WCP6726

Published letter (WCP6726.7779)

[1] [p. 853]

A few days after the said experiments an interview took place between Mr. Carpenter1 and Mr. Coulcher2, when the latter insisted on an umpire being appointed to which Mr. Carpenter would not accede; and on the 7th March 1780 [1870] the following letter was written by Wallace to the plaintiff, and received by him.

9, St. Mark's Crescent, Regents Park N.W.

7th March 1870

Dear Sir, — As Mr. Coulcher maintains that I have proved my case while Mr. Carpenter says I have not, and as the latter gentleman has refused to appoint an umpire, and has left Downham without doing so, I am informed that the duty of naming the umpire now devolves on you and me.

I, therefore, beg you either to name two civil engineers of whom I will choose one, or allow me to name two for you to choose from, or what I think better still leave it to Mr. Walsh3 to name an engineer of reputation. If you adopt the latter plan, please write to him authorising him to do so and I will do the same.

When the umpire is appointed, both the referees can send in their reports and sketches of the experiments, and the umpire will either decide on them if he thinks the thing plain, or will call on me to repeat the experiments before him, which, of course, I shall be ready to do if required. Waiting for your reply. I remain, dear Sir,

Yours very faithfully, Alfred R. Wallace

J. Hampden, Esq.

Coulcher, Martin Wales Bedell (1826-?). British surgeon.
Carpenter, William (1830-1896). British-born American printer and flat Earth advocate.
Walsh, John Henry (1810-1888). British sport writer; editor of 'The Field' from 1857.

Please cite as “WCP6726,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 29 March 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP6726