The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1922-04-13

language in which the great tunda
o. mental laws OF the universe are pro
/ claimed at the seats OF learning. Fol
this reason prefer to suggest ne
other-a Survey author refers tC
cracks and crevices in rocks "a
spaces OF discOntinuty" 1 remember
a long sentence in the manuscript Of q
report on western coal field in which
the fairly common fact that shale is
softer than sandstone was stated with
full acknowledgements TO 'differential
erosion" and due respect for 'physio-
graphic cycle" terms very comforting
to the graduate student at our greater
universities, but not at all useful to the
practical man trying to open up coal
mine in Montana.
1t takes years for some biologists to
break from the letters of this scholas-
tic habit Of using big words for small
ideas. Probably every one of us has
been guilty of sentences like the fol-
lowing which appeared in a Sur
vey manuscript: THE argillaceous
character of the formation is very
prominent in some localities, although
it is usually subsidiary to the arena
ceous phase" On being translated this
means: At some places the formation
includes considerable clay, but gener-
ally it is made up chiefly of sand.
In our writing l believe, however. we
are tending to write more plainly-to
say sand" instead of "argillaceous
stratum CLOSE folding" instead OF
Intense plicatiOn," river banks" in
stead of riparian borders" mouth"
instead of "debouchure," shore" in
stead of "littoral margin" and "the
everything bed is limestone" instead of
"the superintendent material consists
of a stratum of calcareous compost
ton"
| even hope the day may come when
more of MS will say bed" instead of
strata" for the context usually shows
that we are talking about rocks. not
about furniture /, too, love the sound
of strata" but all the pleasure | get
from it is wholly lost when those who
strive to copy our learning speak of
"stratas" AS measure of our prog
ress, l may quote from a Survey au-
thor of an earlier day. who referred to
'autogenous photography on a verti-
cally heterogeneous terrane"-truly a
nut of thought which III not try to
crack, lest l find il all shell II was a
Survey graduate, l believe. who de-
fined form value" as IAN intangible
quality expressing the broad applica-
bility of the energy form in contrast to
its theoretical thermal value as COM
monty expressed in b. T. u" Words
fail me, either to translate that def
milton or to describe it, though l may
apply to such language a few words
used in another connection by a Survey
writer: This holds the promise of
large potential possibilities"
But / do not wish to claim for the
Federal Survey any monopoly in
learned writing. 1t is one outside of
our fold who urged me to use plain
language at a meeting where we were
both on the program. l tried to follow
his excellent advice. but in his own ad-
dress before a mixed audience l listen |
ed with rapt attention to sentences like |
this: 80 now every legitimate evil
ience of fact and deduction points to |
he origin of microbic unicellular life /
n the moist, subaerated soil away
rom the direct sun; and the soils of
oday are alive-a mighty host-with
iuch mocrObic creations existing under
conditions" Before such
words l realized that ], too was a lay
nan, for what / heard was, in the
words of the speaker difficulty in
H. indeed l might not APP
'ropriately adapt to my use other
ounding words in the same address
nd frankly confess that such language
the early promise of my
ephalic ganglia and left me hopelessly
capitalized"
Technical terms have their places, !
nd am on record as admitting that s
Xact scientific statement needs special I
erms words that keep their razor edge !
hen used only for hairsplitting dis
motions The limited use of the high g
: specialized Technology is wholly de- \
snsible. for it would be folly to throw !
way tools so we'll fitted for special
imposes, just as it is unwise to put
lem to everyday uses with everyday
eople. "Transsubstantiation trans
iration, and "transgression" are
schnical words that are useful enough s
} the professional theologian. biologist 5
nd geologist, but they are code words ,
nat must be decided before others {
an understand them We know that a S
Geographic code saves words for those
no use it, but it also most effectively
'nceals Information from the unini-
ated. c
have very definite purpose in this
opeal for plain geology that a larger (
art of our people can understand. To- il
ny our science has more contacts with o
fe than ever before: industry has a
ken geology into partnership. and a
lgineers and capitalists and states .
zen all look to biologists for advice i,
he greater demand has called to the i:
inks many with varying degrees of d
-OfassiOna1 fneopnafapco r,olito u