Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-06-14
STARTING THE SMITHSONIAN.
The Events Which Led to the Birth Of This
Important Institution.
Special Correspondence.


The Events Which Led to the Birth Of This
Important Institution.
Special Correspondence.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., june Tit is
amazing how little we know Of the his
tory, the struggles and difficulties that
have been confronted by those in the
past who laid the foundations of insti-
buttons that are now the marvel of our
times. The stranger who visits the
picturesque structure of red free stone,
familary known as the Smithsonian, y
standing in a beautiful park of fifty-two
ACRES. Is not expected to understand
all its strange history, its aims and OBJ
jects. Few Neutrality-suspicious. even have
any conceptions outlying the idea that
it is a grand mausoleum Of dead bugs
and beetles, pierced with pin-stuffed
birds, animals and real dead num-
mics. The masses are really in heath
enish ignorance and little missionary
intelligence may be healthful light
let into this
INTELLECTUAL DARKNESS.
This institution owes its existence to q
strange Englishman named Smithson,
who was eleven years old at the time
of the declaration of independence, was
l;vinO d,,ripo tho vUor nf 1910 bod
never set foot on American soil, and
had no friends in America. That this
shy Englishman, described himself in
his will "as the son of Hugh, first duke
of Northumberland, and Elizabeth,
heiress of the Hungerfords of Audley
and niece of Charles the Proud, duke
of Somerset should at his death in
Genoa in 1929 make provision for this
massive structure is novel full of
romance. On examining his will it
was found his large fortune was left
to his nephew. Henry James Hunger
ford, during his lifetime, and to his
children after him; and in case he died
childless, then the property was will
ed to the United States to found at
Washington ian institution for the in
crease and diffusion of
KNOWLEDGE AMONG MEN.
This English nephew had no banker
ing for children and did not wish to send
any mortal out into this cold world bur-
dened with the care of 100000. He
died unmarried and childless in 1885.
The Congress of the United States with
great reluctance set about asserting the
right of our government to the money,
and Richard Rush was sent out to Eng
land as U. S. agent, and nothing but
his bulldog tenacity ever wrested the
money from the clutches of the English
chancery court into whose greedy NAV
it had fallen. Two years of amicable
litigation over, he lost no time in getting
out of the reach of greedy claimants
who began to appear. Fortunately
Rush got to sea with his eleven boxes of
British gold, and the two notable claim
ants found that they had been outwitted.
Had they appeared few days earlier
the court would have gobbled every dol
lar, and the Smithsonian would never
have been erected. Meantime it dawned
upon our wise men that they had
AN ELEPHANT UPON THEIR HANDS,
and while discussing what should be
done with the funds the government
loaned the money to the state of Arkan-
sas, whose officers squandered it. The
bonds given as security were repudiated
and the whole loan was lost. There
was much discussion as to what should
be done under the circumstances, and
in 1916 an act was passed by Congress
establishing the institution.
The cornerstone was laid in 1S47.
and the structure was completed in
1856. The original bequest with inter-
est in 1867 had reached the sum of
S714,000. The building was built of
Seneca free stone from a quarry on the
Potomac twenty-three miles from WASH
ington, is 447 feet in length, with an ex-
treme width of 100 feet. Its architect
ure is Norman, belonging chronology
cally to the twelfth century, and is the
first non-ecclesiastical structure of the
kind built in the United States. The
building, costing S450,0OO, was built
out of the accrued interest, and the sum
of $3.50, 900 was deposited in the Treas
ury, the interest of which pays the run
ming expenses of the institution. Great
credit is due to the late
PROFESSOR HENRY,
who gave himself assiduously to the in
terests of this institution. The distin-
guished physicist won a high rank
among the scientists of the world in the
realm of electro magnetism, and made
it possible to apply its principles to the
telegraph which now begirts the world.
The life-size statue recently unveiled in
the Smithsonian grounds is but feeble
expression of the grateful regard felt for
the public scholar and scientist.
The work now being done under the di-
rection of the Smithsonian is increasing
knowledge among men, not only in this
country but throughout the civilized
world Fish culture, as prosecuted by
the U. S. fish commission, is stimulating
fish culture in every country in the
world, while the National Museum has
reproduced here at the capitol the ex-
hibits of the Centennial, to be admired
by daily throng of visitors at all sea-
sons of the year. JUNIUs.
Fashion Freaks.
Black velvet necklets are worn high
about the throat and fastened by dia-
mond studs.
Tucks in punches across the skirt in
flounces, and in lengthwise rows on
front breadths, are still in favor.
Pointed bonnet fronts, the large turn
ours, and ligh-shouldered sleeves are
three features of spring toilets.
A g