Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-15
SMITHS0N'S LEGACY.
The Man Who Left Halt a Million
Dollars to the United States
POINTS FROM HIS CAREER.
now the Gold soversigns ns LsS - Pound
an Institusion In ThisCountry Were Brought
From England and Recoinsd-rhe Discus
sion Over the Disposition q the Money.
MosT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT AND

MI A-oA hNo" "hAA ANb
.'A where the Smithsonian Institution lie, al
though out little is generally known Of its
origin and its founder, James smithson. The
history ofits original establishment is touched
with a melancholy romance. James Smithson
was born In England about the year lisa. the
precise date and place of his nativity being I'M
known. He was . natural son of Hugh Smith
son, FIRST Duke Of Northumberland,
ms mother being 9 Mrs Elizabeth
Macie. Nothing 10 known OF her his
tory. His father was distinguished as . men,
Der OF one Of the most ii.nstrious houses OF
Great Britain The possession by his father.
the Duke Of Northumberland, of titles and dig
mites only inferior to those Of royalty was Of
little consequence to his son James Deprived.
on account Of his birth, from claiming the fam
ily name and honors. be aspired TO win fame
more universal and lasting than that bestowed
oy titles and honors. His feeling in regard to
posthumous fame was thus expressed in one Of
his early manuscripts:
The best blood Of England nows In nv
veins. On my fathers side ! am Northum-
berlsnd, on my mothers am related to kings,
but this avaiis me not. NV name shall live in
the memory OF man when the titles of North
cumberland and the Percys are extinct and
forgotten"
Smithson pursued his studies at Oxford Uni
verslty, where he became attached to Pembroke
College, distinguished Cor having among lite
fellows the learned Blackstone. the eloquent
Whitfield and the celebrated Dr. Samuel John
son. He was q diligent student and attracted
marked attention by his proficiency in
chemistry. His vacations were passed in
excursions to collect minerals and ores
which it was his favorite occupation to
snslyze. At Oxford be received the impulse
for scientific research which characterized all
his future life. He was graduated in 1856 as
Il M Mar. ha.l Ia
until 1900, when he adopted that of James
Smithson. He never married, and a man of
wealth had ample opportunity for leisure and
study. he was a profound student and
diligently pursued his scientific Investigations
lie cared nothing for idleness and pleasure.
His lodgings were for many years in Bentwick
street, London. the locality famous az the place
where Gibbon wrote his Decline and Fall Of
the Roman Empire He made extensive Jour-
neys in various parts Of Europe for scientific
purposes. These sojourns abroad aptly Illus
trate one OF his own sayings, THE man Of
science is OF no countryside world il his coun-
try, all mankind his countrymen." This OBJ
servation well typifies his own life-born in
England. travelling extensively in Germany and
France, buried in Italy and leaving his name
and fortune to the United States.
SUFFERING HARDsHIps FOR SCIENCE.
In his diary OF a trip through Scotland the
following entry appears: September 20, I7si.
This day packed up my fossils in barrel and
paid %. Cd. for their going by water TO Edn-
burgh Mr.. Stevenson charged half a crown for
night for my rooms because had brought
stones and dirt, as he said. into it"
Another entry reads: Got up early; sec ran
very high; wind extremely strong; no boat
could put off: breakfasted on boiled potatoes
and milk, dined on the same; only got few
very bad fish; supped on potatoes and milk; lay
In the barn, firmly expecting to stay there for
q week without even bread
These incidents clearly indicate the enthusi-
asm with which Smithson pursued his sciea-
the Investigations, nothing deferred by almost
insurmountable obstacles.
Smithson died in 1929 at Genoa. Italy where
his grave is marked by q handsome monument.
From MIR. William j. Rhees, chief clerk OK
the Smithsonian Institution many interesting
facts regarding bmithson were obtained. Mr..
Rhees said: 1T is interesting subject of
speculation to consider the motives which
actuated Smithson in bequeathing his fortune
to the United States to found an establishment
for the increase and diffusion of knowledge
among men, He is not known to have had a
single correspondent in America, and in none
of his papers is found any reference to it. or its
distinguished men. 1t il probable that living at
time when all Europe was convulsed with war,
when the energies OF nations and lives of mil
lions were devoted to efforts for conauests, be
turned to free America, where he could dis
Germ the elements of enduring prosperity and
the aspirations OF coming generations. He
undoubtedly felt that In the United States
mere w9uia De wiaer scope Tor the promotion
% kho"ieage, ana mar In TINS new country
mere wouid always De free tnougnt ana in
oennite progress.
Ihere are Only TWO books In smithson's IL
orary containing references to the United
states ohe OF tnese Is struggles through
Lie, EAehphned IN the various travels and
Ad'eH 1aS Al Europe, ASIA; AFRICA and Amer
iea' Aoo', y! Lieut. 'onn ilaIrOtI
aLMPsEs OF EARLY WASHINGTON.
The author SAYS Of this city: .'Respectine this
intended CITY CWasbinptonI onest;on nncb
-. e.. go III h. -
"ne'"ei 'neio e'e' wa. VIC sunicien' number
Of houses euHt 10 entitle II 70 the name Of a
great city. Reckoning up all the houses I
could see or hear OF as belonging to the new
city OF Washington, they dad not amount to
eighty. Having seen and examined everything
and gained all the information could concern
ing this SO much talked-of city, sat down be-
tween the Presidents house and the Capitol
and entered the following In my minute book,
my opinion, viz:
- Should the public buildings be completed
ano enterprising individuals risk considerable
in building houses. should the union Of the
states continue undisturbed should Congress
assemble for number of years until the
national bank and other public offices neces-
sarily draw the moneyed interests to il, the
city Of Washington in the course of a century
may form focus Of attraction TO mercantile
and trading DeOple sufficient To make a bsauti-