4 TRANSACTIONS OF THE TEXAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCfi. 
There is, perhaps, a popular prejudice against the scientific man. 
This prejudice was formerly directed against mathematicians only, but 
is now being extended to other scientists. There is no outcry against 
them, but their advice and conclusions are often thought inferior to 
those of the so-called practical man. Unfortunately for the pockets of 
these people confiding in the judgment of the practical or rule of thumb 
man, their ventures nearly always come to grief. I believe that the 
amount of money lost in this way, even during the last twenty years, 
amounts to more than the national debt. This popular idea is due 
entirely to ignorance and to unfamiliarity with science and scientific 
men and methods. It is hoped that this Academy of Science will be 
able, both directly and indirectly, to help educate the people to put 
their confidence in those that are worthy of it. When this is brought 
about we will no longer have companies organized to make a Keely 
motor, nor to refine sugar by electricity, nor will we have men digging 
for gold in every rock, or looking for bituminous coal in alluvial for¬ 
mations. 
I believe that with these aims before us we can make the Academy 
a success and a benefit to science. Texas has ample and first-class ma¬ 
terial in her young men for the making of future scientists, both pure 
and practical. We should encourage by every means in our power the 
study and prosecution of the exact and natural sciences, because, no 
matter what may be said to the contrary, on them rest our comfort, our 
welfare, our progress, physically, mentally, morally. 
