March 31, 1922] 



SCIENCE 



341 



the benefits derived from his able and con- 

 scientious discharge of the official trusts con- 

 fided to him." 



In 1912 he published "How and Why 

 Stories," a delightful collection of tales told 

 by negroes in Tennessee, bearing on the epi- 

 sodes of creation — "how the snake lost his 

 legs," and the like — quite worthy of place be- 

 sides the Georgia tales of "Uncle Remus." 



In person Branner was robust and vigorous, 

 six feet in height and well proportioned, a 

 man of attractive personality and excellent 

 address. In college he was noted for his dry 

 humor, unfailing readiness, and good nature. 

 As a teacher he was singularly successful in 

 training men to thorough and accui'ate dealing 

 with problems of geology and mining, gaining 

 the personal love and confidence of his stu- 

 dents. Among his disciples are many of high 

 standing in the profession — Herbert Hoover, 

 Robert V. Anderson, Prank M. Anderson, 

 Ralph Arnold, George H. Ashley, Carl H. Beal, 

 WUlis S. Blatehley, W. J. Crook, H. W. Dur- 

 rell, Noah F. Drake, Prank L. Hess, Theo- 

 dore L. Hoover, J. M. Hyde, D. S. Kimball, 

 E. M. Kindle, Newton B. Knox, Henry Landes, 

 Deane P. Mitchell, James H. Means, John P. 

 Newsom, Prederick W. Nobs, Edward H. Nut- 

 ter, W. A. Pritchard, A. H. Purdue, Milnor 

 Roberts, Hugh Rose, Claude Siebenthal, E. K. 

 Soper, Herbert S. Stark, Stephen Taber, Pred- 

 erick P. Vickery, Gerald A. Waring, H. E. 

 Williams, Hayes Young, and many others well 

 known in science or mining. The "Branner 

 Club" of Los Angeles is composed of his stu- 

 dents in geology. 



I must add a personal word. My acquaint- 

 ance with Branner covers fifty-two years, the 

 first two as fellow-student and fraternity 

 brother in Delta Upsilon, the next thirty as 

 fellow-teacher and co-worker in science in In- 

 diana and in California, three more as my suc- 

 cessor and colleague in administration of the 

 educational work to which I gave the best 

 twentj'-five years of my life, and, finally, five 

 years of retirement from active responsibility 

 to the congenial work of writing out of the 

 fullness of experience. In all these years he 

 lived up to his motto, "I can get along without 

 the respect of my neighbors, but not without 



the respect of Number One." And in main- 

 taining self-respect, he won the regard of his 

 neighbors of whatever degree. A righteous 

 life helps to strengthen all who come in con- 

 tact with it. "There is always room for a man 

 of force and he makes room for many." 



David Starr Jordan 



SCIENTIFIC EVENTS 

 WORLD PRODUCTION OF COAL IN 1921 



The world's production of coal in 1921 

 dropped back to the level of 1909. From re- 

 ports so far received, the United States Geolog- 

 ical Survey estimates the total output at 

 approximately 1,100,000,000 metric tons. This 

 figure is subject to material revision. 



In comparison with the feverish year 1920, 

 the year just closed shows a decrease of more 

 than 200,000,000 tons. The chief factors in 

 the decrease were the British miners' strike 

 which lasted from April to June, and — more 

 important — a world-wide industrial depression. 

 Prices collapsed early in the year, and the sea- 

 borne coal trade of the world fell off sharply. 

 The consequent reduction in the volume of busi- 

 ness offered to the shipping of the world has 

 been an important element in the decline in 

 ocean freight rates. 



Of the major coal-producing nations. Prance 

 and Germany were the only ones to show an 

 increase. Progress in restoring the ruined 

 mines of Prance is indicated by the steady 

 increase in output of the past three years. In 

 1919, 22,000,000 tons were produced; in 1920, 

 25,000,000 ; in 1921, 29,000,000. A further 

 increase of 12,000,000 tons, however, would be 

 necessary to bring Prench production up to the 

 level of 1913. German production of bitum- 

 inous coal is also still far below the pre-war 

 level although an increase was effected in 1921 

 as against 1920. German production of lignite 

 in 1921 reached the highest point ever attained. 

 The estimated output of 120,000,000 tons is an 

 increase of 35,000,000 tons over the last year 

 before the war. 



The proportion contributed by the United 

 States was 40.9 per cent., a larger share than 

 in the years before the European war, but the 

 smallest in any year since 1916. 



The following table, prepared by W. I. 



