The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-12
around them so painfully is, after all,
a house of cards.
A Wonderful New Science.


So of comparatively recent years men
have turned their attention to a science
which purported to gauge the rise and
1 fail of human prOgress-the science OF
ethnology-that science which MI.
Webster defines as Treating of the DIFF
lferent natural races, and families OF
men. The subject matter is broad
enough and since the tine of Mr.. Web
ster the field of inquiry has been broad
ened still more, until the ethnologist of
today is less a student of the bones OF
/ prehistoric man than a close observer
of the mental, moral and physical quail
/ tiles of the varying types OF Civilized
man. Such scientist as the one indl-
Gated can speak with the authority OF
the accumulated knowledge of man
kind back of him, and so far as any
one is capable of judging now, can SIT
in judgment on his race. Such man
/ is Professor w. ]. MCGEE. the chief of
| the United States bureau of ethnology,
one of the most progressive and I'M
portant of the scientific departments OF
| the government.
1t was after o'clock. the usual hour
! for the closing of the departments, that
the writer called at the bureau of eth
nology and found Professor MCGEE still
at his desk. As he rose to shake hands
with his visitor the scientist presented
at least the outward appearance of a
man who is capable of graphing with
| the mighty questions which his labora-
tory subject, his fellow man, presents.
lie impresses one as might a great
physician whose duty one might mag
! inc to be to keep his hands on the
pulse of the nations of the earth when
the internal fires of civilization shall
burn too fiercely to warm them against
the fever and decay which followed in
the instances of Greece and Rome, and
! fct, RI ha in NOW
among the French peoples.
y little above the average height is
Professor MCGEE, thickset, stDong,
broad of shoulder and erect in carriage.
His head is set squarely on his Shout
ders and around the temples his hair is
I streaked with gray. His forehead is
square prominent and most aptly de-
scribed by the word massive. His face
is grave and kindly, and in his manner
he is easy and cordial.
Professor MCGEE was busy. He has
been that way all his life. But when
he learned the writer's mission he
turned from his desk and talked will
lingly.
Man at His High Water Mark.
You want to know my conclusions
about my fellow man of the present
generation? You desire to find out
whether mankind is falling back in the
great race. or standing still on his pres
ent pinnacle or pushing forward to an
even greater development" said Pro-
fcssor MCGEE. summarizing the ques
tons put to him.
Man S today at the high-water mark
of his development as compared with
the past continued he. Looking for
ward il may safely be predicted, in
view of the present progress that the
l 500. 900. 600 of human beings who in
habit the globe are making, that we are
on the eve of a development which as
far transcends that of the present as
the present surpasses that of the CEN
turtles since.
There is a certain class of prophets
and historians which is continually try
ing to impress upon the men of today
their inferiority to their parents in all
ways except those of material progress.
The son. they say. is not the physical
mental and moral equal of his father
They look ever backwards for good and
so distorted does their vision become
that in looking forward they can see
nothing but evil.
Now. this view is wrong: let me en-
phasize that point. 1t is totally wrong
The son of tomorrow will prove a bet
ter man in every way than the father
of today. He will far surpass in the
elements that go to make up real man
hood the grandfather of yesterday. Let
this. too. be emphasized. but do not let
il be misunderstood. The world is NOV
ing onward and upward. As men grow
old their mentality reverts and they
appreciate more keenly the triumphs.
the struggles. the achievements of their
younger days. What is good and what
is great in the past comes keenly back
to them. With Mark Antony they are
too willing to believe that the evil that
men do lives after them. while the good
is too often inferred with their bones.
We Are Advancing Mentally.
But the stores of useful knowledge
which men are accommodating, the good