The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-21
SCIENTIFIC WORK IN THE SOUTH.
Prof. Withers Thinks 1t is Underesti-
mated by DR.. Branner.

CT DR.. John c.. Branner, in Primrose Hall
OH Friday evening, was a strong plea for
il creased facilities for scientific worth in
the South. 1t is earnestly hoped that pri-
vate benefactors and State Legislatures
Will heed the appeal.
In presenting his case, however, he
seer,ed to unnecessarily under-rate the
value and extent of scientific endeavors
by our people, although he was kind
enough in a general way to except North
Carolina somewhat. Although the address
was carefully written out some of the
statements were evidently made at ran
DOM For example ne stated that there
were only three scientific socities in the
South, only one of them being IN North
Carolina, viz: the Elisha Mitchell, OF the
| University. He overlooked several sclen-
! tifc societies in our A. ard NJ. College,
one of which (the Rural Science Club.
publishes quarterly journal called Agr-
cultural Education. 1t is quite probable
that inquiries would show that each lead
ing college IN the South has one or more
scientific societies. 1t Is not to be ex-
Iected that all the different college So
cletjes should be known very widely. 1t
| is very strange however that DR.. Branner
should have overlooked such societies as
| the North Carolina Academy of Science,
| the Berzelius Chemical Society of Raleigh,
the NJ C. Section of the American Chemi-
| cal Society and the Clemson College Scien-
tific Society, the proceedings of whose
settings can be found in Science, which
| is the organ of the American association
! for the advancement of science, and which
reaches Dr. Branner each week. Georgia
has just organized a chemical society and
careful examination would doubtless
show that DR.. Branner has under-estima-
ted very materially the number of scien-
tifc societies in the South
AZ to the character of the different
departments of scientific work in the
Southern States the writer is not suffi-
cieLtly familiar with details to make a
comparison with California. II the rest
OF the work compares as the chemical
work does it is the Californian who needs
! the spur.
The American Chemical Society was
organized a little more than twenty-five
| years ago at Priestly's grave. 1t has sec
items in several States. The North Caro-
lima section is five years older than the
California section. During the past two
years and two months North Carolina g
twenty-sx members contributed to the
journal of the society sixty-fve pages or
two and one-half pages to the member,
whereas California's ninety-sx members
contributed eighty-two pages or less than
one page per member.
The pen of the North Carolina chemist
is therefore about three times as active
as his California brothers. Of course
there may be difference in the value
of each page but as North Carolina has
three members of the council while Cali
fcTnia has only one, somebody at least
knows of North Carolina and appreciates
the work. Unless the chemists tower very
much above their scientific brethren in
North Carolina and are very much in
ferior to them in California there will
not be many rocks SHE'D Tar backwards,
and unless the Rip-VanW Wrinkle State is far
ahead of her Southern sisters our Califor-
MIA brethren could very becomingly throw
few flowers with the rocks,
Under the leadership of cur dis
tinguished educational Governor, our
people are more alive than ever
before to the value of our in
situations of learning from the lowest to
the highest, and our General Assembly
has made more ample provision for the
work.
Time was when the man who wished to
return to the Legislature thought that
his popularity was increased by opposi-
ten to the States educational and scien-
tl;iC institutions. Time is now, or soon
will be when he who votes mo will ask
permission to explain his vote
| The South honors DR.. Branner He
loves the section which gave him birth
and truly wishes her advancement. If
wien he returns to his California home
he will turn his telescope with the big
erd in this direction in talking about our
people we shall gladly forgive his turning
the little end towards us while here.
w. a. WITHERS.