New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-23
HUMOR IN SCIENCE.
SOME FUNNY THINGS HAPPEN IN THE
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION.
From The Washington Star.

From The Washington star.
The brother scientists of one Of the chief
Psychologists" at the Smithsonian Institution
had some fun with that good natured gentleman
one of the most eminent opponents OF the
science pertaining to feathered creatures In the
world-not long ago. They caused an item TO
work it's way into circulation and to be spread
broadcast throughout the country, to the erect
that the ordinary passenger pigeon OF birdology
was, for some ineXplicable reason or other, dying
out so rapidly that the Smithsonian Institution
desired a number Of specimens Of the same for
stuffing and mounting purposes. Now, passen-
ger pigeons not numerous as EngISn
sparrows of course but, all the same. there are
so many of them extant that they stand an ex-
cellent chance of enduring as species as long
as the human race inhabits this globe. the
bird scientist declines to state just how many
boxes of passenger pigeons he has received up
to date together with please remit bills
through the mails for the same but the passen-
ger pigeons are said to be still a-coming. They
are sent back. express charges G. .. d.. IN eacii
case and howls come in a-plenty to the effect
that some OF the birds have expired on the re-
turn trip and demanding payment for these
dead ones.
The Smithsonian Institution does not look at
first or even second glance like an outfit wherein
there is likely to be any fun worth speaking OIL
but the corps Of really distinguished scientists
who work over there do, in fact. ENJOY their
daily quota of humor right along 1t doesn't
necessarily follow that because man Is d
scientist with a lot of queer initials after MS
name he does not partake of ut least some or
the distinctly human attributes OF ms genus
The truth is that they arc an EXTRAORDINARILY
cheerful, unassuming set OF gentlemen, and they
are increasingly poking fun at each others at
tainments and ambitions. One has only TO see
one particular member of this scientific stan
a man who is renowned throughout the world
for the depth Of his learning and his remarkaDc
resea riches in his spccialty-sittng back in his
shirt sleeves in n tip-tilted chair. smoking
short and very disreputable brarwood pipe. to
understand how thoroughly compatible science
is with what might be called humanneSs.
a a
deal Of fun out of letters that come to them
from all parts Of the country. Not long since a
woman out in Illinois wrote TO the institution
that she had six toes on each OF her feet and
that she would be glad to place herself on ex-
hbtion in the institution for a pretty stlff
figure which she stipulated. She was politely
informed that the institution was not hunting
for live human exhibits. Then there are alleged
fossil finders all over the country who write re-
uuestinG that their expenses be paid for the trip
TO Washington. in order that they may bring
their fossils along with them to the institution.
Needless to state, their modest requests are not
acceded to. Their fossils generally belong TO
species decidedly not extinct. Again, scattered
throughout the country are many people VINO
come into possession of collections that they
suppose to be valuable. and these write to the
Smithsonian Institution with the view 10 max
ing a dickcr For example. not long ago
Massachusetts woman wrote to the institution,
stating that her father, n retired sea captain,
had recently died. leaving her nothing much
besides large collection of curious shells, many
OF which he had told her, of inestmabc
value because there were no duplicates OF them
in any known collection She was poor she
said and she wanted to transfer the collection
of shells to the Smithsonian institution Tor Il
consideration which she named-a pretty SlZa-
BILE consideration The institution did not SEND
a man up that way for the single purpose or
examining this collection. but one of the scien-
lists who recently happened to get near TO the
town from which the letter was written went
over to look ii over and he wrote the institution
to the effect that there wasn't shell or conch
In the array that wasn't already on file in the
institutions exhibit of that sort.
Pathos occasionally creeps into these letters
to the institution. few months ago Professor
Langley received a letter from poor woman
whose mind had apparently been unseated by
the death OF her child The woman stated that
she had pair of the little ones shoes which
she considered very valuable, and she thought
the Smithsonian Institution might like TO have
them TO put exhibition. There was good
deal of super1uous coughing and nose blowing
among the scientists when that poor scrawl was
handed around. and Professor Langleys auto
graph reply to the letter is said to have been
nice thing to read.