Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-04-25
[From.Our gularICorrespondent.l
Washington Letter. ]
WAsHINGToN, D, C., April 90

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WASHINGTON, D. c., April 90 sS.
The national academy of sciences has
been holding its annual meeting this week
in the lecture room OF the national mu.
scum. Many distinguished scientists are
in attendance, each of whom, according
to the days programme, has read learn
ed disquisitlon upon some scientific
subject to the edifcation and entertain
ment of the abstruse brotherhood. The
meetings have been well attended by
persons of no pretention to scientific
requirements. whose lack of technical
information renders them incapable OF
fully approaching the subjects discussed.
but their presence shows commendable
interest in things scientific, while the
rarified atmosphere is wholesome, If only
for change. At their business meeting
Wednesday. Prof. o. g. Marsh of Yale
college was elected president OF the acad-
emy,to fill the vacancy caused by the death
of Prof Rogers. Prof. Marsh has of late
years been investigating the extinct
animals of the Rocky mountain region,
and has discovered more than two hundred
kinds before unknown. He is nephew
of tho philanthropist George Peabody,
and is wealthy.
Yesterday Thursday an immense
concourse of people assembled in the
beautiful grounds of the Smithsonian
institute to witness the unwilling of the
statue to Prof. Henry, the philosopher,
lecturer and scientist who devised the
plan of the Smithsonian, as it now stands,
thirty-two years before his death, and
who presided over it and controlled its
administration for third of century
He prevented its becoming a college, a
library, a museum, or agricultural school,
and made it an institution for the creation
and diffusion of knowledge among men.
Chief Justice Waite made the address
and unveiled the statue. President Porter
of Yale college delivered the ration, and
the philharmonic society, consisting of
one hundred and fifty voices, accompanied
by the marine band, rendered the music.
1t is the first statue to civilian unveiled
in this city, where there are so many stiff
looking statues 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, metalically immortal
izing bad taste, poor art, and impossible
posing. These statues are about the only
unsightly features Of this city, which
could be called altogether beautiful if
fountains occupied their places. They
are already so numerous as to be monoto-
nous, and now, unless authority intelferes,
another will be placed in Dupont circle
in honor of Admiral Dupont. Ex-Secre-
tary Blaine's elegant new residence over
looks 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 admiral was or
what he ever did, but l suppose the
intention is to attach sketch of his life
to the pedestal saying whence he came or
what he accomplished, and people who
approach and read will then and there
feel reproved by darting sense of
ignorance of their country's history.
Speaking of Blaine reminds me of his
book at which he is working industriously
but quietly. He is seldom 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 undimned
success at anything in this world, for just
before he has finished carving for himself
a niche in the gallery of fame, after all
his hard toll and just before lie has quite
grasped his fresh honors he learns that
simultaneously with his own publication
will appear Ex-senator Tabor's book:
"Thirty Days in Congress" or Daniel
Webster as compared with Myself" 1t
was pity that Blaino's hard won glory
is to be overshadowed in this way, and
that he did not hurry up little with his
book.
The magnet at Ford's opera house this
week was Mrs. Langtry or "Jersey Lily"
who came, was seen, but did not conquer
Washington. And really she is no 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, for she
displays no more than rather capable
amateur. What humbugs foreign actresses
are and how readily the American public
allows itself to be humbugged by them!
If England can send us nothing better
thad calf like Oscar Wilde and the
"Jersey"-I had almost said Alderney-
in exchange for our good beef she had
better not attempt reciprocity at all.