The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-12-25
DR.. LedOuxS View

To spare the space III the last number be
fore Christmas-suspension We yet make room
for it for what it will fetch GU.
Northern brethren say
CHAPEL HILL, \. C., Dee. -.
Editors Of tie Farner and -NechaHtc.
DEAR SIR Returning to Chapel Hill
find upon my table a copy Of the Farmel
and -NechnHtc of the llth, containing a letter
which first appeared IN the Wilmington
Rerier. The object Of this letter and OF
your comments upon the same Is to condemn
the action Of the Executive Committee of
the Board of Agriculture in the sending he
outside of North Carolina to secure an as
sistant. | think can convince you, the
correspondent Of the Ryicw, and any other
fair minded man, in a very few words, that
the criticism Is unnecessary.
In the first place, | have three assistants
IN my work. at present, AND EVERY ONE OF
THEM Is a North CARoLINIAN.
In the second place, when the Board Of
Agriculture ordered me, IN April 1873, to Sc
cure an assistant in addition to Mr.. Phillips,
the fact was announced IN very many of the
State papers.
In the Farmer and Nechanic, if [ remem-
Der rightly, appeared an editorial urging the
desirabllity of selecting a North Carolinan for
the position, | waited from April until
August, corresponding with those interes-
ted IN education In this State, and during all
| this time not q sinale North Corohntian op-
phei TOR tie position. The friends ola
graduate of Davidson College, then studying
III Europe, wrote me concerning HIM. Upon
inquiry | learned that he ID not expect to
return to the United States until Spring, or
at the very earliest midwinter.
utter 1 selected Mr.. Warnecke a number
of State papers deplored my selection Of IA
foreigner and said that there were twenty
young men In the State fully competent to
Till the position"
In the third place, it has been known in
the State since the lst ofOct. that Mr.. War
necke had resigned.
1t was also published in the papers that
the Act of the last Legislature, putting upon
the Department of Agriculture all the chem
ical work of the State Board of Health,
would necessitate the employment of a
fourth assistant at the Station.
Duplng all Mas time not a single dppLcu-
ton, personal or through friends, has been
aeceiueA from any North C~arohnian, who
desired or considered himself competent to
fill the position.
If the correspondent of the Rerieu or the
editor of the Farmer md Mechanic were ac-
quainted with lat least a dozen young men
native and to the manner born who are
competent to fill any position chemical or
Agricultural that pertains to the Depart
ment of Agriculture" why in the name of
North Carolina did you not send in their
names? Why did not these young men who
are about to leave North Carolina, "for
want of patronage why did not they or
their friends apply for the place?
And finally let me entreat the correspon-
dent of the Rerleu to send me the names
and addresses of these young men, to-
gether with their qualifications, that when
the nert vacancy occurs on our force may
select one of them to fill it.
Let me state one more fact. For the DO
sition left vacant by Mr.. Warnecke have
had some seven or eight apprehension
from a German, one from an Englishman,
one from a graduate Of Yale College, where
he was under the instruction of Prof. John
son; two from Johns Hopkins University:
two from Columbia College in New York
With due respect. not only to our North
Carolina Institutions but to the Technical
Schools OF the North, truth compels ne to
say that after examining them III person |
have not found an American among them
qualified, not only by education but by post
graduate experience, tor Agricultural, chem
zeal analysis of the kind which my work re-
quires. c
have selected a foreigner, a German:
his name is William Mayer. He is thirty
years of age; has studied ut Wiesbaden UNI
der the celebrated Frescnius: has been NTH
United Safes five years: part OF the tim as
chemist Of a manufacturing establishment III
Baltimore. For the past three years he has
been private assistant to the Professor of
chemistry at Johns Hopkins University.
Mr.. Warnecke, as you know, was also about
thirty years Of age, had studied chemistry
for eight years, had worked in the Expert
ments Stations of Tharand, Leipslc, and
Connecticut.
How many men are there in North Caro-
lima, nay, in our whole country, whatever
their educational advantages may have been,
who can compare in erpeTeace with either
of these men,?
l need not remind you Of the necessity of
having accurate, expert, and CONSCIENTIOUS
men to help me in my work. \ single mis-
take, resulting from ineXperlence or care