Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-07-09
HELPING yoUSG SCIENCE.
now the Smithsonian institution Arf. a. q
Human knowledge Exchange.

HOW the Smithsonian Institution Art. a. .
Human knowledge Exchange.
Zone way in which this institution increases
and diffusos knowledge. in obedience Of il,e
VII OF Mr.. smithson. IL by extending aid 90 he
ginners IN science" said Prof Otis I. AIasou 70
q srAk reporter. 'For example, We received n
communication not long ago from young man
IN the little town Of Brookvilie. Ind. He vns
seized with an appetite for information about
natural history aud he wrote 20 ssk il we Uasld
help him. Did We dispi-e this modest request
IRON nm unknown source1 by no means We
placed all our resources at his command. oAe--
ing at the same time to put him n, correspond
ence with the entire scientific world. Thus en-
couraged. he organized a local society. called
the 'BrooSviile Academy of Science. and al
ready You would be astonished at the ercouclsee
OF the lbrnry and museum established In that
obscure place.
EXCHANGE oF ooIAxcTIoSs
The collections forwarded 20 ms by the
Brookville Academy of Science we distribute Al
our o~n expense, ~ well a. the publicatioa.
which IL sends TO " from time 60 time. DIS
patching them to whatever addresses NAV ne
Indicated and returning other printed matter
and specimens. This sort of thing we are cos,-
n'rTaily doing. being most ankiods 90 give CO..
coaragement Ia beginners. Suppose. for In
stance, that John Smith 81 Oshkosh tvansrults
to us twenty skins Of birds obtained in tl.-s
neighoorhood, asking Tor certain other bIfd
skins In exchange. We send his little collts-
ton to England. mavbe or to Russis or souih
America. and get what he wants, delivering the
specimens 90 him without any cost Co himself
Our work in this line Is carried on all over n.
world through paid agents and correspondents
IL person in Australia. who IL making a studr
f.Ys 4. -
skins from the United States in exchange fs.r
kangaroo skins We will see that he gets iho,s
ourselves paying all the expense involved
SCIENTIFIC SWITCH BOARD.
I'VE volunteer TO do this for people every
where in the world without cost 70 themselves
On being requested We will negotiate trade "a
snakes between a correspondent in Honolulu
and another in Bangkok or We will manage na
exchange Of queer fishee between two natursl-
lists, amateur or professional, in werkojHnak
and in Bombay. The Smithsonian estabiilb-
ment u. In fact. switch board. by means q
which every scientific man in ths world y
placed IN communication With all other scieIl-
tte men. In former times scientists in various
parts of the globe were not acquainted vita
each others work, 80 that several ersons might
be pursuing at the same time the same line %
Researches independently, thus mnltiplyins
labor. At present ali the scientific institutions
everywhere send their publications. Ia us foe
dstribution and we scatter them 90 all parts u
the earth.
EscorRAoENENr FoR BEGISNERs
This establishment, in short, l. the worlds
central exchange for scientific liternture ana
specimens; but no portion Of our work is -
greater importance than that which relates e.
the encouragement Of scientific enterprire in its
small beginnings. We desire people every
where 90 know that the resources at our com.
maud are At their disposal; that We will
assist them in every wny, by procuring objects
for their collections by circulating their printed
reports free Of charge and by placing them IN
correspondence with all living workers in thu
field OF human knowledge By such mean.
scientific work has been made 80 universal thas
there Is no quarter Of the globe today in which
il Is not carried on