LETTER FROM TEXAS. 703 



electricity greatly simplified the understanding of magnetic phenomena and has 

 resulted in combining the two subjects of galvanism and magnetism into one — 

 electricity. 



Although there are times when qualitative hypotheses are allowable and use- 

 ful, it not unfrequently happens that they are confidently offered to public con- 

 sideration without any sufficient cause for their existence, without even a sem- 

 blance of proof, and utterly innocent of the charge of probability. Their con- 

 tinuance consists in the fact that they can be neither proved nor disproved, and 

 consequently one person has as much ground for believing in them as another 

 has for considering them to be entirely false. They usually treat of subjects that 

 are practically beyond the reach of the experimenter with his measuring line and 

 balance, and beyotid the ken of the observer with his microscope and telescope. 

 Prominent examples of this numerous class are Le Sage's theory of the cause of 

 gravitation, and C. W. Siemen's "New Theory of the Sun and the Conservation 

 of Solar Energy." It is, of course, impossible to say that these efforts are not in 

 the right direction. But if judged of by analogy, and especially if brought into 

 contrast with the necessities of the case and with known facts, these, and others 

 like them, appear to be lamentably deficient. They may serve a good purpose 

 in some cases and with a few individuals, but in general they cumber the ground 

 and cause a waste of energy. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



LETTER FROM TEXAS. 



March 6, 1883. 

 Editor Review of Science and Industry : 



Last October while on my way from San Antonio, Texas, to Fort McKavett, 

 I was detained at Mason, one day, until long after midnight, to make connec- 

 tion with the line of stages running from Burnett. The printers were working on 

 the News Item that night, and the proprietor very kindly invited me to spend the 

 time in his office, as it was uncertain when the stage might arrive, and they would 

 not wait for passengers. I spent most of the night very pleasantly talking with 

 Mr. Stimpson, who was formerly a resident of Kansas, but is now engaged in min- 

 ing in Texas. We discussed at length what plan we ought to pursue in order to 

 develop the mineral resources of Texas, to diffuse scientific intelligence and to 

 create a scientific spirit among the people. Among other things Mr. Stimpson 

 stated that he believed he had discovered tin ore, and offered to send me sam- 

 ples if I would have the matter determined by competent chemists. 



In accordance with this plan, several weeks later, I received three samples 



