Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-13
the value Of the time hsye expended upon

"why. to be sure, who but Maj. Powell2 The
object Of this absurd order TO place my collec-
lions in the national museum is to gain control
Of them, 80 that my work may be postponed
until Il has been done by Prof. Marsh Of Yale
college, and this in spite of the fact that the
preliminary work has been already published
by me, and that the truth is sure to come out
ct some future time"
charges of plagiarism against Prof. Marsh.
He claims that Prof. Marsh's alleged discovery
of the evolution of the horse was a theft from
Prof. Kowalevsky of Moscow; that his works
on toothed birds, horned mammals and sau-
rians OF the west were written by Prof. Willis
ton and others of Prof. Marsh's assistants, and
that his papers on horned saurians of the Lara
mic is pretended discovery, which Prof Cope
claims to have described thirteen years ago.
Prof. Cope makes grave charges also against
the scientific pretensons of both Prof. Marsh
and Major Powell, claiming that the latter has
frequently demonstrated his ignorance Of the
best known facts of geology.
rs "a MAJ. PowELL's METHODS.
..Since he came into Office" Prof. Cope 10
quotedfas saying, referring to Maj. Powell, ''he
has been Withholding the small amounts neces-
sary to complete the works of the survey under
DIR. Hayden. as ordered by Congress in 1850,
30 as to anticipate their contents by his own
publications. since he got the survey extended
to cover the states he has endeavored to de-
prive the state biologists of the fruits Of their
work. In Minnesota he has thus attempted to
rob DIR. N. H. Winchell, the state geologist
there, and in Alabama Prof. Eugene Smith,
state geologist He has subsidized nearly all
biologists who can do him any harm by attach
ing them to the survey in some small capacity,
and in doing SO has not overlooked the Journal
lists. For instance, what possible use can the
geological survey have of Mr.. w. A. Croffut,
whose name appears in the list of saaried
ofhcers2 Perhaps we shall know more about it
| iIf "a x,ha of hos
salaried gentlemen will rise to explain. Con-
gress should investigate the duplication of sci
entitc work which has been going Oh by direc-
ton OF the geological survey. Why should the
work under the surveys of Hayden. King and
Wheeler be done over again and published a
second time at government expense, with more
or less OF the credit OF the original workers left
out?"
Prof. Cope mentions several persons who he
understands have suffered severely because OF
Prof Marsh's refusal to pay them their salaries
as his assistants. He also, Prof. Cope says. used
their investigations his own. Among these
men were s. w. Williston, Phi. D., ND; Otto
Meyer, Ph. D.; NJ. Schlosser, Ph.D.: E. II. Bar
Der, RA., and ]. b. Hatcher, Ph.D.
Prof. Cope furnished the Herald CORE
spondent who interviewed him In Philadelphia
with letters from Prof. Williston and Prof Otto
Meyer, who have served as assistants to Prof.
Marsh, criticising Prof. Marsh's methods OF
work and alleging that he he took the credit OF
the work done by his assistants. The CORE.
spondence between the Secretary of the Inte-
rior and Major Powell, resulting in an order to
Prot. Cope to turn over his collections to the
| national museum, is given and Prof. Cope's
reply.
WHAT PROF. SCOTT SAYS.
Prof. W. 3. Scott was interviewed at Prince.
ton college and said he did not care to be
drawn into the controversy.
Professor Scott is quoted as saying that DIR.
Hayden was swept from the survey through
Professor Marsh's Vaccinations; that Professor
Marsh Is incompetent as paleontologist, and
that he Ii plagiarlst. As to Mai. Powell, VI
he Is quoted as saying The too. is incompete nj
from a geological standpoint. although it is but
falr to say that he can secure larger appropria-
lions from Congress than any man know. II
is for this reason that do not see how we can
get along without Powell, since we must have
appropriations. Still, we ought to have some
great geologist at the head of the survey. and
the country has produced none greater than
Cope, though 1 do not believe Cope cares for
such position. Powell has subsidized every
one who could injure him. at least so lie
thought, but it appears he overlooked the men
who had the weapons of real injury. There are
many men who could tell truth sufficient to
wreck Powell, but they are subsidized by the
survey"
STATEMENTS OF OTHER SCIENTISTS.
Extracts are also given by the Herald from a
long criticism of the methods and management
of the survey by DIR. F. NJ Endlich, geologist
and mining expert. An interview with DIR.
Persifer Frazer OF the Franklin institute Phila-
delpha, is given, generally sustaining the criti-
cisms OF the methods of survey and manage
ment of the survey, and charging Mai. Powell
with attempting to destroy the American com.
mittee of the international geological congress
because he has not been permitted to control it
Major POwell'S Rcply
The Herald publishes with these charges the
reply of Maj. Powell to whom the manuscript
was submitted before publication. Maj. Powell
writes: What is the origin of this war against
| the geological survey?
This question has a simple and perfect
| answer. For many years four men-namely,
Prof. E. ID. Cope, Prof Parsifer Frazer, DIR. 4.
Sterry Hunt and DIR. F. NJ. Endlich-have been
engaged IN an attempt to reorganiZe the
United States geological survey, or rather to
change its management by putting themselves
in charge OF the work. So far as the plan has
been developed it seems that DIR. EndlIch
| asprred to be director, Prof. Cope to be chief
chemist. l suppose that Prof. Frazer aspires
to be chief geOlogis:, though have no written
evidence OF that fact and know not the role he
desired TO play: Prof. Cope and DIR. Hunt
through themselves or their friends, have b.en
persistent applicants for positions on the sur.
vey under the present management. During
all the time, however, these men have NOT
| failed to secretly stab at me and my assistants
whenever opportunity could be found
Early in my administration. when Prof
Cope was urging his appointment on me, he
wrote to one OF my assistants as follows:
DEAR HOLMES: 1 have Just received some
new mammal proof, not half read It is dia.
bolical Hope the next will be better Yours
Cope.
P.S.-Can't we scotch POWELL?
when this was handed me by Mr.. Holmes i,
was my first intimation of Prof. Cope's enmity
At this time Prof. Cope was engaged in mining
| spcculattons in New Mexico and DR.. Endlic6
| was his employe, the superintendent OF his
mines"
Maj. Powell gives two letters received by Mr.
Gannett and DIR. Peale OF the survey from DR.
Endlich asking them to give him points las to
deadheads, &c, OH the survey and other mat
| tiers which are not as they should be-" He saws
these changes made by Prof Cope were all
| submitted to the joint committee of the Senate
| and the House of Representatives engaged in q
general investigation of the scientific bureaus
| OF the government for the purpose of determin
| ing the best organization for the same After
| thorough investigation they were considered sc
| baseless that when the report of the committee
was published they were never referred to.
| REVIEWING THE CHARGES.
Maj. Powell then reviews the charges. Re
ferring to Prof Marsh's employment on the
survey he says:
ale has exhibited in his work great industry
having made vast collections in the field and
produced great results in the laboratory. His