184 
THE SCIENTIST. 
progress and ]jrosperity, as well as 
our national inheritance and personal 
freedom, to Benjamin Franklin. 
Do we not sometimes in the midst 
of pleasant environments — of blue 
skies free from tyranny — where a 
''man is a man for a' that," where 
the sun shines on free homes and 
prosperous people, forget the days 
of oppression and tyranny, the 
graves of martyrs and patriots, and 
the bowed and perplexed form of 
the American ])l)ilosopher as he sits 
buried in thouglit and trying to un- 
tangle the i)roblenis of American 
oppression, trying to save the people 
from despotism and tyranny to give 
them a title deed of Liberty. Do we 
not sometimes forget the troul)le, 
toil, sorrow aud subjection it cost 
the form of Benjamin Franklin. 
Hasten the day when every true 
American citizen will feel grateful 
to God for a Benjamin Franklin. 
When we view these combined 
elements so rich and so rare, when 
we see how they were all modestly, 
frankly and tenaciously devoted and 
dedicated to the interest of God, 
America and humanity, how it ought 
to incite our love and gratitude to the 
man who possessed and utilized them. 
Among America's honored dead 
none save Washington and Lincoln 
will command that respect, adora- 
tion and love like the name of Ben- 
jamin Franklin. 
For his fidelity we honor him, for 
his wisdom we respect him, for his 
lofty character we admire him and for 
his brotherly kindness we love hini. 
The New Geolog-y. 
Mr. W. J. McGee has, of late, 
been industriously working to re- 
vive some enthusiasm in the distinc- 
tion or classification of geologic 
eras. The method alluded to has 
been, to some extent, presented by 
some of the most eminent geologists 
of Europe and America, and by way 
of some recent discoveries it is now 
presented by Mr. McGee with cor- 
responding additional force and a 
general appellation of "The New 
Geology."' 
It is not }>robable, however, that 
the old method of distinguishing geo- 
logical eras will, in the near future, 
be disregarded and a new method, 
generally, take its ])lace, however 
meritorious the new method may be. 
as the literature of the former would 
hold its claim for generations to 
come. 
The new^ ])roposed method of geo- 
logical record is, for the most part, 
based upon Physical Geography and 
accordingly the different eras, peri- 
ods, etc., are recognized in conform- 
ity with the process of formation; 
whether or not this method should 
be ado])ted in whole or in part it 
will be found interesting to even tlie 
amateur in this branch of science. 
Tlie whole field of geology is 
briefly covered by categories as fol- 
lows: Principal category and subor- 
dinate categories. Tlie ])rincipal 
category contains two sub-catego- 
ries, deformation and gradation, 
l)Oth of which are ao-ain divided by 
