Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-01-25
IN SElE.QEEENSE.

IN SeLF.OeFeNSe.
WittenberE College, and the search for Ma
tural Gas-'X" Replies to IAN Observer.
To the Editor Of the Globe Republic:
In your issue of last Friday, the east inst
'.An Observer writing of what he calls
''the gas craze has the following:
1--WE understand that some college pro-
fessors had theory which encouraged the
well digging, but we have not been able to
learn what it was. The Profs. however.
had better luck than the gas. for they craw-
fished and got out, but the gas did not
Again. in your issue Of December SOth
ult, in the report of the condition of things
at the Funk Il Minahan well, there is the
following statement:
my goodness! but how it tickles the
stockholders to see how badly bored
those college professors are. Be
fore any of the work was
done on it at all. they prophesicd that we
would strike rock thirty feet down. Now
they are trying their best to crawl and
crawfish out Of it any way they can. They
now assert that before we get many feet
lower we will strike slate rock instead of
limestone
Once more. Last July sometime an
article, speaking Of the discovery of the
gas, had this statement:
"A quantity Of the gas was submitted to
some of the Wittenberg scientists for an
analysis, but, owing to lack of necessary
facilities, no satisfactory results were
obtained. Now it is proposed to secure a
new supply and submit 1t to an analytical
test by Virgil COblentz. to ascertain
whether or not the gas has any heating,
Illuminating. or any other valuable quail
tiles"
The above quotations do not comprise al
the paragraphs of similar character thai
might be cited from your columns, but they
will do for the present.
| There has been disposition to let thes,
things pass as inadvertencies that has
slipped into the paper, but their persisten
and frequent recurrence has led to the con
viction that their purpose has not been in
nOcent. No one conyersant with the trutl
Of the matter could have written the para
| graphs I'm question with an honest intent.
1t is not and was not true that, when las
summer quantity of the gas was brough
to the college for analysis there was ''lac
Of. necessary facilities" and tina
mo satisfactory results" were oh
tanned. One of the men who ''sut
mitted" the gas said that all they had aske
was done. As il was i'm vacation DIR. Edga
Smith, the professor of natural science, wa
not here. but two of hispupils, one of whor
is his assistant, made the analysis. and
was satisfactory; and IL the analysis ha
been made by Mr.. COblentz it would sti
have been done by one of DIR. Smiths pr
pills. for Mr.. c. was student of chemistr
under him at the college during the proceed
ing session. The whole statement in regar
to this matter is tissue of invention cor
trary to the facts.
Further. The statement that the ''Prt
fessOrs prophesied- at what. depth the
would find rock: or that they would fin
gas, OF that since the failure thus far of tn
wells. the professors are bored" are tr,
ing to crawl" ''crawfish" OF do anythin
else more or less elegant In regard to tn
matter-all these statements are destitute Q
the one essential which shOnld tit them fC
Your columns, namely truth.
There are eleven professors and tutors Q
Wittenberg College. While all Of thei
would rejoice il natural gas should be oil
tanned here in paying quantity, it is not trl
that they have assumed to know or pr0phes
nything of the kind as alleged. Even
some one OF them, who does not profess {
be an expert in geology, should have ha7
arded an opinion, how improper it wOul
be to impute that opinion to all the ''prt
fessOrs."
Moreover, DIR. Smith, whose department
being that Of natural science, would
especially interested, ventured no prophece
and, of course, neither he nor the ''prOfes
sors- have had to crawl" out of anythin
except in the imagination Of your reporters
On the contrary, when the reports of borin
here for natural gas got east, and eminer
scientific experts wrote to DIR. S. for infor
nation. his answer was that nothing certai
could be fOretold about ii.
The effect of the paragraphs quoted an
others like them Is 10 operate in most hurt
full way against Wittenberg college. an
especially against the department. of Natura
Science. And yet that department is i
charge Of the professor, DIR. Edgar Smith
whose reputation Is not confined to thi
country, whose contributions 10 science hav
gained him membership in the chemical SC
cieties Of London, Berlin and Paris. an,
whose works on chemistry have bee
adopted in the John Hopkins University. a
Yale college, and in other prominent inst
tutiOns
In many years reading of your paper d
not recall any statement rejecting in an
way against the manufacturing interests o
this city, or anything calculated to max
their prOprietors ridiculous, and hurt thei
business.
Would it be unreasonable to ask that Wit
tenberg college, like the other institution
of Springfield, might enjoy immunity from
misstatements. unfounded innuendos an,
unjust reflections in your columns. The at
tacks quoted above, and others like them
which have been allowed in your paper
have done more harm than hundreds o
dollars paid for advertising can remedy
and it is an injury, which the kind feeling
you entertain towards the college and til,
friendly editorials occasionally written, can
not overbalance. y.
The articles appearing in the GLoBE-RE
PUBLIC at different times. from which '.X'
quotes, were not written by reporter, no
by any one connected with this paper, as i
intimated In the above communication
They were written by thoroughly respon
sible gentleman and published in these col
umns, not with the least intention of reflect
ing upon Wittenberg College nor any of he
professors. The GLoBE-REPUBLIC Away.
has. and does now, entertain the highest re
gard for the members of the faculty and ha.
a just pride i'm the success and name of tht
college.
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