The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-03-15
Professor Cummings Lecture.

Professor Cummings lecture, Monday
evening of this week, was very interesting.
Except habit ofrepetition to which some
of his hearers object, and which reminds
one of the classroom, his periods from
first to last are perfect in their proportions
and as finished as though each had been
carefully written and purposely made to
minister TO the highest artistic sense as
well as to the appetite for scientific facts.
He has the most patient attention, aud
his audience have the appearance of hav-
ing for the time being dismissed trade,
dairying, the fluctuations of the market,
speculation, all surface and sublunary
cares, and to have become suddenly. con-
cerned about the antecedents of clay and
sand, the shifting of zones. the earth's
orbit, the track and trend of glaciers,
Natures statutes and revelation as record
ed in tables of rock and laid away in the
cornerstone of the everlasting hills 10 be
read of coming centuries.
He related at the close the very interest
ing fact, new to US, that an untutored
Portage county boy, now Professor Stock
well, of Cleveland, with only his indomit-
able patience and love of profound mathe-
matical study to aid him. has contributed
invaluable information to the world in
the direction of original calculations in
mathematical astronomy which is now
the accepted authority of the greatest
scientific scholars of the age. Cleveland
1 al IL
Ito fortune and to fame unknown already
recognized in the old world as benefactor
10 science. Fifteen years he had wrought
npon the problem OF the earth's orbit
and even his wife strangely failed to under
stand how the years had nOtbeen wasted ,un-
til the tribute of learned men surprised her
with her husbands greatness. 1t was SO
pathetic, so true, so near home, one need
not have been ashamed to find ones eyes
illing at the recital, and they applauded
the Professor, or the story, one could moi
tell which.
Professor Cunning did not know that Ibis
meek scribler had just sent TO press cou
scienIious protest against man subduins
the earth to the extent of despOiling the
Everything that grows spontaneous, fol
greed of present gain or to substitute some
thing to be speedily turned into CONNER
cial value; and TO some questioner he re
piled twas "nonsense," the suppositioI
that climate and rainfall were influenced
by forests and vegetation. We have nC
fondness for fogyism and like better rea
sons than hearsay; aud preiudices for opin
iols: and We most earnestly desire tC
know why il is that man as a geological
agent is thus summarily dismissed
Scientists of such learning and notoriety a
10 be quoted us authority and whose opin
ions are laid down as articles of faith il
the latest and most extensive Cyclopedias
distinctly state that human interference,
does affect meteorological conditions; tha
il Is an influence of enorn Dus and increas
ing consequence, coming more and NOR
to be recogniZed;s and that 'the actiol
OF man may be witnessed on climate, oi
the flow of water, on the character OF th
terrestrial surface and on the distribution
of life," subjects separately treated and a
length, but which We had not seen uni
what we had written was in type. In
stead of finding contradiction, however
eyeIyihing was subsiantiated; and 1t is nc
in the spirit of criticism, but with the di'
. position of seeker after truth that we eI
quire the reasons for disputing acommonl
accepted, but alas not much needed col
clusion that man is subduing the eaIlh {
its ultimate injury as place of habitaiioI