The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-06-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. D. c., May %, 1888.

WASHINGTON. D. c., May %, 1888.
II is amazing how little we know
OF the history, the struggles and diff.
culties that have been confronted by
those in the past who laid the foun.
datiOns of Institutions that are now
the marvel of our times, The stran-
ger who visits the picturesque struc-
ture of red free stone, familiarity
known as the Smithsonian" stand
ing in beautiful park of fifty-two
acres, is not expected to understand
all of its strange history, its aims and
objects. Few Neutrality-suspicious. even
have any conceptions outlying the
idea that it is grand mausOleum OF
dead bugs and beetles. pierced with
pin-stutfed birds, animals, ana real
dead mumies. The masses are really
in heathenish ignorance and a little
missionary intelligence may be a
healthful light let into this inteIlec-
tual darkness. This institution owes
its existence to strange Englishman
named Smiths0n, who was eleven
years old at the time of the declara-
ton of independence, was living dur<
ing the war of 1912, had never set
| foot on American soil, and had no
friends in America. That this shy
Englishman, describing himself in
his will "as the son of Hugh, first
duke of Northumberland, and Eliza
beth, heiress of the Hungerfords of
Audley and niece of Charles the
Proud, duke of Somerset" should at
his death in Genoa in 1929 make pro-
vision for this massive structure is
novel full of romance. On examin-
| ing his will it was found his large
| fortune was LETT to his nephew, Henry
James Hungerford, during his life
time, and to his children after him :;
and in case he died childless then
| the property was WIlied to the Uni
ted States to found at Washington
"an institution for the increase and
diffusion of knowledge among men,"
This English nephew had no hank
to send any mortal out into this
world burdened with the care of
100000. He died unmarried and
childIess in 1885. The Congress of
the United States with great reluct-
ance 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 bull dOg tenacity ever Wrest-
ed the money from the clutches of the
| English chancery court into whose
greedy NAV it mad fallen. Two years
of amicabIe litigation over, be lost no
time in getting out of the reach of
greedy claimants who began to APP
pear. Fortunately Rush got to sea
with his eleven boxes of British gold,
and the notable claimants found they
had been outWitted. Had they ap-
peared few days earlier the court of
chancery and the lawyers would have
gobbled every dollar, and the Smith
s0nian would never 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 Arkansas, whose Off
GERS squandered it. The bonds given
as security were rep1diated, 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 10y Congress estab-
fishing the institution.
The cornerstone was laid in 1917
and the structure was completed in
1856. The original bequest with in
terest in 1876 had reached the sum of
S7l4,000. The building was built of
Seneca free stone from a quarry on
the Potomac twenty. three miles from
Washington, is AT feet in length,
with an extreme width of 100 feet.
Its Architectural is Norman, belonging
chronologically to the twelfth CEN
fury, and it is the first nOn-ecclesias-
tical structure Of the kind built in the
United States. The building costing
$40, 900 was built out of the accrued
interest. and the sum of $3.50 900 WAS
deposited in the Treasury the inter-
est of which pays the running ex-
penses of the institution. Great credit
is due to the late Professor Henry,
who gave himself assidunuSly to the
interests of this Institution. This
distinguished physicist won a high
rank among the scientists of the
world in the realm of electro imagine
tism, and made it possible to apply
its principles to the telegraph which
now Degirts the world. The life-size
statue recently unveiled in the Smith
sonian grounds is but feeble express