Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1873-01-22
"That Phosphate Rock"


The Vermont Farmer, having charged US
with ignorance and finally with dishonesty
in respect to certain statements we made
10 regard to phosphate rocks and mari de-
posts on the line Of Montpelier & Wells
River railroad, and being called upon to
specify the ignorance aud prove the dishon.
es,y, gives half a column Of weak and eva.
sive reply. We relied for our statements
on the expressed opinion Of very com.
peient gentleman and scientist who has WIS.,
tied the region, carefully explored it, and
given to US specimens Of the rock and de.
posits. We took the entire responsibility
for the article that appeared in our columns
and we wish to repeat its statements, and
we are confident that the examination will
prove all that we have said. OF the ex.
istence Of the mari deposit we have no
doubt, even while we have no pocuniary
investment in this thing" as the Farmer
insinuates. The Journai is not in the habit
Of ioisting falsebood on the public attention
for the sake Of private gain. The Farmer
may consider it to be editorial courtesy to
intimate and charge such dishonor, when it
has not the shadow Of proof Of il, but it
is courtesy that will find very few admirers
In reply to our demand Of the Farmer to
prove its charge Of ignorance and deception
made against US, that paper says
But if the Jouraaiassumes tleresponsiblity
for these statements, we fear II has shOuldered
a heavy load As we said, we sent the extract
away. and did not have il before Us WHEN We
wrote nor has it been returned 10 US. COnse-
quenily we could not then, nor can we now.
" specify aud specifically rciute the state
ments Of the article but no very high scientific
attanmcnts were necessary 10 enable one to see
that the writer was, MS we said, "ign)rant oi
mineral0gy, geology, and chemistry II we
remember CORRECTLY, there was IN the article am
unqualified statement that a rock existed along
the railroad containing high percentage oi
phosphoric acid. Now the only rock OF that
kind likely to be 50 found is the mineral known
AS apatite,' (ol which a correspondent has
something TO say elsewhere in this week 5
fdrmer)
1t is quite a convenient thing that the
Farmer has lost our article. 1t is a con-
venieut way Of unshoulderiug heavy load.
Its remembrance is at fault, for We have
never made a qualified or unqualified
statement that rock existed along the
railroad containing high percentage Of
phosphorc acid. We have simply said
that there were deposits Of rock along the
line Of the railroad which contained a large
quantity of lime, and in the two articles
IN which we have called attention to this
fact, we have expressed the hope that the
commercial value of the formation would
be ascertained by careful analysis. We
reiterate our statement. We repeat our de-
sire for a thorough scientific analysis. We
deny the SANDER Of pecuniary interest in
this thing, and express the hope that the
paper which is devoted to the agricultural
interests of Vermont will seud.its scien-
tist' over the line Of the railroad, lest
haply it should be found at last ignorant
of the things which it ought to know.