Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-01-02
Our Washington Letter.


have been doluged with water and, nevertheless,
thronged day and night with pleasure seekers
Congress has hardly been missed, so full has been
the city with visitors and 80 happy have been all
to welcome the holidays that bring relief from
confinement and toll, to some extent, 10 nearly
every resident Of the district
Christmas services in the different churches
were imposing in the highest degree, made 50 by
the brilliantly illuminated altars, the tasteful
trimming with evergreens and flowers the high
order Of music rendered by the principal choirs,
and the crowds which gathered morning and even.
ing Mt their several places Of worship.
In this letter we propose TO give u brief history
and description Of
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE,
which, as an institution peculiar in itself and of
interest as national affair, is worthy Of extended
notice. The stately and picturesque structure of
red freestone, familiarity known to Washing
tonians as 81 the Smithsonian" situated south of
the capitol and Of the business portion Of the city
Is one Of the most interesting features Of the ma
tonal capitol, and one of the principal points for
visitors. Comparatively little is known, however,
Of its history to the general public, or even to
great majority Of the citizens of Washington. To
most persons the name of the Institute first sug.
oas,s onlv minerul snaci,cons b,,,s ,rarsevad IA,
nins stuffed birds and animals and o,ber ra,rra,
curiosities which mnseums generollv contain
First and foremost then we mnst know tha,
the Institution IL DESIGNED AZ q an establishment,
for the diffusion Of knowledoe among man
Knowing this further information concerning
il ia more easily understood The bpildipy o,ye.
its existence to an Enplishman named smithson
Il
to his nephew with the proyisothht II said nenbew
should die childless the propertv was Ia 90 10 TN,
limited States tn found Mt washington "an es
tabshment for the increase and diffusion OF
knowledge among men" The first eNtraordnar,
thing about the matter il that foreigner, and an
Englishman at that who was eleven wears old at
the time of the Declaration Of independence who
had never set foot in America, and who had no
friends here, should will his property under an,
consideration to the United States. The nephew
was another extraordinary man lie refused to
send son or daughter into the world to be
weighed down with the care of half million dol
lars so he died In 1873, unmarried and without
issue. The Congress OF the United States after
some discussion reluctantly concluded to ac-
cept the bequest. Richard Rush was sent to Eng
land as the United States agent, and after two
years OF litigation in the English court Of chan
Gerry, he got OIL safely with his gold packed In
eleven boxes, and brought it in triumph to this
country. About this time the l'nited States found
that it had been presented with AN elepbant. -
| ,,lioh I, i,,o.. $40, ,ha, =, 4, i1 uthu +.
a,s,o.,,io,, ,,,,s ,,uaan Ii.on..i,, 49, -. ..,
,aaroa q, ,i,a 80 ~ ,s,...a'. - +, a
.onandorod h,, tho s,a,o an,hor;,;os ,l,o .,o,,
hnnd. ,,,,ro a, ,,aoan,o ,,',,.,o.. 49,,
,bo ,,hoia l,o,, ,,as Loaf
In C,.,,,ro.. ,i,a.o ,,ro ,,..
,i,o na,,ro - ,ha i,.,i,,,,,,,. i.,.,.al l.,
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,o,,o ni,or.i,,. nos la.iaa,. M. ~. ~
ins,i,,,,o, 81 ,a,, disoo,.orio, ,.,,.o.. l., a..
a.o,, - ,ho t,,,,, ma -, -, -. A..
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| h.. -. - o., 81, -, A.,
n,,on ,.;o, ,,.l ,tra,a,, H.. o.ar,t.,i +. =, i,,,
nrevai,ed I-,or this nr,nc;,,o tho
,'o NnN'''N " '''h Nsi'i'''oH
""' ,"'', "nu upon ~, P''He"' oPo'''",H arr
p"Se"' III i''' '''e ACCOMPLISHMENTS was conSti'ue'
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oo''u,"s ""' ,,u III iof' ""', '''e S''",'ure ""'
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=, -
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'eo" ''' .''''e" ny "'"! '''o SPo'',"'uS "uu
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"''''" "'i' ''''"eu III '.'o nie vi i''''' an" Wv
es' nave "ee" p'"'eu !" ,'e Co''or"n Ar' val
10y ~ "'' "',' ''"' ~ Wv "ei'"'''"e"' vi As''
.u't"'o many t''",""' l'''"'N ""i !" '"e N''n
'''''''' az sp0, 'i''" ''''''"- " '"'u'
'"' ""' ''''"' me. ""' "'' "' ."o'''iie'
70 oo"S,ue' '"' '"'','",'" 'e"o',oe FOSSIL
n'S w - ~" '''"' u ''N'' e'i''''
r. 49,, ~ "P0''''"'
wv" ~ .''',,'' "'' ;" ''"''"'
''''a 80 W ",'
'',u u''' 's'' 'o'' ''e "o'iu III e.''uo,EA
,''''''''' 50 "'''',"''sS ""u so'''sS
WV "', o'e' ''',''''u ~ '"e worm
,"e '"s''"''o" "''o "'eu'u'" Vi co,'''nuh'c''
uon between scieht'hc associations oil the world
| " "
o'' - eV"'''''e" '"' P''Po' "sIu ''' '"o oAe'
ions oil the institution, ana It's ohcers are ahNiou
that the National Museum should be separate
| from 1, al,ogether Tho ,ir,s ,f tho t,,, n,o sa,
-.
'"'e anu instinct '"e N'rSe huhoer OF ViSitorS
the museum is Incompatible with study and in
vestiration: the one is supn,rted bv nnnronria
| ,i,' ,,.. r.. ,,i H. .,i
~ ~ "'' ' ''''' "oH' Nv anu
having ample resources IN MS own fund, nov
amounting to nearly seven hundred and fifty thou