Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-12-17

the government.
The Smithsonian institution. says the
Washington Times. occupies u peculiar
relation to this government. 1t is u
part of it, and yet it is not u part. Its
moneys are in the United States treas.
ury and can be used only ON appro-
priation by congress, and yet this money
does not belong to the government. 1t
Is to the government only us the money
OF u ward is to a guardian.
james Sinithson. who contributed
the bulk Of the fund in the hands of
the institution, was an Englishman,
the son Of Il peer of the realm. He
WAS a ma who could trace his anc.s.
try back to royal blood. He never Wis
tied in America and vas never known
to have any particular partiality for
America until he wrote his will in
1926. He died ut Genoa in 1929. and
when they opened his will this is what
they read:
81 bequeatho the whole of my prop
erty to the United States of America
to found ut Washington. under The
name of the Smithsonian institution,
an establishment for the increase and
diffusion of knowledge among men,"
This property amounted to about
$500. 000, which was in that day a
princely fortune. Six years after his
death the United States legation at
London was informed that there was
about $500, 900 in the possession of the
adjutant general of the British court of
chancery awaiting claimant.
Immediately there arose in America
all kinds of opposition to the accept
ance of the money. John C.. Calhoun
ana WIiriam ". rrestv.. UGs5:3 With
all the fire of their eloquencC that it
was beneath the dignity of this gov
ernment to accept such Il gift. But
John Quincy Adams and Others pre-.
vailed, and Richard Rush WIS sent to
England to prosecute the claim of this
government.
He was successful, and on Sept. 1.
1888, the money WAS dcliyercd at the
mint in Philadelphia in the shape of
l0l, 800 gold sovereigns, which were
minted into sos. 3lS.4 in American
money.
This sum by careful management
and by additions from other charitably
inclined persons has now become about
81, 200, 600, which the govern nent keeps
and pays interest upon for the main
tenance of the institution.
For the first eight years the money
lay i'll the treasury while plans were
being formulated for the permanent
establishment described by Smithson
III his will. Thousands of letters were
received, and there were schemes
enough proposed to bankrupt several
governments. congressman debated
over this fund repeatedly, and hun
dreds of pages of the Congressional
Globe were given up to il.
The institution has been worked ont
on such broad lines as to he one of
the greatest forces in scientific re-
search in the world.
The board of regents is COMPOSED of
the vice president of the United States,
the chief justice Of the United States.
three United States senators three
representatives and six citizens of the
United States at large.
The National museum, the weather
bureau, the geological park at Wash.
ington. the fisheries bureau and the
NOT r,tI,..s,.. .l,...,.. l... -.
developed by the institution.
The objects of the institution. AS
described ny its iirS5 secretary, Joseph
Henry, have been adhered to through
the years Of its existence. They are
to increase knowledge hy original in.
vcstigationS and study either in sci
enCe or literature ili u diiTuSa knOwl-
edgc not only through the United
States, but everywhere, especially by
promoting III interchange of thought
among those prominent in learning in
all nations. No restriction is made
in favor of any one branch of knowl-
edge.
The leading features Of the plan of
Professor Henry were, in his own
words:
"To assist men of science in making
original researches. to publish them in
q series Of volumes and to give II copy
of them to every first class library in
tho world"
Books. laboratory Accommodations and
apparatus have been supplied to thous.
ands of investigators throughout the
United States.
-
SUGAR AND THE