PALEONTOLOGICAL GEOLOGY 
269 
Evolution has hit us geologists and clouded our outlook, for the 
greatest of all evidence recorded of Biologic Evolution, the traced 
geologic record of fossil faunas, has not even been touched by 
him yet. Yet it does appear as if the geology professors had not 
been about their most proper business, or else Mr. Bryan would 
not now dare to be attacking our pet theory. Evolution, and say¬ 
ing things about our fellow scientists, the biologists. 
If geologists had been as earnest in their educational functions 
as they have been in a sort of employment bureau activity, pos¬ 
sibly our glory might not now be threatened by this new smoke 
screen. Is it oratorical license, or a new sort of priest craft, that 
allows Mr. Bryan to so severely deny the truth of some of our 
evolution theories? But what geologist, who has ever written a 
“favorable report” for an oil promotion company, will throw the 
first stone at him, no matter what his motives are? 
The petroleum and natural gas miner’s saying that nobody trusts 
a “rock-hound” has been heard too often. This may be why Mr. 
Bryan has not asked some one for a “favorable report.” Of 
course those who say it may not believe it all themselves, and in 
fact those of them who are selling stock to the public contradict 
it, the geologist being then the big hero of the story as often as not. 
And yet, the public is confused more or less by such things in its 
opinion of geologists, even when financial matters are not in sight. 
So, if Dr. H. F. Osborn now succeeds in finding a whole fossil 
chain of connecting links between apes and men, while he is in 
Asia, Mr. Bryan will probably not believe him; and I should be a 
little skeptical myself about so great a success all at once. The 
Cardiff Giant and the Connecting Link are somehow again too 
closely together on the dim horizon of the public mind. Our 
glory shines through clouds. 
If our glory be dimmed, what is demanded most by many or most 
of geologists, regardless of the glory of being genuine, is success¬ 
ful employment in these times. The employment bureau function 
of our universities has seemingly committed me to the need of 
something besides the pursuit of glory. Fellow geologists are 
mostly if not all in the same position. 
There may be some self-made geologists, and good ones too, but 
most of us are university product. In the universities it happens 
that the call to a glorious and even more profitable profession leads 
