The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-06-29
By Ye Old Timer in the pittsburs Dis

ND) ooL=HEhDED scientists will be O1 cautious how they accept Pro-
 lessor Burke's claim that he has discovered in radium the secret of life and that radium is capable of effeeting spontaneous generation. They will recol- lect how similar claims were made a generation ago, when biologists though they had discovered protoplasm and that protoplasm was the basis of all living matter. Now, science knows there is no such a substance as protoplasm The ear Her microscope discovered such a sub stance; the later and more powerful mi- croscope has knocked it out.
 During the earlier prime of Huxley and Tyndall it was discovered that all vegetable and animal tissue was composed of cells, and that these cells, as then supposed, were merely jelly-lke matter called protoplasm, with organs just as distinct and different from each other as our lungs and stomachs, ga eyes, and | ears, made up of matter just as different as bone is different from fat.
 When the famous British Challenger ex- petition secured the ocean in behalf of
 
 sea was covered with a slimy or jelIy-like substance. samples of which were brought to England. Science jumped to the con clusion that 1t had found protoplasm, the source and the secret of all life. Biologists nearly went crazy over the discovery A chemical analysis of the stuff dashed their exultation. Since then every ad- vance in the power of the microscope has taught men new facts about these won derful things called cels and the finding l of a multitude of organs in them has disposed of the scientific myth of proto- plasm. The mystery of life is even deeper than it was before the new science of biology took hold of the problem.
 But now comes radum, the discovery of which is the great triumph of the twen- tieth century. It is possible that the Cam bridge professor has hit the truth and that the new element really has yielded up the secret of life, for the known facts brought to light are more astounding than the widest dreams of Jules Verne.
 Professor Roentgen's discovery of the X-ray may be called the first link in the discovery of radium. That led to the finding of the Besquerel ray. namely, that solid matter sends out rays of Its own substance; that these rays are not waves of ether like light and sound. but waves of matter radiated from various objects.
 It was found that if copper coin be shut up tight in box close to but not in contact with white paper for certain length of time and then taken out a picture or photograph of the coin will be found on the paper. This picture say the scientists, was caused by radiations of copper from the coin.
 Forthwith scientists began to search for the substance that possessed in the high est degree the power of radiation A woman found it in-radium. Professor i Cure, her husband, shared in the scien- tifc labors. but the real discoverer was Madame Curie. The new element was ex- tracted from a compound called pitch blende, found in the Hartz mountains of Bohemia and in Cornwall, England
 
 ditures, large and small, have been sat isfactorily accounted for. Schools have been built parks established, the police, fire and street departments maintained and strengthened. The city has grown wonderfully in many upbnlding ways, and like all growing cities has needed, and needs now, money in constantly in- creasing amount to carry forward it's work. And what is better than ali else the lamp of idealism has, in this great in- dustrial center of the south, been kept glowing. 'Tis true that this growth-this reaching up after a finer and better life on the part of the city-should be accom- panied by lofty political ideals on the part of the people. Their ideals are lofty, and these surely will be cherished even though in the rush and flush of modern life the pessimist and the dispeptic mas queradng political reformers may be filled with forbodlngs of ill Let them re- member, merely for their own comfort, that after all the misfortunes, political or otherwise. in this life that are hard est to bear are those that never come" One word then in conclusion:
 Boostl Don't knock.
 For the man who sees crooks in the running brooks. 'grafters' in stones and bad in everything" there IS really no room in town like Birmingham He needs to go elsewhere to some city where life is less brave and less true and less beautiful than it is here. In Birmingham he may be tolera ted-he can never be en- | couraged.
 MT. Rosson and MT. McNutt. the expert accountants, have performed their profess sional duty and performed it creditably.
 PREPARING APPEAL,