The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1900-11-10
GONE IN SEARCH
OF APE.LIKE MAN.
Again Scientists Will Try to Find
the Missing Link, This Time in
the WildS of Distant Java.

George W. Vanderbilt gives the best
answer to the critics Of the money
class. He never has desired to be rated
with the -Four Hundred, but he in
heritance of large wealth has forced
him into a social plane from which
neither argument nor willing seclusion
can release him. But he has decided
- :? something of consequence for the
human race.
To prove that the moneyed class is
not wholly Indifferent to the advance
meht OF science and the progress Of
thought, or idly intolerant regarding
the great problems affecting the hu-
man race, che young master Of Bilt-
more manor house has selected q bril-
liant Yale student, David J.. Walters.
to lead an expedition into PARKWAY
Java to settle, SO far As human re-
search nay DO SO. the most important
problem that now c%onfounds the biolo-
gists of the world-namely: Does the
actual species Of ape-like men that the
logic Of bieseny {worked out by La
marck. Darwin, Huxley and HaeckeD
demonstrates to have lived at 4 remote
period of the earth's history, still exist?
Ernest Haeckel, the distinguished
professor at the University Of jena.
maintains that this soulless, voiceless.
i~ve-ingered, taiiless creature is still
extant amid the jungles and tangled
forests of Northeastern Java, and he
last spring announced his intention to
set out in quest Of this only link yet
missing to complete the wonderful
chain ir the theory of mans descent,
beginning with the monera, oil organ
isms without organs: advancing to the
amae5a, thence by seven stages to the
skull-iess ve~rtebrates.
THE MISSING LINK.
The specimen of the Pithecanthropi,
or ape-like men, that Mr.. Vanderbilt
hopes to find, marks the twenty-tirst
stage of advancement from the single
cel,ed moner or ~protOplasmic germ. 1t
is the one link that must be found,
alive or in the fossil state, to COM
pletely demonstrate the new, wonderful
and startling philosophy of human eX-
.stence that eliminates & God, and to
Clinch what must be admitted 20 be
the most brilliant product 0s the hu-
man brain-the theory of development.
Whether il is called Darwinism or
Haeckelism is of little Importance. The
doctrine of evolution owes its own de-
velopment to several stages, but to La
marck, Goethe, Huxley and Darwin in
particular. 1t has divided the Christian
church, it has made a warfare of
science, and has commanded more Sc
rious thought by the brightest minds
than any theme OF the nineteenth cen-
fury.
Into this arena, in which the death
grapple between religion and advanced
science will be fought out. Mr.. George
w. Vanderbilt casts his wealth and
American enthusiasm with a prompti-
tuGe that is characteristic OF his grand
father, the old Commodore" The
finding CT the North Pole, the deter
mination of the Nile basin, the genesis
Of the poiygiotic i.Eguages of the Sar-
gasso Sea, &Ce 8 nothing compared to
a final Determination regarding the
ruth OF the Biblical theory of crea-
Ion. Troa the result OF = successful
hunt for tbs PitE1-canthropUs depends
;hc faith OF 23A.cs'.p@J Christian people
"ho cling 70 lie ,-i.eEs CT tkeir anCes-
Tors.
~. Tar6srbi., : Z believer. he i'm
atbed q GeyoGt reverence FOR the Chris
Kan fa:Jh iron his devoted mother.
and. howev-r sreat his respect for
science. ne never has wave-cG n his
acceptance ct the Adam!c theory Of
-reation.
Mr.. George Y. Vanderbilt wa=ts the
truth. He IS lik= N, editor OF q news
paper in quaz- ri rarts. He has adopted
til practical md natural method IF do
ing what PROF. Iaeykzl wants zone.
Ie has sent 5ul e. party himself. Mr..
David !. Walkers : Ecv on his way to
Japan. where q special steamer will be
hired ard properly equipped for this
expedition 20 the STAND of Java. 1t Is
aoprd 70 render the projected voyage
of Prof. Easckcl unnecessary. Mr..
Vanderbilt expects 70 find the Pithe-
canthropus at once II he be where DR..
Haeckel believes him.