White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-04

Professor Murray will. | am sure. ex-
cuse me If I say that he has the com
mon fault of most Englishmen of be-
ing inaudible. Why on earth people
who have something to say which Is
worth hearing should not take the
slight trouble TO learn how to make II
heard Is one of the strange mysteries
of modern life. Their methods are a.
reasonable as to try to pour some pre-
cious stuff from the spring to the reser
yoir through Il noneonducting pipe.
which could by the least effort be open
ed. Professor Murray made several
profound remarks to his white Tie AMI
to the water cnrafe upon the table. with
q humorous. twinkling aside to the sill
vcr candlestick upon his right. Then
he sat down, and Mr.. Waldron. the
famous popular lecturer. rose amid a
general murmur of applause. He Was
q stern. gaunt man. with n 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 intelligi-
BILE and even interesting to the lay pub
lie, with a happy knack of being funny
about the most unlikely objects. SO
that the procession of the eql.nox or
the foundation of a vertebrate became
a highly humorous process MS treated
by him.
It was a birdseye view Of creation.
A. interpreted by science, which. In
language always clear and sometimes
picturesque. be unfolded before us.
He told us of the globe, a huge mass
OF flaming gas faring through the
heavens. Then he pictured the soiidif-
cation, the cooling, the wrinkling
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 discreetly vague. That
the germs Of 1t could hardly have sur-
vived the original roasting was. he de-
clared, fairly certain. Therefore 1t had
come later. Had 1t built itself out Of
the cooling. inorganic elements of the
globe2 Very likely. Had the germs
of 1t arrived from outside upon a me
teor7 II 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
materials. The gulf between the dead
and the living was something which
our chemistry could not as yet bridge.
But there was a higher and subtler
chemistry OF nature. which. working
with great forces over long epochs.
might well produce results which were
impossible for us. There the matter
must be left.
Question" doomed a voice from the
platform.
Mr.. Waldron vas a strict disciplinari-
an with a gift of acid humor, as had
been exempliied on many and varied
occasions. which made II perilous to
interrupt him. But this intersection
appeared to him so absurd that he was
at a loss how TO deal with 1t. So looks
liit ~ - oittth
by a rancid Baconian or the astrono-
mer who is assal'ed by n fiat earth
fanatic. He paused for a moment and
then, raising his voice. repeated slow
~ 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
I'm his chair with closed eyes and an
amused expression. as n he were smil-
Ing I'm his sleep.
II see." said Waldron, with a shrug.
1T is my friend Professor Challenger
and amid laughter he renewed HIS lee.
ture as II this was a final 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
sertion as to extinct or prehistoric life
which instantly brought the same
Dutls DtilON HUH Tic DtOitoSoI. Lie
audience began to anticipate 1t and to
roar with delight when 1t came. The
packed benches Of students joined In,
and every time Challenger's beard
opened, before any sound could come
forth, there was a yell Of Question:
from n hundred voices and an answer
ing counter cry of "Order.' and
'Shame!' from as many more. Wal
dron. though a hardened lecturer aud
a strong man, became ratified. He
hesitated. stammered, repeated him
self. got snarled in a long sentence and
finally turned furiously upon the cause
of his troubles.
This Is really intolerable!' he cried,
glaring across the platform. 81 must
ask you, Professor Challenger. to cease
these ignorant and unmannerly inter
ruptions."
There was a hush over the hall, the
students rigid with delight at seeing