5 THE PEOPLE 



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111 



quite genial. He even became sufficiently playful to throw a slice of water- 

 melon, which promptly landed on Harper's stiff formal white shirt. The next 

 day Jacques Loeb was to take Harper to the train. Since they arrived early, 

 Harper decided to get a haircut. He could not understand why Loeb so 

 strongly resisted his having his hair cut. Finally Loeb broke down and 

 escorted Harper to the barber, who was that very general, in no shape to cut 

 anyone's hair. 



In another incident a photographer concluded that Loeb was trying to 

 poison him and vowed never to return to such a crazy place as the MBL. 

 This man was helping Loeb wdth some difficult photographic work. He 

 insisted that he was ill and could only work if he had some whiskey to help 

 him. Loeb recalled that he had seen a bottle in Whitman's lalj with a 

 well-known visiting scientist's card of thanks attached. Because Whitman 

 did not drink whiskey himself, Loeb assumed that he would be willing to 

 oblige the photographer. Whitman was happy to do so. It turned out, 

 however, that the visiting scientist had never really left any whiskey. Instead 

 Lillie and Parker had filled some old botties with seawater and left them on 

 Conklin's desk vvdth a leftover card of the scientist's. Conklin had recognized 

 the joke and had responded that there must have been some error and that 

 the botties were surely intended for Whitman. Thus they had been carted 

 off to Whitman's lab, where Loeb found them. Salt water it was, and Loeb 

 had to find other help to complete his photographs. 



E. G. Conklin and son in a 

 nrioment ofrela^tion together. 

 MBL Archives. 



