Edward Claypole, The Scientist—Comstock. 15 
this place. But they are only as sincere and exalted as was the 
whole life of the man whom we were privileged to know and 
to take as our inspiration to higher achievement. 
And we may learn from his words and the living of his 
life, that bigotry, prejudice and superstition grow out of the 
narrowness of weak human nature, and that they are not, as 
we are prone to feel, the exclusive property of any one or 
other sect or of any faction in religion, education, politics, 
business, science or art. Change about the words a little and 
his remarks will find us self-convicted of the same intolerant 
spirit, which never concealed from his gaze the underlving 
principle; for well he knew that some of those who bore him 
the least good-will were earnest in their belief that they alone 
were keepers of the truth. ; 
There is another characteristic feature of this very able 
article. Although many references are made in foot-notes to 
the exact places in which the objectionable criticisms may be 
found, there is not one instance in which the name of the critic 
appears. Such work in science is of a very high order, and as 
rare as elevated. 
Much more ample illustrations might be given of Dr. Ciay- 
pole’s yoeman service to science by such utterances as this up- 
on similar occasions, but there is only space for one other in- 
stance. It was at the meeting of the American Association for 
the Advancement of Science at Buffalo, in 1886. 
The geologists had made a trip from Clifton down the 
Niagara River valley, to Lewiston, and back along the gorge 
to Niagara Falls, and the aftermath of discussion in Section 
E was among the most interesting and hotly contested in the 
history of the association. *Theories and plausible explanations 
of the gorge phenomena were advanced in close proportion to 
the number of speakers. Dr. Claypole had things to say which 
were not wholly acceptable to some great workers in this field. 
It did not seem an opportunte time for him to engage in the 
debate, and many would have prevented this if they could. 
But when he finally held the floor, his words came like healing 
balm, and in the most logical manner he presented the argu- 
ment concisely and exhaustively, leaving the whole question in 
the best possible condition for amicable settlement. It was a 
masterstroke of diplomacy, a tactful presentation of his own 
