The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-05-04

tional scope. But the spirit OF research Is
abroad in the land and it finds interested
people everywhere.
There ihas been much complaint among
thinking men upon the paucity Of real
scientific triumphs in this country. They
see enough learned societies, put not
enough scholarship represented IN them.
They assert that too great a proportion or
the discoveries Of science which are being
turned TO the immeasureable advantage
OF man. is being made in Europe one OF
many examples being the mastery OF the
wireless principle Of electrical trans
mission. But Americas Franklin brought
into being the age Of electricity. Joseph
Henry could lay as much claim as fara-
day to the discovery of electrical induc-
ton, that made possible the dynamo ana
its unnUmbered benefits to man Ameri-
cans did much of the work that estab-
lished the theory of evolution. Draper
first photographed the stars, a WOrk that
has done much to master the problems OF
astronomy. Professor Newton Of vale
first showed the Importance Of that mes
senger from worlds unknown, the me-
teorite. through which astronomy yet
hopes to solve the problem of the hrth
of the universe. And Simon Newcomb,
that plain country lad, who has Claimed
the attention Of the whole scientific world
by his researches and his genius Is one
Of the two English-speaking members OF
the French acadmy, the other being LORD
Kelvin
The expansion of the membership Of the
learned societies of America during the
last decade is one Of the hopeful signs
for the future Of American triumps III
the fields of scientific discovery. II IS
estimated that the membership IN these
societies has increased as much as one
third since the opening OF the century ana
many OF the societies themselves nave
been born since that time. In addition TO
this. another hopeful sign is the growing
number of higher institutions for sclen-
tiffc work and education. England mas
not as many: France is Outranked Dy
America; only Germany is left to excel
us in the number Of such institutions, ana
even Germany is gradually being over
taken
In the past hundred years man has been
amassing new human knowledge at a
greater rate than he has been able 10 d.
gest it. There are vast stOrehOuSeS OF Il
in every center of learning in the Wofld
that are as yet unavailable TO the great
mass of students. Just at the present
time there is a wholesale movement on
foot to make il available. That is one
of the works to which the Carnegie lnsu-
tuition Of Washington has committed IL
self Its index mediCus, being an lhueN
to the current medical literature OF the
world, is an excellent example It's hdnd-
book of learned societies IS another, us
indexes to the economic material OF tne
United States government and IN the
archives of the various states and cities.
serve the student as the blazed way
serves the pioneer in the wilderness
What is perhaps the most remarkable Ell
fort that has yet been put -3rIn 70 Hlahe
the stores Of knowledge available is that
being carried on in England undet the
ROYAL society. 1t is a card index OF the
scientific literature Of the world beg g.
ming with 1901. Some thirty nations are
engaged in the effort to make this the
most comprehensive, complete INDEX IN
Christendom The work IS progressing
slowly But when il is completed II VIII
be so thorough that nothing more need
he desired There have been many ulI-
ficflties to encounter in the laying out
and making of this index Nations nave
had TO be LED to appreciate its import
ance. A million details mad 70 DC ar
ranged and provided for. And II is inter-
esting to note that il is to an American
that must be given the credit for the lQea
Of an internationally-ma index OF TINS
nature. II was Joseph Henry, first mead
of the Smithsonian institution, VINO mace
it. His suggestion grew from one stage
to another until it has reached its pres
ent proportions.
The outlook for profitable scientficre-
search in America is regarded as particu-
IarIy bright today. With the wright
brothers offering what appears TO De the
real solution of the problem OF navigating
the air. the twentieth century is starting
out well from the American STANDPOINT
With hundreds of endowed institutions
f,ringing the tremendous pressure OF un-
limited resources. unbOunded zeal and de-
termination. and infinite patience TO pear
on the problems of science yet unSOlVed,
there is reason to believe that the next
half century will leave no one the right
to complain that America is star of the
second magnitude IN the ARMAMENT VI
helpful research.
copyright. 1899. by Frederic J. Haskin)
--o,,o--ov- C,anfta1 Punishment