help the affirmative very much.
It is not possible without encroaching seriously upon your space to show
tho many obstacles to the acceptance of tho theory in question, but generally
speaking, the fossil records cf organic life are fertile with evidences antago
nistic to the hypothesis of genetic evolution, while the evidence required to
support it Is' conspicuous at every turning point by its absence, and has to be
supplied by the ingenious imagination of its advocates. As M. Fabre says
(quoted by Gircird): "Let us acknowledge that in truth we know nothing
about anything as far as ultimate truths are concerned. Scientifically consid
ered, nature- is a riddle to which human curiosity can find no answer. Hy
pothesis, the ruins of theories are piled one on another; but truth ever es
capes us. To learn how to remain in ignorance may well be the final lesson
of wisdom."
The Reasoning Powers of
Animals
SBS9BiB9RB
y Albert F. Shore,
Member American Association for Advancement
a.
vwW&'W of Science. -Afir'',t3
HILE I do not discredit the reasoning power of elephants or
W beavers, nowever irainea u may ue, it uuco nut uu
pert observation to decide positively that at least animals of
I r.i iKio iiarnk-nrnni! nnps n5 frr in-
Ifllllc otIIU5 "" vmci " '
stance the bear, are wholly destitute of reason. Why? In
Central Park, New York, the reason is engraved in not only
hard cement, but in the nose of a cinnamon bear. This ani
mal is fenced in, but he can easily see freedom outside, and
he has long ago made up hie mind to secure his freedom by
walking outside of this cruel inclosure. Seeing that the broad side of tho
fence would bar-.him, the bear made for the front corner; but, seeing this
corner impregnable, he naturally turned toward the other unexplored corner
quite undaunted. Of course, he is again disappointed, but since the first dis
appointment was forgotten by the shock of the second, he hopefully again
returns to the said first corner, and so on, hour after hour, days, weeks, and
year after year. Lions, tigers, leopards, etc., do exactly as does this bear;
but I will say of this particular bear, that although he has worn deep holes in
the cement floor in both corners of alternate hope and despair, his nose has
become worn by his systematic swing of the head in spurning these really
hopeless corners of escape. There is as yet no clear impression on the mind
cf this bear that his long search, for freedom Is really hopeless. But this un
daunted bear can be convinced, as by cutting off his view of freedom without,
and it would also teach us a lesson that the difference between simple Intui
tion and reasoning is enormously great.
What little reason exists in animals is so feeble, that the slightest intui
tive activity on their part will easily hypnotize their reasoning powers. Imita
tion, as proved by the monkey or the parrot, and still more so by small chil
dren just because they have a larger brain area may become so extensive
that almost all the product of reasoning minds may be faithfully memorized
n-A .i -1 o 1 f oli h , i mmrle Dnrric oil rr-ror thomcphroa over roaenn ot
cept to a negligible degree.
7,i
I N
e Brain an
rags
ty Dr. William Hanna Thomson.
O sensible person believes that drugs do not affect the brain,
and yet this doctrine seems to fit in with so many facts
that some clear demonstration of its fallacy is much need
ed. It is the physician who should be asked what he has
to say on the subject, because naturally he is the one best
qualified to know whatever is known about both drugs and
brain. Moreover, lately he has made great discoveries
about the relations of the brain to the mind by observa
tions, which he alone could make, of the effects of local in
juries to brain matter caused by disease or by accident.
But how different, the facts about these two subjects are from what
most people imagine he shows by saying that drugs no more affect the brain
than insanity does that is, not at all! except alcohol, which does injure the
brain, though not at all on account of its mental effects, but for the very dif
ferent reason that alcohol has a chemical affinity for the albumen and fats of
the tissues. By this chemical action it slowly alters and damages brain tis
sue, but this result in no wise differs from similar alterations produced by
alcohol In the tissues of the liver and of the kidneys. Tobacco is a powerful
poison, and yet no autopsies can show the least difference between the brain
of a life long tmoker and that of one who never lit a cisar. Likewise, the
brain of an opium fie!d is indistinguishable from any other brain, and so on
for the rest. Everybody's Magazine.
Spirit of New Japan
Ey George Trumbull Ladd.
m
T hz.s hitherto bten uniquely characteristic of the New Japan
that, where experience at home or criticism from abroad
has revealed deficiencies and difficulties it ha gone intelli
gently and deliberately about the work of supplying the de
ficiencies and of overcoming the difficulties. The fear of
the wisct-t and best of her statesmen at the present time is
not so muh that Japan will not held her own, businesswise,
in the rivalries of commerce and trade; it is rather that
the will be overwhelmed and degraded by absorbing tho in
fluences of the commercial spirit now rite in Great Britain, America and Ger
many. To caft guard, f xrFr.d, eUvtte and extend to the whole nation, with
its varid clause:?, that f-pjrlt which hag characterized in the past their own
test types of manhood, is ?,-;th the a their chief contcm. The Century.
r
t I
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hSSSs - JL mm mrJ
m1
Cartoon by Berryman, in- the Washington Star.
MAINE'S LOG HARVEST IS ON.
20,000 Men in Camp Alons the
scot Marking of Logs.
Penob-
Bansor, Me. Maine's annual log
harvest is now in progress, and an
army of 18,000 or 20,000 men are
engaged in felling spruce, pine, hem
lock and cedar for the supply of the
saw mills and the pulp mills in 1909.
In the olden time the lumbermen
used to -wait for the snow to cover
the ground before attempting to haul
any logs, but now the crews are sent
in months before snow falls, and mill
ions of feet of logs are yarded on bare
ground. About the middle cf Janu
ary yarding is supposed to be finished
and hauling begin.
On the Penobscot alone this winter
about CO 00 men and 1500 horses are
employed. Years ago there wras al
ways a good supply of regular woods
men, but latterly the natives have
been ss?king other employment; The
you us men of this day do not care to
go into logging camps, with all sorts
of associates, to eat beans and swing
axes all winter for $5 to $30 a
month. Therefore, great difficulty is
often experienced in getting crjsws.
A woods crew is composed of sev
eral classes of workers. There are
choppers, who fell trees; 3wampers,
who make the roads, clear away the
small growth and trim the fallen
treec; teamsters, who drive the log
sleds; sled tenders, who load the
sleds; markers, who cut with axes va
rious distinctive symbols upon the
logs; ccolis, who are the chefs of the
camps, and cookaes, who do the scul
lery work and wait upon the men.
The wages vary from $15 to $30 a
month with board, and the season is
usually from four to five months.
The camps are scattered over a vast
stretch of territory, extending for 2 00
miles or more along the Penobscot
and its branches, away back to the
Quebec boundary line. Woods work
is laborious and monotonous, begin
ning with daylight .and lasting until
dark, 'with three halts for hearty
mealp, consisting for the most part of
baked bsans, although in some camps
nowadays a considerable variety of
food is provided.
The day's work concludes with a
big supper, for which the men have
ravenous appetites, and then follows
a smoke talk, when some Of the men
play cards, some sing rollicking songs
of the woods and the drive, others
discuss the latest prize fight and a
few mend- their torn clothing. The
majority are so tired that they roll
Into their bunks as soon as supper is
over and drop to sleep when they
have smoked their pipes out.
It is at the landings that the most
interesting operation of logging is
performed the marking of the logs.
The great sticks are here branded
with various symbols to denote own
ership, just as in the case of cattle.
The marks must be indelible or
they would be worn off by the bump
ing and grinding of the logs against
the roek3 and shoals on the long drive
to the booms, and in all the ninety
year3 of lumbering on the Penobscot
no one has ever been able to devise a
better method of marking than with
a sharp axe in the hands of a skilled
woodsman.
The marker is deft and rather ar
tistic, and makes very few slips or er
rors. There is a head marker and
several assistants, and they stand
upon the great log piles, swinging
their ates with confidence and precis
ion, as proud of their skill as any
chiseler of marble.
The marks cut upon the logs are of
wonderful variety. There can bo no
two alike and each must be distinctly
cut, else there would be confusion at
tne sorting Dooms ana loud com
plaint, if not lawsuits, among the
owners.
To the common eye log marki
mean no more than the hieroglyphics
on the Central Park obelisk, but to
the markers they are as plain as A,
B, C. There are crosses, girdles,
stars, daggers, crowfeet, fishes, va
rious letters and combinations of let
ters, links, notches a long and com
plicated list, and for every new log
owner a new and distinctive mark
must be invented.
'BLESS EVERYBODY
NATURE OF THE "FOOT AND MOUTH" DISEASE
Veterinarians Agree on Symptoms, But Don't Know
Cause of tlie Epizootic.
Philadelphia. Dr. Leonard Pear
son, State Veterinarian, and other
veterinarians here are agreed upon
tho main characteristics of the mal
ady known as "foot and mouth dis
ease." In Europe it is also called
murrain, and the principal scientific
narae3 for it are eczema, epizootica
and apthous fever. It is highly in
fectious, and its ideutity is deter
mined by the eruption of vesicles or
blisters in the mouth, around the
coronet or top of the foot or hoof, in
the cleft between its parts, and (of
the cow or she goat) on the udder.
It is most common in cattle and
swine. The human specie3 is also
susceptible to it, but rarely to a ser
ious degree.
The specific cause of apthous fever
has not been clearly demonstrated.
The virus is contained in the erup
tions. Authorities say that the cause
is presumably a germ. If that is the
case, the germ is so small that it will
pass through a Eerkefeld water filter.
Tha infection may be indirect,
through the stables, the straw, hay
or other objects with "which diseased
animals have come in contact. The
virus may be carried by an animal
several months after it has had tke
disease and has recovered from it.
The period between .the moment of
Infection and that when the eruption
appears is from twenty-four to seventy-two
hours. Tho symptoms vary
greatiy in different epizootics, being
sometimes mild and at other times
severe. The first evidence of its pres
ence is a rise of temperature, which
in cattle rarely goes beyond 104 de
grees Fahrenheit. The mucous mem
brane of the mouth becomes red
dened, the appetite is diminished and
the rumination or chewing of the
cud ceases.
Warships to Be in Fashion
Are Painted "London Smoke."
New York City. Darac fashion is
now fastening her grip on the United
States Navy. "London smoke," the
color which Is all the rage this season
among smart dressers, 13 being made
fashionable for the battleships, cruis
ers and gunboats. The battleship
New KampMn're, at the Brooklyn
Navy Yard, he first to yield her
showy white coat to one cf the fash
ionable color. This color blends with
the gray of the seu md bothers an
The eruption appears two or three
days later. It consists of small yellow-white
vesicles or blisters, vary
ing in size from a hemp seed to a
pea on the gums and inner surface of
the lips, the insides of tha cheeks and
the under surface of the tongue.
They burst soon after .their appear
ance, sometimes on the first day. The
blister may remain a day or two more
and then dicappear speedily, leaving
deeply reddened areas of erosions,
which are very painful. They may
become normally covered again, or
may be converted Into ulcers. At this
stage saliva forms in large quantities
and hangs in strings from the mouth.
In eight or fourteen days the disease
may have entirely disappeared.
From the eruptions on the feet or
hoofs there is a viscid exudation,
and the animal is subjected to so
much pain that frequently it moves
about on its knees. This is especially
true of sheep. The sores on the udder
of the cow become exceedingly pain
ful, and after a little she ceases to
give milk. The effect of the disease
on any animal is to cause it to be
come extremely emaciated, and even
if It recovers promptly to greatly
lessen lt3 value.
Post-mortems reveal affections of
tho lungs, dilation and fatty degen
eration of the heart and gastric and
intestinal lesions.
Washington, D. C. Secretary Wil
son said that the anxiety la his de
partment over tha threatened epi
demic of foot and mouth, disease
among cattle had subsided.
"We have the disease well under
control now, and I don't believe 'it
will spread to any other locality," he
said. "It has been necessary to
slaughter about 1000 head of cattle."
enemy's range finders.
"Uncle Sam" Provides Polo
Ponies For the Army.
Washington, D. C In order to
encourage polo playing in the United
States Army the War Department U
S oa p;n raarket for the purchase
of 30 polo ponies, or small messen
ger torses, 33 they are called. One
hundred and seventy of tho desired
500 have already been obtained from
a contractor.
It is planned to distribute five
horses to each troop of cavalry and
each battery of field and mountain
j artillery.
A curly head bowed on my knee,
A little form all clad in white,
Two dimpled hands clasped reverently
And God receives the last "Goodnight!"
No hour so solemn, none sa sweet,
No scene of innocence bo fair
As this, when Faith and Chiluhood meet
And know each other in a prayer.
Not blessings born of men she asks
Petitions for herself alone
Not countless treasures, easy tasks,
A harvest reaped, though nothing sown;
Not happiness, nor length of days,
Nor peace nor pleasure is the plea
Not even for a mother's praise,
However sweet it seem to be.
For those she loves this little child
In tender accents intercedes,
As if our hearts were reconciled
To make contentment of our needs.
A blessing on cacli one of kin.
And then Love's banner all unfurl'd.
As if to take Creation in
"Bless Everybody in the world."
Bless all the world? O gentle heart,
That throbs not with one selfish thrill.
That isolates no soul apart,
Forbodes no living creature ill;
The incense from thy altar place
High in the clouds is wreathed and curl'd
To bear the message of thy prace
To "everybody in the world!"
W. V. II., in Ohio Magazine.
A
e LITTLE HEROINE
i OF THE PLAINS t
ve - 0
Q ' .
Every day during the fall months
little Molly Donivan walked to the
country school tvoniles distant from
her home. And she took" charge of
and protected two little neighbor
children who were somewhat younger
than herself, seeing that they were
not "run over" by the older pupils,
for, you know, there are boys and
girls, too, I'm sorry to say who de
light in teasing and annoying their
juniors in age and inferiors in size.
So Molly threw her protecting little
arm about Peggy and Sammy Stone,
twin sister and brother, and neigh
bors of Molly's. -
During the severe winter weather
Molly, and, of course, Peggy and
Sammy, (seeing that the twins never
went to school without Molly) were
obliged to mis3 many, many days of
schooling, for they could not breast
tho severe weather such a long dis
tance. But during the pleasant
months they never missed a day.
Going to and from school was very
pleasant, indeed, for their road was
over a beautiful prairie, with great
fields Etretching on every side. It
was in the middle west, where very
little timber obstructed the prairies,
which rolled gently sloping for miles
and miles. Also it was tho country
where the cyclone often did great
damage to property" and life, for no
mountains or forests were there to
break its fury.
One very hot day ia the latter part
of September for September is one
of the hottest months in that part of
the country the heat was most op
pressive; no wind which is so U3ual
during the autumn blew to give re
lief, and the sky was full of small,
heavy thundercaps. This was omin
ous, threatening a storm of some
sort. .
Late in the afternoon the school
teacher decided it was best to dismiss
echool for the day, as, every atmos
pheric symptom pointe'S" toward a cy
clonic disturbance, if not a genuine
cyclone. She told the pupils to make
all possible haste to their respective
homes, saying that thesky'wa3 very
threatening, indeed, for a great
lack-browed cloud was rising over
the northwestern horizon.
Molly, with little book satchel in
one hand and dinner pail in the
other, and with Peggy and Sammy
running close to her heels, went-flying
over the dusty country road to
ward her home, which was not to be
seen from the schoolhouse, a long
hill intervening.
"Hope it won't bo a cyclone,"
gasped out Sammy. And even while
he was speaking a gust of hot wind
blew fiercely from the northwest.
"Oh, that blew the dust in my eye3!"
the little chap cried, stopping to wipe
his face on his sleeve.
"Say, sister an' Molly, wait for
me!" he called out to the running
girls, who were leaving him behind.
"Well, brother, don't be foolin'
along," called cut Peggy, pausing Jn
her speed and waiting for Sammy to
come up.
un, got aust in your eyes.' asked . h9 was coming very rapidly, looking
Molly, pausing also and looking nil ahmit hi-m When ho rn
of rain. The storm waavomina at
the rate of fifty miles an hour, r.rxd
the outer rim of it was upon the
three little ones in the wild prairie.
Molly, versed in all the things of
the plains, looked nt the cloud, saw
the under clouds whirling round and
round; also noted that there seemed
to he two strong upper currents of
air battling with each other. " Al
though the atmosphere wa3 insuffer
ably hot just before the wind struck
it, it had now turned very cold, and
Sammy and Peggy shivered. "Uh,
let's hurry home," gasped Peggy,
hardly able to speak in the fiercenesa
of the cale.
But Molly's observant eye had seen
something that neither Sammy nor
Peggy had noticed. In fact, not ono
child In a hundred under fifteen
would have noticed it.
It was a funnel-s.apcd cloud as.
black as ink that kept dipping down,
toward the earth and swinging back
ward, and forward as it swept across
the prairie at least twenty mile
away from the spot where the chil
dren were. Molly's face turned dead
ly pale, and her little hands trembled
as she tried to fix her book satchel
and dinner pail together in order that
she might have one hand free to hold
to Peggy with, for the wind was al
most taking that little girl from her
feet. "Come, hold to me, Peggy,"
said Molly. "And you, Sammy, take
hold of my other arm. There! Now
we must reach that little draw down
yonder the place where the bank is
all washed out on the north side.
"But that ain't going home!" cried
Peggy, her breath almost gone in the
gale and her little sunbonnet fiying:
away.
"Never mind your bonnet never
mind anything but what I tell yoa!""
Molly screamed in the children's ears.;
for now the storm was nearing them
so rapidly that its roaring drowned
their voices. And the rain wa3 com
ing faster and faster. "It's a very
dangerous storm," shrieked Molly
dragging the two little ones by main,
force, and against their will, toward,
the "draw" where one of the banks-,
had been cut out by heavy rains into
a deep cave-like ledge. "Come, we
can't get home now. We've got to
crawl under the bank in the draw!
The distance was short to the draw
being only a few paces from the road
side, and within a few minutes Molly
had the twins safely tucked far under
the overhanging bank, a little cave
like nook secure from the wind and
weather, and she herself crawled in
after them. And there the three lit
tle ones remained for a long, long;
hour, for the wind swept above them
in a perfeat hurricane, tearing out by
the roots the few stray trees that
grew along the banks of the "draw."
Peggy and Sammy huddled down
like two little mica, keeping their
eyes shut tightly while with their
hands they clung to the very soil be
neath them, digging their fingers into
it. But so secure were they that the
wind swept above them, never touch
ing them with its fierceness. And the
the ground being so dry the rain was
swallowed up a3 soon as it fell, thus
preventing the little run. o&cjraw
as the ditch, was comnj
from filling up &T"&ttce'. But as
rain fell in torrents quite a littht?
river was formed in the bed of the
ravine, and the children had some
difficulty in keeping their feet out of
it. "If the water rises much more
we'll get a good soaking," said Molly,
speaking to herself. "But we're not
afraid of water. If the storm goes
over without tearing our cave away"
we're in luck."
And so it did. Soon the wind had
blown over, the rain had followed itr
still rushing on across the prairies
like wildfire. And the great battle
field of the storm lay soaked and
wind - swept, every tree, every hay-"
stack that had dotted the prairie was
gone.
Slowly Molly crept from the little
cave under the bank and looked about
her. Some rain was falling yet, but
not enough for apprehension, and to
ward the northwest the sky was clear
and serene. But all about them the
plains lay. A3 bare as though they had
been swept by a huge broom. Even
the wild grass had been torn out by
the roots. Molly looked toward the
schoolhouse or the place where it
had once been. But the ground wa
smooth and not one board of the
white frame building was to be seen,
A great fear came over her. Sup
pose her own home her dear par
ents! But at that moment she saw a
sturdy figure ascending the long hill,
and into view came her own father.
around toward Sammy, who was still
trying to clear his eyes. Then she
returned to the little boy's assistance,
taKing ner nauairercmer. trom ner
book satchel and wiping the lids o
Sammy's e3'es. : "Now, I gues3 the
dust is all out," said Molly, preparing
to replace her kerchisf in iti resting
place.
"No, 'tain't," declared Sammy, bat
ting his eyelids. "There's dust
chunks and chunks of it in my left
eye. Uh, it hurts, it does." And th
Buffering Sammy grabbed at Molly's
kerchief to aid in removing the
"chunkg and chunks" of dust from
his eye., "Again Molly came to his as
sistance, this time turning the lid
back as far as she could so that she
might wipe the dust from under it.
She had seen her mother remove
dust from the herdboys eyes many
and many a time, and she knew just
how to go about it. But the process
took time, and before Sammp pro
claimed his peepers all right the min
utes had flown, and so had the great
black-browed cloud, which now cov-J
erea nair tne western sky. Then the
day grew suddenly darker, and a fu
rious wind came cf a sudden, bring
ing dust, sand and occasional drops
all about him. When he saw Molly
he raised his hands as if in thankful
ness. Molly and the twins ran to meet
him. - ,
"Why, papa, where did you come
from?" asked Molly, in cheerful
tones. "Art mamma and the house
safe?" r
"Ye3, dear child. But how canio
you here? We supposed the teache?
would keep you in. the schoolhouso
in the face of such a storm. But "
and for the first time he saw, to bin
surprise and dismay, that there was
no schoolhouse. Then Molly told
him how they she and the twins
had crouched in the cut-out bank of
the "draw" during the storm. And
when she had finished, her father
took her in his arms and kissed her.
"You are the bravest little girl I
ever saw or heard of," he said. "Yo"
saved the lives of your little charpji
and of yourself by being cool-headei
and brave. And now let's, hurry
home. Mamma and the father and
mother of Fepgy and Sammy are so
anxious to know if you ?.rt safe. , God
less you all. hat joy they will
feJjJfn. "J sos us a'l comin-;
home tog.v ' safe and round.1 v
Washington. ' - .