The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-09-20
A DEBATE ON
PRIMITIVE MAN.


toriginelJ
Professor Edmonds was 50 wrapped
IN the study OF primitive map, bis orr
gin and the savage traits be transmit
ted 20 his descendants. that be had no
eyes, ears or any other perceptIYe or
gans for anything else. Indeed, he
was more familiar with the gibbon,
Orang outang, chimpanzee and gorilla,
mans nearest relatives, than the mem
bers OF his own family Absorbed In
dreams Of these kinsmen he would
pass his own children on the street
without recognizing them.
Kate Edmonds alone OK all his chin.
dren sympathized with him In bis
studies and was consequently his fa-
vorite. Kate worshiped her father,
and It Is questionable II her enthusi
asm for fossils was not assumed for
the purpose Of pleasing the dear old
man. AT any rate, when she was
eleven years old her mother met her
one morning on me street with q neck
lace Of bones around her neck and or
dered her to 60 home and take on 'the
horrida thing
AS Kate grew older she Joined her
father IN his studies and on one occa-
sion delighted him By discovering
similarity in the big toe bone Of two
animals which be had previously con-
sidered TO belong 70 different species
From this time forth he made her an
assistant instead OF pupil, and she
worked with him continuously
But unfortunately for her father,
Kate became woman, Not that the
professor noticed change which oc-
CURED in a brief season. He took no
note OF changes except those that only
ages could effect. when Kate took bis
hand and told him that she was about
TO be married he was thunderstruck.
''what have you done with your dolly
be moaned
Kate went with her husband 70 1--we
In distant city. For a baief season
after her departure the professors
bones failed to interest him. Then
some one sent him bone OF an ami
NAL unlike anything be had ever seen,
aud straightway the old man forgot
his daughter IN his efforts to construct
the creature Of which It had been
part. After that the only evidence that
he remembered her at all was occa-
sional inquiries why she was not ~
her seat az table
At the end Of year Kate wrote her
mother that she was coming home for
visit. but asked her not 10 inform
her father, since she wished to sur
prise him. kate arrived AZ the com
meneement season and at the hour
when the president was holding ra-
ceptlon. with Professor Edmonds IN
attendance. 50 Kate arrayed herself
in reception costume, went over to the
president and, taking position behind
portiere In room adiolning the one
where her father was. began to taIh
prehistoric man ia bis hearing.
upon my word = said the professor
there is lady IN there who knows
more about the tertiary period than
any woman have ever heard talk
But she is making one egregious blum
der Introduce me to her"
The professor was introduced to bis
daughter. but whether be had forgot
ten her entirely or was too deeply en-
crossed in his subject to recognize her
or had on bis reading instead OF his
distance glasses doesn't matter he
plunged right into the work OF cor.
recting her error
Il heard you say, madam he began
that evidences Of the existence OF
mans progenisora are not found III the
tertiary period. During the eocine sys-
fem. a division OF the tertiary. several |
orders OF mammals we're developed
including the ancestors OF lemurs,
monkeys, anthropoid Or rnanlike apes"
''But these are only the germs, SO to
speak, not man himself, Kate replied /
There Is no beginning no stop In
development. The anthropoid apes ARE
simply a continuation il the develop
raant OF man.
and do you think, professor, that
man Of the present day win develop
into something higherT'
Undoubtedly that is. II our planet
Is not IN the meanwhile knocked into
dust OF burned by conclusion at meet
ing some one Of those Opaque bodies
known to be plunglng through space. !"
a0r a comet said Kate with
twinkle IN her eye.
Nonsense, madam. Comets are gas
eous. The earth has passed through
their tails often
''To return TO man man IN bis par 4
ent stage OF development What would (
you think OF a father who would for
get his own childY
such failure Of the faculty Of |
memory would undoubtedly be inher
tied from his british ancestors. We
have no evidence that lions, tigers,
cats. dogs and other brutes remember
their cubs after they arr grown and +
have passed away from their parents"
EDO you refer 70 man 10 the present (
stage--to yourself. for instanee-as /
brutal and to your child as cub2"
ny no means. l have passed the (
brute condition, but now and again
traits, like rudlments OF organs that (
have ages ago become useless and de- /
generated. must necessarily crop out"