The morning call., 1893-12-19
SAVANTS AT WAR.
A Fight in the Academy
of Sciences.
An Organized Movement Against the
Reelection of Secretary j. r.
Scupham-TheC Cause.

There is liable to be a rather lively time
| when the Academy of Sciences has il,
election of officers at the beginning of mex
year.
Last night there was meeting. very
poorly attended meeting. at which The
nominations were made. The proceeding
were innocent enough. but the placing Of
two tickets in the field in the nominating
of candidates was significant.
Or of the tickets was presented as q
reform" ticket. and only differed from
the regular" ticket in FIVE OF the offices,
one of them, that of president, being left
blank.
The nominating committee. composed OF
Robert Hauxhurst, James L. King, w. f.
Myers and II. II. Moore, had reported as
Its proposed list of candidates all the old
officers except one, the new man being
u. a. Moore for corresponding secretary III
place of I. s. Brandegee. the incumbent
AS reported the ticket was:
For president. II. w. Harkness: for first
vice-president. H. Il. Behr; for second
yice-presdent, j. g. Cooper; for corre-
spending secretary, G. A. Moore; for re-
cording secretary, j. K. Scupham; for
treasurer, l.. II. Foot; for librarian, Carlos
Troyer: Tor director of the museum, j. Il,
Davis. ana for the board of directors-W.
G. Burnett chairman. Charles f. Crocker
(the present chairman), ID. Z. Hayes, z. j.
Molera, George q. Perkins, Adolph Sutr0
and John Taylor.
Many OF these gentlemen have held Office
In the academy for a long time, particu-
larly President Hardness and Secretary
Scuphsm.
G rs sOoD as Secretary Scupham read tn
list of names word came from part of the
small audience that there were other nom-
nations, all other ticket to be offered. The
proposed ticket came from Mrs. Brande-
gee, wife of the present secretary, and was
carried to the presidents desk by DIR. Van
Hoffman. The reading of the names was
insisted upon and President Harkness re-
luctantly ordered them read.
As already stated. the reform" ticket
left the caGdidature for president blank.
1t did not do likewise with that for the
recording secretaryship, however, for the
name of Cullen p. Rixford was cour-
ageously proposed for that position, while
Mr.. Brandegee was renominated for the
corresponding secretaryship. For libra
ran Charles A. Keller was nomina ted,
aud for director of the museum Walter E..
Bryant. These were all the changes.
1t could easily be seen that the fight was
between the present secretaries. AS
there WAS no other business the meeting at
once adjourned.
After the meeting the cause of all the
trouble was ascertaned from members of
the academy. 1t seems that Mr.. Brande-
gee bases bis opposition to Recording Sec
retary Scupbam upon the connection of
the latter IN mining scheme in which DR..
Benjamin B. Brewer is in terested.
DR.. Brewer, who is also a member of the
academy, began suit on the 7th inst. in
Judge SewalPs court against MIR. Seupnam
and Henry j. Miller. OF PlaceTville, to re-
cover S2100 from the defendants. The ac-
ton was based upon complaint alleging
that Scupham and Miller had made false
representations to DR.. Brewer. The part
ner of DIR. Brewer, DR.. Kleinhaus, Is also q
plaintiff.
According 10 DR.. Brewers story told to
CALL reporter last night. Scupham,
taking advantage of their acqua intance-
ship as members of the academy, induced
Brewer and his partner, last May, to buy
half interest in a drift niue above
PlacervilIe in FL Dorado County. known
now as the ClOverleaf mine. upon the rep
reSentation that they were buying the
other half and putting in the same amount
OF money. The price of the mine was
placed at $4,000, half of which amount
was 10 be paid by Scupham and Miller and
the other half by Brewer ard Keinha aus.
The mine had been bonded by Scupham
and Miller from n. T. Larsen, upon
whose ranch it had been discovered.
Instead, however, of the purchase price
being S15,000." says DIR. Brewer, "tbe
mine, has been bonded for $4,000, aud
upon that Messrs. Scupham and Miller
realized 10 per cent commission, so that
they really paid only $40 500 for il, ana
that was mostly our money, for they in
duced US TO put up another $1,000 besides
the $500 first advanced. We therefore
concluded to bring suit against them fol-
S2100."
Hence the fight in the academy against
Mr.. Scupham. The members who are
! iru b. fc oln nd H.
time urging the reelection of Mr.. Brande-
gee. plainly stated upon leaving the hal
that they decidedly objected to Secretary
Scnpham's use Of his Office in the scientific
portion of the building for the furtherancs
of mining ventures.