August 1, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



149 



sweeten the dose, but to be fully effective the 

 student must swallow it all, including the rig- 

 orous drill that can come only from the many 

 applications that must be made before the 

 benefit becomes an integral part of his per- 

 sonality. 



And I am not so sure that we may not 

 do some harm by oversweetening the dose. 

 The theory that there is no pleasure in ab- 

 stract mental effort is in my opinion more or 

 less of a fallacy. There is a certain satisfac- 

 tion that comes from successful effort, whether 

 the work accomplished be abstract or prac- 

 tical.- Students are naturally more interested 

 in practical than in theoretical matters, and a 

 teacher lacking in inspiration can very well 

 help his work by a careful choice of illustra- 

 tions. But to the student who sits under a 

 teacher whose instruction is illuminated by 

 the " divine spark " all things are interesting, 

 whether they be music or logarithms. Let us 

 not confuse mechanism with inspiration. Fur- 

 thermore, it is a good thing for boys and girls 

 to be compelled to do a certain amount of un- 

 interesting if not unpleasant work. The 

 duties of life are not, on the whole, entirely 

 pleasant; and since proficiency in overcoming 

 obstacles is obtained only by overcoming a few, 

 perhaps a little uninteresting work is a good 

 thing, after all. Huxley says, " the best way to 

 learn how to do a thing is by doing something 

 as near like it as possible, but under easier 

 and simpler conditions." There is no royal 

 road to learning; and if the three R's are the 

 basis of our educational methods, so the way of 

 mastering them and attaining the mental 

 heights their mastery leads to lies through the 

 three T's. No high mental development ever 

 has or ever will be accomplished without a lib- 

 eral application of toil, trouble and tears. 

 Dexter S. Kimball 



January 17, 1913 



TEE MINING CONGBESS AND EXPOSITION 

 IN PEILADELPBIA 

 Manufacturers of mining machinery, rescue 

 and first-aid apparatus and safety appliances 

 are to be given an opportunity to display their 

 wares before the mining men of the country at 



an industrial exposition to be held under the 

 auspices of the American Mining Congress, 

 in Philadelphia, Pa., during the week of Octo- 

 ber 20. 



This exposition, the first of its kind in this 

 country, will be held in conjunction with the 

 annual convention of the Mining Congress. 

 It will be national in scope, the metal mining 

 interests of the west to be as fully represented 

 as the coal mining of the east. There is a 

 tentative plan to have a gold mining camp in 

 full operation with a mill crushing the ore. 

 Horticultural Hall, situated in the heart of 

 the city, has been engaged for the occasion. 



While the plans are still in embryo, a num- 

 ber of the leading manufacturers have already" 

 been approached and have shown sufficient in- 

 terest to lead to the belief that all the space 

 will be taken. 



A number of the large coal companies that 

 have developed the " safety first " movement 

 at their mines are arranging for space to show 

 the mining men and the public what they are 

 doing in behalf of their men. These com- 

 panies will send rescue and first-aid crews and 

 there is talk of exhibition drills between the 

 various crews. The U. S. Bureau of Mines 

 will be represented by one of its safety cars 

 and a picked crew of helmet men. The state 

 of Illinois and a number of the anthracite 

 companies may send rescue cars for exhibition 

 purposes. 



The convention is the first to include all the 

 mining interests of the country and an at- 

 tempt is to be made to show the need of a 

 stronger national organization that will repre- 

 sent all phases of the industry. Perhaps the 

 leading topic of the convention will be the new 

 system of mine taxation recently put in opera- 

 tion in some states and being discussed in 

 others at the present time. It is expected that 

 a definite policy toward Alaska from congress 

 will be asked. 



The smelter fume problem will be discussed 

 with the hope that an amicable adjustment 

 may be reached soon. California has, at the 

 present time, two commissions considering thi& 

 problem and Montana, one. 



The disposal of debris from placer mining is 



