Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-22
ARCHAEOLOGIST
nnIMaMHRN
SCORES LUMMN
SECRETARY OF SOUTHWEST
SOCIETY ATTACKED
Or. PALMER BRANDS STATE
MENTs AS FALSE
c,,r.+or of Museum Resents Charac-
terization of His Work and Makes
Allegations of Serious
Nature

Nature
Or f. M. Palmer, curator of the mu-
seurn of the Southwest society, mas Is
sned a signed letter to the members VI VI
the society replying to statements
written by Charles f. Lummls, secIe-
tarv of the Southwest society, ana cIit ~
icising Palmer's administration OF tne
society's affairs. DR.. Palmer & ciial ata 9es {e9
tbe secretary with making false state
menfs in regard to the society's exhln-
ire and with having used the society 5
money for the promotion OF rival
museum.
The letter follows:
nos ANGELES, June 10, 19O9.-To
the Members of the Southwest society
Archaeological Institute of America
This is to inform you that CnarIes
u 1.nnnois. secretary of the Southwest
sociefv wrongfully incorporated in the
minutes of a meeting of the executive
committee of said society, held Aprli
% 1863. certain statements which are
calculated to destroy my reputation as
a competent archaeologist and explorer
After making specific reference TO the
archaeological work Of the southwest
society (work that was done unoer my
nersonal direction), the said Lufnlnls
rhara cterizes that work as follows, to-
wit: o.
over the universal procedure was
that of the collector disemboweilng
what was once the home of human be
ings: and leaving that home an ash-
heap of refuse; and feeling repaid py
having a case or two of curiosities IN
museum. ,.o.
tolerable.
"It is neither scientific, nor historic,
nor human, nor respectable
"This characterization of my work is
absolutely and unqualifiedly false. FUR
thermore, the said Lummis knew IL TO
be false when he wrote 1t.
"It is impossible that 1 shall permit
this wanton assault upon my reputa-
tion to pass unchallenged 1 appeal to
your sense of justice, and OF rlgnt, tnae
YOU compel the said Lummis to prove
the truth of his statement, or resign the
offices he holds in the Southwest society
and in the Southwest museum.
1.-THE libelous outrage quoted is but
elimination of a long series of lesser
assaults by which the said Lummis has
sought to coerce, intimate and humiI-
ate your curator.
'I respectfully ask for an immediate
and full investigation of the matter
complained of, and of other actions by
the said Lummis which have vetoed
your desire and nullified your efforts to
establish a museum in this city.
For your present consideration l
submit the following:
A Comparison
Peabody museum, Harvard university report,
1908:
Peabody endowment ..-Slo0'OOo
other endowments, estimated ............ 10000
Special foundations .....'...'.''.'..'''''. eV'Uoo
donations 44i az
Total .s4a4, III
Result museum OF world wide fame,
Southwest society:
Huntington gift (rejected by LummiS. S2Oo'o0
Secured by Henry w. 'Melveny......... 2S,O25
Secured BY Prof Foshay and Lummis... 1000
All other cash, estimated ..............'.. ZoooO
Total. .s252 OPS
"Result. no museum, no money in the
treasury, and $21,60O in debt
Santa Fe Museum
"Charles F. Lummis and DR.. Edgar
L. Hewett are actively engaged In es-
tablishing this museum. l have posi-
tive evidence Qetters written by the
said Hewett and the said Lummis), con-
clusively proving that their promotion
of this museum is in direct contraVen-
tion Of specific statements and Implied
pledges made by both Of them to the
executive committee of the Southwest
society. AS a result of these represen-
tations they procured an Endorsement
of the alleged plans of the said Hewett.
This Endorsement involves a payment
of $1,000 a year by the Southwest society
in support of the said plans.
1.-THE gross income of the Southwest
society from membership dues amounts
to but $4,000. 1t is obvious that you
cannot hope to make YOUR own museum,
a success if you give up one-third of
your income in promoting a rival in
stitution. An instant result of this un-
wise Endorsement is an Indebtedness of
$780, In view of the fact that the
essence of the understanding which
procured this Endorsement has been vio-
lated by both the said Lummis and the
said Hewett, you should no longer
make payment of the $1,000 year.
The Museum Site
"The said Lummis by specious argu-
ments, fallacious reasonings, and an
unwarranted assertion of his personal
popularity and ability to raise funds,
succeeded in overcoming the conserva-
tive Judgment of the executive commit
tee, and was given a free hand in the
matter of a museum site. The result
being that he procured a rejection of
the magnificent 100000 free site offered
by Henry E. Huntington. He followed
this by reputation of the suggestion
and advice of Henry w. O'Melveny that
the said Lummis should be content with
the front sixteen acres of the hill Sc
cured by the said O'Melveny. The re-
suit of this ill-advised rejection of the
wise counsel of Mr.. O'Melveny is that
the society is in debt 100000 on the mu-
scum site.
''The said Lumnnis now declares that
no funds can be used for making ex-
plorations, nor can the museum collec-
tions be properly catalogued until this
indebtedness which he has fastened
upon the society is paid. 1t is three
years since my last exploration was
made.
Suppresses Official Correspondence
"By the suppression of official cor
respondence with an agent of the
Southwest society and museum, T. J.
Worthington, Pinedale, Ariz., whose
credentials are signed by ]. o. Koepfli,
president Southwest society, and by
Gen. Adna r. Chaffee, president board
of Museum directors, the said Lummis
has utterly destroyed the plans of your
curator for making explorations in be-
half of the Southwest museum. 1t had
required years to perfect these plans.
Furthermore, the plans had been made
In obedience to specific instructions inn
parted to your curator by the executive
committee.