The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1910-10-22
coW,VcZcZI AIz0zT LOOKING A0QZH 14oM ~ SIXTY

cludes of the greatest scientists of the
United States. and. in its nonresident member
ship some of the greatest scientists Of the world
There are botanists, astronomers, ornitholo
gists and, In fact, scientists of all kinds and de-
scriptions, to be found nightly in the great,
sweeping parlors of the clubs quarters. There is
Just as much hospitality and jolity in the club
are to be found in the rooms of any social
organization in the woodland learning besides
there, ALSO In order to be member of the Co.'S
mos club you must have something besides
money and social standing. 1t is probable that
there are many members OF other organizations
In Washington, who would be willing to throw
their memberships into the deep sea, If the act
would buy for them admittance into the club
of these scientists.
The headquarters of the Cosmos club are in
the old Dolly Madison" residence. 1t there
that the widow of President Madison lived and
held social sway for years after the death of her
husband. During the Civil war, for time. Admi--
raj Wilkes lived in the Madison house. 1t was
Wilkes who took Mason and Sidell from the Brit
ish steamer Trent" and thereby nearly brought
on war between the United States and Great
Britain at a time when such war might have
insured ultimate victory to the Confederate arms.
The biological survey of the United States
government has lost the services of DR.. C. Hart
Merriam. who for years was the surveys chief.
and who in the early days worked hard to
make theservice what he succeeded In making 1t,
of the most useful departments of govern
ment. DR.. Merriam has accepted the direction of
the Hartman Foundation for Geological Re-
search. Mrs. Hartman, the widow of E. H. Har-
riman, the great fnancier and railroad man, has
carried out the wishes of her husband and has
~ aside large sum Of money to be used for
purposes of geological study. Acting unQuestion-
ably in line with her husbands Wishes Mrs. Har-
riman requested Dr. Merriam to take charge Of
the work
It is probable that the former chief of the bio
logical survey is the foremost authority In the
United States in matters pertaining to certain
lines of natural history work It DR.. Mer-
riam more than any other man. to whom Theo-
dore Roosevelt went for advice about the scope
of his expected work in Africa The doctor and
the colonel have been friends since boyhood;
when in New York state both were pursuing bird
studies and exchanging letters general sub
jects of natural history
These words about DR. Merriam and the Har-
rirnan Geological Foundation lead one to tell a
story about the late fnancier, which perhaps
will throw light on side of his life
corning which most people probably know little.
One year ago last winter I went south from
Washington bound for Augusta, ~Ga., with q
tached to the train at one of the stations on the
way It happened that my friend was close per-
sonal acquaintance of Mr.. Hartman, and he was
invited to dine with the fnancier on his private
car, and was told to bring his friend with him.
provided the friend would like to come.
There were several men of large affairs at
that little dinner party. of the guests being
the president Of Of the greatest railroad
systems in the world The conversation. natu-
rally was about big affairs of the financial world.
concerning which knew very little and l am
free to confess, cared much less. After hearing
a good deal about certain things concerning
which the discussion was more or less unintelli-
gble to me, ventured to break into the CONVEX
sation and to tell Mr.. Hartman that had such
of the journals of the Hartman Alaska Expedt
ton as already had been published, and more
over. that had read them.
For the next two hours had ample evidence
that e. H. Hartman cared for something besides
railroads. Ten or twelve years before he had