Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-01-13

The work under Prof Marxh's charge. he
says, has annually cost the government, includ-
ing his own salary. from si2, 900 to $4,000 in
stead Of go. 600. In addition 10 this Professor
Marsh. as is well known by all scientific men of
the country, has expended large sums of his
own money in hiring employees, travelling in the
held and collecting materials. and the results OF
such expenditure have accrued to the benefit
Of the geological survey.
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY.
MAJ. Powell says in refesence to the National
academy OF sciences that the only time when
the academy has, directly or indirectly, had
any question before il relating 10 the geological
survey was when it considered and adopted a
plan TO be submitted to Congress for a national
survey. Maj. Powell had been asked by the
academy for his opinion and his recommend
uons were substantially adopted. AT that
time, he says. Prof. Marsh was acting as
president Of the academy, but / was not a
member OF that body and had no official rela-
tons with Prof Marsh and only a slight ac-
quaintance with him"
He denies all charges or assertions as to in
uigue between the academy and himself The
amount annually expended by the survey is. he
says, about Sl.c00,0O0 and not $500 600 as
stated by Frof Cope. After giving a review of
| the work OF the survey he says: 1T Is charged
against me. a. If 1t were crime, that the men,
bers OF the academy countenance and support
the survey under my charge; that the pro-
fessors OF the colleges and universities of the
land are my friends and sanction nv work; that
the great body o. BIOLOGISTS of America sym
pathize with my purposes. and that even the
Senators and members Of the Congress of the
| United States give me their support; that all
OF these are In league with me in some scan
dsious affair. And what is it, forseoth, that all
these men have combined to accomplish which
Is so wickedf Nothing less than to put under
bushel the light of the glory of the genius of
Prof Cope. have deemed il matter of con-
graduation that the work of the survey has
been sustained by many of the scientific
men Of America, by public men of all parties
and administrations and by the almost unani-
NOUS voice Of the press"
DUPLICATING WORK.
He denies the charge that the survey has du-
plicated and stolen the material Of former ma
tional surveys and state surveys and challenges
| the production of any specific instance as to
the charge OF duplcating and stealing the work
OF existing state surveys. He says: The fact
| Is the general government surveys and all of
the state surveys, with possibly one exception,
are working together in harmony and cooper
atlng for common purposes and are in frequent
consultation. Certain subjects of investigation
| are re!egated TO the state surveys, other SUBJ
gects to the national survey, and there is a con-
slant and voluminous correspondence going on
between these surveys by which the work is
| correlated to the advantage of both.
1T is stated, with the inuendo that criminal
| isy esesShco dui the OF
the geological survey of the states of Massa-
| chusettS and New Jersey. The fact is that
| these states, together with Connecticut and
| Rhode Island, have considered that the survey
| under my charge is of such importance to
| their industrial interests that they have made
appropriations from their treasu' les for like
work and placed it under the charge of the
| United States survey that il may be done by
the methods therein devised and pursued
| Overtures have been made to the directors
from several other states for like purposes.
| Mr.. CRoFFUT's EMPLOYMENT.
at is charged" writes Maj. Powell, "as il it
were a crime, that W. A. Croffut, a well-known
journalist, is a salared officer in the geological
survey mea culpa. Mr.. Croffut is practically
the editor of the survey. When he Was en-
ployed the manuscript for forty-one reports
was In the hands of the printer, for at that time
| there had been a blockade IN publication and
was compelled TO have assistance IN the work
| involved. Mr.. Croffut has charge of the bust
| ness part OF this bookmaking. such as the proof
reading, the preparation of induces, the care OF
the Illustrations. which are many, &c. Pub
| fishers and journalists will understand the work
which he has to do"
PROF. CoPE's REPORTS.
| As to the alleged suppression of Prof. Cope's
reports Maj. Powell says that the public
printer had refused to go further with the
printing of these reports until all the manu-
/ script was provided, as Prof. Cope had in his
! first volume greatly exceeded the limit placed
upon the work by the appropriation.
PERSONAL TO PROF. COPE.
"For a number OF years." Maj. Powell saws
''the matter has been in such condition thai
Prof. Cope can publish another volume on yer.
tebrate paleontology, as one of the series OF
the Hayden reports, whenever he will furnish
the completed manuscript. This he refuses to
| do unless an appropriation is made to pay his
salary and defray other expenses and from
time to time he has appealed to Congress for
| such an appropriation. But he has practically
| cut himself off from employment for this pur.
pose by averring that the fossils in his posses s.
sion collected while he was a member of the
Hayden survey, by himself in part and by
| other members OF the survey in part all belong
to himself, and that the government has no in.
| terest therein,
| Through my experience with Prof Cope
while he was preparing the volume for the
| Hayden survey became convinced that he
was much more interested in the description OF
species and the publication Of his name as a
label thereto than in the profounder problems
OF the science of paleontology. He describes
his work fully through the agency of the inter-
viewer when he states that he was engaged in
naming new species Of fossil animals In his
determination of geological horizons or the
age and succession OF rock formations, which il
| SO important to a geological survey, he is care
| less and uasound, is shown by the work OF
various biologists who study these formations
! on the ground and construct sections and ma ps
| of the same. For all these reasons believe
| that it would be incompatible with the trust i'm.
posed upon me to employ Prof. Cope on the
survey, though at one time until the facts came
| fully to my knowledge, was intending to en-
| gage his services. Moreover, the paper to
| which am now replying is sufficient evidence
| to any fair-minded man that Prof. Cope's men.
| tai and moral characteristics unfit him for any
| position Of trust and responsibility In addition
to his great vanity, which leads him into vicious
| species work, he is Unfortunately Jealous
| and suspicious of every other worker
| and these two traits combined give him
| that hysterical temper and gift of yoluble de-
tnunciation rarely found in persons of his SEX
| In fact his general rawlings about scientific
| men, members of the national academy pro-
fessors in colleges and biologists in general
| whom he believes are all in league against him
self. make it impossible for him to associate OF
| terms of cooperation with other men engaged
| in kindred work.
Il am not willing to be betrayed into any
statement which will do injustice to Prof. Cope
He is the only one of the coterie who has scien
| tific standing. The others are simply his tools
and act on his inspiration. The professor him
| self has doue much valuable work for science
| He has made great collections in the field and
has described these collections with skill Alto
gether he is fair systematist If his nfirmi
ties of character could be corrected by advanc.
| ing age, il he could be made to realize that the
| enemy which he sees forever haunting him as
ghost is himself, and if he could be made to
see that it is Of Importance that he should