The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-05-02
CORRESPONDENCE.
About washington.

About Washington.
EAST WOODSTOCK, Conn, April21 1889.
! To the Editor of the Banner DEAR
SIR Thinking some of your readers
might be interested in a short sketch of
a few objects of the wonderful colec-
ton at the Smithsonian Institute, will
write just what l wish | could have
known before went there and had |
known It my visit would have resulted
to me, in twi n the benefit that it did.
As it was | got enough to give me food
for thought for long time.
Some idea of the extent of the collec-
ton may be obtained from the following
estimate of the number of specimens in
the different departments. Antiquity
and ethnology, $50 900; mammal, 10, 900;
birds and eggs, 100,0 900; reptile, 10000;
fish, $1,000; mollusks, 425 900; sects,
800 900; ores and metals, $4,000; rocks
and building stone, 800, 900; minerals and
metals, 10000; marine invertebrates.
500, 900; fossil invertebrates and plants,
500 600; arts and industries, 10000
The institution was organized in 1916.
The Smithsonian fund held by United
States amounts to $703, 900 and yields an
annual income of $40, 1870, used for its
support. The National Museum was or
ganzed the same year, and transferred
to the Smithsonian Institute in 1858.
The building which was first occupied
in 1881 is in the form of a square 327 #.
long. Over 81 acres are covered in by
roofs. The erection of this building took
about five and one-fourth million brIcks,
and 1000 square feet of glass. The
lower floor OF the Smithsonian building
is occupied mainly by the the collection
of birds of which there are 60,000
The second floor is devoted to the
archaeological collections, which, in the
part that relates toAmerican antiquities,
are the most extensive in the world.
One curious and valuable specimen is
stone idol 20 inches long and weighing
81 pounds, discovered in a cave near
Knoxville, Tenn,
AS you enter the National Museum
Building the first objects that attract at
tention are the relics of George Wash
ing. Here may be seen articles of his
uniform, bed curtains made by Martha
| Washington, articles of their household
furniture fIom Mt. Vernon. Next comes
the Grant relics deposited here In 1886
Among the miscellaneous relics we no.
tice Gen. Jackson's uniform coat, worn
at the battle of New Orleans; hair from
the heads of IA presidents of the United
States; old England battle ak from
Windsor Castle; antique compass from
Brazil, made in 1904; Daniel Boones
pocket knife; the printing press used by
Franklin in London, in 1856; an orang-
autang group of five in a case Ike feet,
and 1O12 feet high, so mounted as to
show the habits Of the animal.
One of the most imposing objects in
the museum, is an Irish elk from an Irish
peat-bog. Its anters are feet from tip
to tip. There is also a skeleton of the
same animal. A group of buffalos from
Montana is quite interesting. There are
over 300 Indian portraits showing the
customs and costumes of the different
tribes; also 300 other pictures illustra.
tive of Indians natural scenery and early
times in the Western country. All the
the above 600 pictures were collected
and painted by Mr.. Catlin during eight
years travels among 48 tribes.
A collection of SO casts of monuments
of ant putty in Central America. Egyp-
tan DsitIes, Osiris and Isis, marble
sphinx from Cairo. Egypt, and mum
mics 1900 years old. There are two pre-.
served human heads from Peru. There
u
the native inscriptions, some to be read
from right to left and some from the top
downward. A collection from Thibet
and China con aims relics of Buddhism,
and from Japan there iS bronx
Buddha, and also another similar but
smaller.
Another interesting article was cape
made from the feathers of bird called,
$50, he oh ,,l,n %
Hawaii. 1t was worn by him when a
youth and is said to have cost 81 900 900.
The fox skin jumper or kapetah of the
Esquimaux, fits tight and has hood.
Under this is similar garment made of
bird skins which are chewed by the wo-
men until they are perfectly soft, More
than 500 auks are sometimes killed to
furnish sklns for single shirt of this
kind.
The great Tuckson meteorite discover
ed in Mexico is mostly of iron, and
weighs 400 pounds,
| OF course there are large collections
of building stones, metals, coal, and all
along in that line.
To show the force of the wind, there
is shown a section of white oak inches
in diameter, with piece of board one
inch thick and ~ inches wide, driven
through the heart of it. There are skele-
tons of the famous race horses, Lexing.
ton and Henry Clay. Most of the diff
ferent ways of locomotion are repre-
sen'ed. Elephants saddle, a Mexican
pack mule all ready loaded, snow shoes,
sedan chair with handle extending out
before and behind so that the attendants
can can carry it. The locomotive, John
Bull and plans, designs and sketches of
others. First steamboat used in United
States, model of st. Louis bridge.
The carreta or OK wagon, used in Mex
leo made entirely of wood. 1t was in
troduced by the Spanlards and is still
used in Spain. An OK yoks to go with
the above ships, aud boats of all descrip-
tions and from all countries. The kyak
British Guiana. There are Chinese
iunkS, and other boats as round as
bowl.
The collection Of animals in the Zo1lo-
gical garden is yet small, but ii the Gov
eminent accomplishes the purchase of
the tract Of land joining the city limits.
which there is talk of its doing. and then
converts it into National Park and
Geological garden, with more room
there would soon be large collection.
To sum up the collection in one SEN
tence, | would say 1t contains contribu-
tions from every art and science of
every age in every country, from pre-
historic times on down.
Yours truly,
c. +. BRECKENRIDGE.