The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-05-02
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHISeroS, April IS.

WASHINGTON, April IS.
The National Academy of Scien'
ces has been holding its annual
meeting this week in the lecture
room of The National Museum
Many distinguished scientists are in
attendance, each of whom, according
to the days programme, has read .
learned disquisition upon some sci.
entific subject TO the edification and
entertainment of the abtruse broth
erhood. The meetings have beer
well attended by persons of no pre-
tention to scientific requirements
whose lack of technical information
renders them incapable of fully ap'
preciating the subjects discussed
but their presence shows commen'
dable interest in things scientific
while the rarifed atmosphere of the
place is wholesome, if only for q
change. At their business meeting
Wednesday, Prot. o. C. Marsh, Of
Yale College. was elected President
of the Academy, to fill the vacancy
caused by the death of Prof. Kodg-
ers. Prof. Marsh has of late years
been investigating the extinct ami
mails of the Rocky Mountain region,
and has discovered more than two
hundred kinds before unknown. He
is a nephew of the philanthropist,
George Peabody, and is a very rich
man.
Yesterday Thursday an Immense
concourse of people assembled in the
beautiful grounds of the Smithsoni-
an Institute to witness the unwilling
of the statue to Prof. Henry, the
philanthroper, lecturer and scient-
ist, who devised the plan of the
Smithsonian, as it now stands, thir-
ty-two years before his death, and
who presided over it and controlled
its administration for q third of a
century. He prevented it becoming
4 college, a library, a museum, or
agricultural school, and made it an
institution for the creation and diff
fusion of knowledge among men.
Chief Justice Waite made the adj
dress and unveiled the statue. Pres
ident Porter of Yale College deliver
ed the grafton, and the Pbilharmo-
mic Society, consisting of one hun
bred and fifty voices, accompanied
by the marine band, rendered the
music. 1t is the first statue TO a CT
william unveiled in this city, where
there are so many stiff looking stat
ues TO military heroes.
One is confronted at every turn by
a huge equestrian statue, which
stands in the centre of almost every
otherwise attractive square, metallic
ally immortalizing bad taste, poor
art, and impossible posing. These
statues r about the only unsightly
features of this city, which could be
called altogether beautiful if fount-
aims occupied their places. They
are already so numerous as to be
mo%notonous, and now, unless author.
ity interferes, another will be placed
in Dupont circle in honor Of Admi
raj Dupont. Ex-Secretary Blaine's
elegant new residence overlooks this
spot, and doubtless he will use every
vestige of influence he may possess
to prevent this dissertation. OF
course no one knows who this adj
miral was or what he ever did, but
| suppose the intention is to attach
a sketch of his life to the pedestal
saying whence he came or what he
accomplished, and people who ap-
proach and read will then and there
feel reproved by a darling sense of
Ignorance of their country's history.
Speaking of Blaine reminds me of
his book, at which be is working in
dustriously but quietly. He is sell
dom seen on the Avenue now, being
too much absorbed with his work to
be lettering around. 1t promises to
be interesting reading, for who is
more familiar than Blaine with the
inside history of the Republican
party from 1865 until the present
time. But it does seem as if there
could be no undimmed success at
anything in this world, for just be-
Hofahe has finished carving for him.
Esell3 new niche in the gallery OF
hn1e, after all his hard toll and just
Efefe he has quite grasped his fresh
k0nors, he learns that Simultaneous
" with his own publication will ap-
pear ex-senator Tabor}s book, "Thir.
ty Days in Congress or Daniel
Webster as compared with myself
1t was a pity that Blaine's hard won
glory is to be oveyhadoved III this
way, and that hes bid not hurry up
a little with his-4pok.
The magnet Vt FofdsS Opera
House this week was Mrs, Langtry
or the Jersey Lily, who came, was
seen, but did not conquer Washing.
ton. And really she isrno lily at all,
but an awkward, angular woman,
whose only beauty, so Far as / could
discover, is her complexion. If she
has dramatic ability it is latent, fol
she displays no more than o rather
capable amateur. What humbugs
foreign actresses are and how read
lily the American public allows itself
to be humbugged by them If g-
land can send us nothing bettefS(nn
a calf like Oscar Wilde and the Jes.
sey-I had almost said AldeFney-
in exchange for u good bed, she
had better not attempt reciprocity at
all.
The Months.