Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-05-27

Challenger smiled with weary and tol-
Grant contempt, as a kindly man would
meet the yapplng Of litter of pup
pies. He sat slowly down, blew out
his chest, passed his hand caressingly
down his beard and looked with droOp-
ing eyellds and supercilious eyes at the
crowded hall before him. The uproar
Of his advent had not yet died away
when Professor Ronald Murray, the
chairman, and Mr.. Waldron, the lee
turer, threaded their way to the front
and the proceedings began.
Professor Murray will, 1 am sure, ex-
cuse me II say that he has the com
mon fault Of most Engishmen Of be-
ing inaudlble. Why on earth people
who have something to say which is
worth hearing should not take the
slight trouble to learn how to make it
heard Is one Of the strange mysteries
of modern life. Their methods are as
reasonable as to try to pour some pre-
cious stun from the spring to the reser-
which could by the least effort be open
ed. Professor Murray made several
profound remarks to his white tie and
to the water carafe upon the table, with
a humorous, twinkling aside to the sill
yer candlestick upon his right Then
he sat down, and Mr. WaldrOn, the
famous popular lecturer rose amid a
general murmur Of applause He was
a stern gaunt man. with harsh voice
and an aggressive manner, but he had
the merit Of knowing how to assImi-
late the ideas of other men and to pass
them on In a way which was intelllgi-
BILE and even interesting to the lay pub
lie, with a happy knack of being funny
about the most unlikely objects, so
chat the procession of the equinox or
the foundation Of a vertebrate became
Il highly humorous process as treated
by him.
It was a blrdseye view Of creation,
as Interpreted by science, which, in
language always clear and sometimes
picturesque he unfolded before MS.
He told us Of the globe II huge mass
Of flaming gas haring through the
heavens. Then he pictured the solidih-
cation the cooling the wrinkllng
which formed the mountains, the
steam which turned to water the slow
preparation Of the stage upon which
was to be played the ineXplicable
drama Of life. On the origin Of life
itself he was dlscreetly vague. That
the germs Of II could hardly have sur
yived the original roasting was, he de
clarcd fairly certain. Therefore 1t had
come later Had It built itself out Of
the cooling, Inorganic elements Of the
globe2 Very likely Had the germs
Of II arrived from outside upon me-
teOrg 1t was hardly conceivable ON
the whole, the wisest man was the
least dogmatic upon the point We
could not, or at least we had not sue
ceded up to date in making organic
life In our laboratories out OF Inorganic
The gulf between the dead
and the living was something which
our chemistry could not as yet bridge
But there was Il higher and subter
chemistry Of nature, which, working
with great forces over long epochs
might well produce results which We're
impossible for us. There the matter
must be left
Question:" doomed a voice from the
platform
Mr. Waldron was strict disciplinari
IN with gift OF acid humor as had
been cxempllded ON many ana varied
occasions, which made 1t perilous to
interrupt him. But this interiection
appeared TO him so absurd that he was
at loss how to deal with 1t. So looks
the Shakespeareon who is confronted
by rancid Baconlan or the astrono.
mer who is assOlled by fiat earth
fanatic. He paused for Il moment and
then, raising his voice, repeated slow
ly the last words of his speech.
Question: doomed the voice once
more.
Waldron looked with amazement
along the line Of professors upon the
platform until his eyes fell upon the
figure Of Challenger. who leaned back
In his chair with closed eyes and an
amused expression, as II he were smi-
ing in his sleep.
81 see" said Waldron. with a shrug.
1t Is my friend Professor Challenger"
and amid laughter he renewed his lee
ture as II this was anal explanation
and no more need be said
But the Incident was far from being
closed Whatever path the lecturer
took amid the wilds Of the past seem.
ed Invariably to lead him to some as.
sertlon az TO extinct or prehistoric life
which instantly brought the same
bulls below from the professor. The
audience began to anticipate It and to
roar with delight when It came, The
packed benches Of students Joined in.
and every time Chanenger's beard
opened, before any sound could come
forth, there was a yell Of question:
from hundred voices and an answer
ing counter cry Of "Orderw and
"shamew from as many more, Wal.
dron though a hardened lecturer and