The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-31
BY FRANK PARKER sTocKBRIDGE


i habitants of this (so-called) civilized
world still believe in fairies. 1t seems TO
be inherent in the human makeup, the
form of credulity that on the one hand
attaches Importance to old wives fables
and on the other eagerly swallows, hooE.
line and sinker, the pretensions OF pseud,
scientists" who profess to perform mir
acles and to teach others how to work their
mcantations.
The chief difference between the true
scientist and the charlatan is that the man
of science admits his limitations and cor
fesses his failures, the impOstor never.
This is because science can deal only with
facts, and facts, as is well known, are
stubborn things. One must accumulate,
measure and compare an extraordinary
number of facts before he dare venture a
conclusion, if he be a scientist. And one
single, solitary, stubborn fact that Is In
compatible with the conclusion reached
nullifes the whole result and one must
begin over again from the beginning.
1t is much easier to do it by magic.
Merely omit the facts that don't jibe with
the conclusion you have already reached
and, presto there you are. Does a So
phisticated world shy off from "hocus-
pocus"7 Try 'em with "abracadabra" an
see how fast they'll fall for it. For,
mingled in with the popular confidence
in the weather wisdom of the goose bone,
the infallibility of the divining rod and
the efficacy of rattlesnake lie for rheu-
mates, there turks in the mental sub
cellars of most of US the vague knowledge
that there is something called Science
something that operates after the general
fashion of white magic and by means CT
which certain persons of this later age,
known as Scientists" have been able to
improve upon the ancient nominations and
devise new and even more miraculous
formula for discovering the unknowable
and penetrating the veil that hides the fu-
ture from the view of ordinary mOrtaE
like us.
SO the modern prototype of the Witch
of En-Dor, Merlin, Mother Shipton, ct
hoe genus omnes, has become scientist"
perforce. And since the essence of all SUE
cessful magic and divination lies in mysti-
flying the beholder, whereas the very
heart and soul of genuine science lies IT
the most complete disclosure Of every fac
tor, every step and every detail of the
method by which given result was at
tanned, we flock to the faker, being what
we are. Facts are prosy things; they
don't interest US; we already know all
about them. Besides, it's such a bother
to collect them and compare them, and we
don't believe-that they will work anyway
Why, my grandfather knew man who
could take peach tree hmb-maybe 1t
uds witch hazel, don't remember exactly
anyway it was some kind of a forked
stick, and when he got over where water
was that stick'd just turn in his hands so
hard he couldn't hold it straight, and
where it pointed, if you digged there you'd
find water every time. All these, now,
biologists do; they dig holes in the ground
and see what kind of rocks there arc
there, and if you ask them where to dig
well all they can tell you is you might
get water down in the lower pasture,
where everybody knows if there was any
water there some one d have found it be-
fore this, or else you might get it the
other side of the fence, in Johnson's lot.
Anybody could tell you that, but l bet if
grandfather could only remember the
name of that man he used to know he
could find water right up near the house
here somewheres.