The Dickinson press., 1896-05-23
THE REVERSAL
OF|THE X RAYS.

OFThE x RAYS.
I may say, in the beginning, that
don't Mt all guarantee this story. bu,
content myself by giving an account OF
my interview with the Stranger, 8,
that every reader may draw his OWL
conclusion, as l did myself. He bcgal
to abuse the press. l told him l wa.
not responsible for the press;.I thought
it was perfect myself, but still, ] was
such a perfectly fair-minded man tina,
l vas quite willing to let other people
hold a different opinion, and not thini;
1t necessary to call in the police oil
that account. l further asked lin. to
oblige nc by going to the editors Of
the various papers he lisliked and give
them a bit Of his mind. He answered
that this was impossible. as they
would hot allow him to see them, un-
less lie would write un n card what his
W. was, SAN SAluI WHICH, liz NINA
write that his object was to kill as
many editors as possible in a given
time they still, in some unaccOuntable
manner refused him Ambulance. /
had no answer to make to this we'll
known habit of editors land began to
regret that my own door was so easily
opened.
II don't see how l can help you," l
said.
You can If you like" he answered.
you write for the papers, don't you"
Sometimes"
"Thcn l want you to write an article
showing that they don't know any
thing. aud never did"
Il hardly like to do that Il replied.
''Th"y have always treated me very
kindly
That's it, exactly. That proves
what I say. You take a %nonenity, and
the editors will always treat him kind
w."
Il thought you said, a moment ago,
that they had turned you out?"
II am not speaking of myself, SIR"
he cried, with some heat. "I'm speak
ing of you, sir of yOu."
oh. l see. I didn't quite catch your
meaning at first"
mo, you're slow, sir. and would
make a model editor If you were ever
offered a position as such. Now, my
complaint against them il that they
are continually bowling into fame
people of no account, while men Of
genius, sir, go down to their graves
unrecognized."
"Quite SO. What is the title of the
book Won have written?"
Book. sir? 1 have never written any
book. What makes you imagine such
Il thing"
II don't know. 1t just seemed to oc-
cur to me at the moment, and I out
with it at once That's the way with
me; Pm continually getting into trou-
bic by jumping Mt conclusions and
missing the landing. Go on"
"Well, there's that man Roentgen.
Aren't you tired Of seeing his name in
The papers? The editors don't seen, to
be able to write about anything else"
''They are rather running him to the
bone. I suppose you refer to the X
rays man; the man who does the skele-
ton Photographic"
Exactly. A pesky little German
professor in the university of Wurz-
burg, a wretched little Bavarinn town
Of less than $4,000 inhabitants, hereto
fore celebrated only for its beer"
well, if Roentgen discovered the
rays. 1 don't see what the size of the
man or the population of the town has
to do with it."
"Oh, you don't, don't you? 1 might
expected that" The Stranger
rested his elbows on the table with his
chin in his hands and glared at me, a
deep frown on his brow. "No; I don't
suppose a man of. your caliber would
see anything in that. But you try to
think a moment. 1t will tire you, but
try. Can't you imagine that some one
IN this great country discovered those
. rays long ago."
If he did he kept mighty quiet
He may have seen there was moth
Ing in them, sir"
Yes. l understand they are invisi-
II mean they were of no use to the
world. Do you imagine that life will
be any ~pleasanter and happier, sir,
with pictures Of our bones hanging
about long before we have any right
to see them?"
II quite admit that is a strong point,
and | own that I am tired Of those
pictures. No scientist has q
right to make US feel like the man
whose he'd was cut of so suddenly
that he exclaimed, "Oh, that I should
live to see myself a dead body We'll,
how long is it since you discovered the
. rays"
"Me, sir? I never discovered them?"