August 11, 1905.] 



SCIENCE. 



179 



character; while most of them, of course, have 

 to do a large amount of teaching. 



It would be difficult or impossible to over- 

 estimate the value of the teaching and eco- 

 nomic work referred to. They are indispen- 

 sable and in every way worthy of the support 

 they receive. But research in pure science — 

 meaning by this term research directed toward 

 ascertaining the methods of nature without 

 immediate economic or educational ends — is 

 even more necessary, for it is the rock on 

 which the other two must necessarily build. 

 It also must be supported — and by whom? 

 Surely by the recipient of the benefits it con- 

 fers, that is, the human race. 



I can not agree with President Roosevelt 

 that the highest work will never be affected 

 by the question of compensation. It will be 

 and is continually affected by the fact that it 

 can not get even the wherewithal to keep the 

 machine at work. On the other hand, it is 

 likely to be totally destroyed, if affected at all, 

 by the offer of ' brilliant positions.' For what 

 are these positions, judging from those now 

 existing? Mainly and often wholly execu- 

 tive; useful and honorable, indeed, but not, 

 in their essence, scientific positions at all ! 

 Who proposes to pay a man ten thousand a 

 year, and then leave him, alone to go on with 

 his wo7-k? Really, the situation suggests a 

 slang expression, not fitted for the pages of 

 Science. 



I once heard of an Englishman who said 

 he would work hard in science until he got 

 his F.R.S., and would then stop. We do not 

 want men with that spirit, who begin and 

 continue with the hope and expectation of a 

 prize, financial or social. The scientific man 

 has his real prizes, which he values highly 

 and of which he can not be robbed; these are 

 to see his ideas and discoveries woven into the 

 fabric of human knowledge, and become in- 

 tegral and essential parts of the great temple 

 of which he is one of the myriad builders. 

 This alone is to him worth while; and it is a 

 positive injury to divert him with baubles. 

 His prayer is, to be permitted to work as long 

 as life lasts, and that it may be said of him, 

 as I heard it said of that fine old entomologist. 



J. O. Westwood, in his last years, ' he never 

 gets tired.' 



T. D. A. COCKERELL. 



THE EDITORSHIP OF THE ENGINEERING AND 

 MINING JOURNAL. 



To THE Editor of Science : On July 1, 1905, 

 Mr. T. A. Rickard relinquished the managing 

 editorship of the Engineering and Mining 

 Journal, a position which he held with merit 

 for two and a half years. Although Mr. 

 Rickard has been succeeded by others who will 

 maintain the high standing of the Journal as 

 a technical magazine, his voluntary retire- 

 ment, in my opinion as an American geologist, 

 is a distinct loss to science in this country, 

 inasmuch as, in addition to his intimate 

 knowledge of the business side of mining, he 

 appreciated the important relation of this sub- 

 ject to geology. Through this appreciation, 

 during his editorial encumbency, he secured 

 and stimulated many excellent original con- 

 tributions upon the geology of interesting 

 localities, which would not otherwise have 

 been published. 



Of all the economic applications of geology, 

 the questions pertaining to the origin, occur- 

 rence and availability of ore deposits are by 

 far the most important, and, perhaps, the 

 sympathy and encouragement of mining men 

 have been the greatest impetus in this country 

 toward securing the means of purely scientific 

 research. 



The numbers of the Journal edited by Mr. 

 Rickard constitute a most valuable addition 

 to the annuls of American geology, and it is 

 hoped that the talents of business integrity, 

 high idealism and charming literary style, so 

 rarely found in combination with scientific 

 knowledge and so well developed in him, will 

 not long continue idle. 



That Mr. Rickard has recently declined a 

 professorship of mining in the Royal School 

 of Mines, a position which carries with it title 

 and honor, and has chosen to remain in 

 America, will be gratifying to all of his con- 

 freres in the geological profession. 



R. T. H. 



