ANTHKOrOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 167 



The progress of a certain art has reached a point where a given step 

 becomes inevitable, and like causes produce like results everywhere. 



This shows, further, that the individual man is of less importance 

 as a factor in invention, than his environment. Indeed invention 

 in the wide vague popular sense can hardly be said to exist. Even 

 our greatest inventions have proceeded by a succession of small in- 

 crements. Each man puts a round in the ladder, and the next climbs 

 on it to put in his higher up. The one who puts in the last round 

 steps from it to receive the crown of success, although his contribu- 

 tion may have been the least of any ; and his even more meritorious 

 predecessors who failed, but made that success possible, are gener- 

 ally forgotten. 



Invention for the pleasure of inventing is of prime importance in 

 literature and art, and cannot be wholly ignored even in treating 

 of mechanical matters. Many men delight in experimenting Avith 

 machinery, combining element with element, adapting every part 

 with every other and to the end in view. They find invention ' ' its 

 own exceeding great reward. ' ' Every one who deals with inventors 

 can recall such enthusiasts, who are often men of notable if narrow 

 ability, and, on the whole, the most interesting of their tribe. 



Mr. A. W. Hart said : I am very glad that, among other things 

 he has done. Col. Seely has put his foot down on the theory that 

 accident is the mother of invention. This is a popular error which 

 most of us may have sometime shared — certainly, I must admit it 

 was included once in my catalogue of sins. What are called acci- 

 dents are in reality normal results of a search or inquiry, or series 

 of experiments, such, for example, in the geographical field, as 

 the discovery of America by Columbus, or in the healing art, the 

 prevention of cholera by inoculation with cholera germs if that 

 is the correct term. In the way of a homely illustration, I will 

 relate a personal incident. A friend proposed a walk to Arlington, 

 and said we would look on the way for Indian arrow-heads. I as- 

 sented but said that I never found an arrow-head in my life. 

 " That is merely because you never looked for them," replied my 

 friend. We went, and sure enough, found the arrow-head, and I 

 found another the next walk I took in search for one. Now, while 

 in a certain sense I may call that finding an accident, in the true 

 and proper sense, it was none at all. It was the regular legitimate 

 result of the search instituted. But for the preparation or plan and 

 its systematic execution, the "accident " of discovery would never 



