The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-03-20
Structure Will Hold Col
lection which Should
Equal Any on Earth in
a Few Years = Some
thing About the Plan and
Scope of the Work.
BY cHARLorrE NJ. coNeER.

BY CHARLOTTE VI. CONGER.
Il is apparent TO ell those who took
part in the Inauguration or the new build
ing for the National Museum on Thurs
day afternoon that this institution has
come to a splendid maturity which prom
ises as splendid future. since it is
nn&IIy installed in a building. not only
adequate for its present needs, but with
reserve space for increase and develop
nent.
Looking about at the many collections
walking through corridor after corridor
filed with cases in which are displayed
exhibits illustrating the different sciences,
various forms OF life, social and religious
customs, and standing before the pic
lures, which are the beginning of a ma
tionaI gallery, it hardly seemed possible
that a museum but little more than a
half century old has come to such rank
and Importance.
Few. people outside Of the Capital, even
those interested in scientific work. have
any idea Of the scope OF this institution.
its place IN the scientific world, or that
some OF its collections are superior To
any similar ones in existence. Educated
Americans, students even, ignorant re-
garding the resources Of the Museum,
have. crossed the ocean in search OF ma
terial which lay at their very door. Such
was the young ethnologist who made
pilgrimage TO the University of Berlin
there to visit an authority in his branch
and to examine the chronological collee-
ton Of American Indians.
GO back to your own home. said the
gruff old scientist TO his would-be dis
ciple: "go back to your own men and
your own collection in the National
Museum at Washington. We have moth
ing to equal their American Indian ex-
hibit over here. nor have they in London.
A fine ethnologist you'll make, not know
ing your own authorities
Plan of Early Origin.
The plan for a national museum origi-
mated as far back as 17SS in connection
with a proposed Federal university which
was much exploited in those days but
never materialized Later on, in 1906, 10
be exact. Joel Barlow, preacher. specula-
tor. political agtatOr man of letters, one
time American Minister TO France, and
the author of the Columbiade, which was
10 prove the great American epic, but
survives only as a literary curiosity, and
one OF the most picturesque characters OF
his time. developed a plan for national
institution" His ideas were taken from
the natural history and art museums OF
France, where he had resided for some
time. and ne was as enthusiastic in adj
vocating this plan as he was in pushing
every other project he attempted.
The young republic. however. was tor
mented with too many political troubles
at that time to consider it's scientific and
art interests. and Barlow's scheme came
TO nothing. The seed he planted lay dor
mant for many years, but it finally germi-
mated and more than three decades after
bore fruit. for in 1912 national institute
was actually established.
The author of this organization was the
Hon. Joel Roberts Poinsett, of North
Carolina, who at the time was Secretary
of War In President Van Buren's Cabi-
net. Mr.. Poinsett had had most inter
esting career. He had passed a number
OF years in Great Britain as a student
of medicine and the natural sciences al
the University of scarborough. and as a
cadet in the military academy at Wool
wich. His travels had taken him TO both
Central and South America. and he had
represented his country as minister al the
Mexican court when Iturbide was EN-
peror
He had. too, served in the lower house
for two terms, and was easily one of the
best informed and broadest-m minded
statesmen of his day, but, above every
thing else. he was a scholar and a stu
dent, and the browning effort Of his life
was the founding Of the National Insti-
tute. the last effort, as we'll for shortly
after this he retired TO his estate at
Statesburg, n. c., where he died ten years
later.
Pofnsett the Organizer.
Joel Poinsett is set down here as the
organizer OF the National Institute, for,
although there were many others asso-
ciated with him-there were at one time
more than a thousand members on the
rolls OF the institute-he was the moving
spirit, the devoted pioneer who made the
institute possible
The National Institute was Incorporate
ed by Congress in 1872 for q term OF
twenty years. "and no longer, unless
Congress shall by law prolong its ex-
astence. Congress- however. made no law
''to prolong its existence. and II was
dissolved at the end Of that twenty years
and its collections. which included many
valuable works of art. deposited with the
Smithsonian Institution. Previous to this
a collection OF models and natural prod
ucts, which had, until then CS59 been
in the custody of the Commissioner of
Patents, was placed in the Smithsonian.
which already possessed the Smithson
cabinet, an interesting and really sci
entific collection OF minerals included
in the founders bequest.
There is a general misunderstanding
of the relations of the Smithsonian In
stltution and the National Museum. The
beginnings Of the Museum have been
named above. Its object. IN the simple
words of the first Secretary OF the Smith
scnian. Prof. Henry. is the establishment
OF a collection OF specimens of nature
and art which shall exhibit the natural
resources and industry OF the country,
or present at one view the materials es-
sential 10 a condition of high civiliza-
Son which exists in the different States
81 The American Union; to show the va
r!ous processes of manufacture which
have been adopted by US. as well as
th0se in other countries; in short, to form
j a great educational establishment, by
means of which the Inhabitants OF our
own country. as well as those OF foreign
lands who visit our shores, may be IN
formed as TO the means which exist in