Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-05-08
Especial Correspondence,

4 Especial Correspondence.)
{ vENA, April 29.-There just has re-
signed from his professorship at
the University of Jena possibly the
~ greatest living man of science.
Ernest Haeckel, eXpounder Of tho mo-.
5nisticl theory and long the most militant
and powerful disciple of Charles OAR
win, retires to semi private llfe, but
those who know him we'll are sure
that his pen still will be, busy, and that
he will lay about him with the same
Nigor that always has characterized. his
controversial style. For Haeclel is one,
of those fighting Germans who live and
thrive on battle and to whom heated
controversy is music. sal Isl,
[ Although Prof Haeckel recently celc
DRAFTED his seventy-fifth birthday, he is.
so full of irrepressible energy that, he
can only lay down his work with life
Itself Like grea t actors, he has more
than once threatened to leave the
stage" but only to return again and
again for a last performance. In&1S99,
9in,the preface to his Riddle of the Uni
verse. he babe goodby to his many
readers throughout the civilized word.
But that last performance proved al
50 to be the last but one being fol-
lowed five years latersloy the wonders
of Life and some shorter works. f
WORK "A PLEASURE.
As a mattertof fact, for Prof. 5Haecl1el,
like the artist that he is. work IS
pleasure. Thus his retirement at the
beginning of April from the professor
ship at Jena, which he has held for As
years, will mark. only a. change Sin the
form of his activity and not "a cessa-
ton OF. his labors- He proposes TO de-
vote his leisure to writing. a history
of biology. 1t is not yet certain wheth-
err this work will be. confined to the
progress made in that branch or sci
ence during the last century in which
1t was transformed. Or whether it will
cover the whole story from its tenta-
tive beginnings in antiquity. One thing.
however, is quite clear: 1t Will be a
work of exceptional interest and :value,
in which viii be given to the world for
the first time a.lnass of correspondence
between Darwin and all the great biolo-i
gists OF theiase and the author. 1t thus
VIII constitute 81 resume of all thei.
achievements, as well as. of the authors
own work, during tho most important
period in the development of that
science. So
Il ! l1fLIlC NIOSGuM. X
While the preparation of this book I'M
questionahly will constitute the most
important part of his new task, Prof.
Haeckel. In concert with his distin-
guished pupil and successor, Prof. Lrd-
wig Plate of Berlin, will complete the
organization of his Phyletic museum
at Jena. This institution. founded by
Prof. Haeckel and handed over by him
to the Jena university last. year, is In
tended to promote an interest in and
knowledge of the theory of develop |
ment. This is done by the exhibition |
of natural objects, as weIlsas of pic
lures: arranged systematicalfy,s showing
the development and the relationship |
between the various forms OF plant and /
animal life, completed by an anthrppo-
logical collection establishing mans /
place in nature. This museum, Is fur
Their intended to promote an apprecia-
ton of the aesthetic aspects Of biology
by the exhibition of numerous pictures |
and models, as well as by Haeckels |;
beautiful collection OF valuable corals,
one OF the finestsin Europe. 1t also will I
contain manuscripts. documents and |,
CORE ,pondence and comprise a library
Of all important works on the theory |