The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-09-30
cO1ITCVYVT AKNUE LOOKING NO2IH from N STfkzT

cludes some of the greatest scientists or the
United States, and, in its nonresident MEMBER
ship, of the greatest scientists OF the world
There are botansts, astronomers ornitholo'
gsts, and in fact, scientists OF all KINDS and de-
scrptons to be found nightly in the great
sweeping parlors of the clubs quarters. lhere Is
Just as much hospitality and. jollity in the ciuD
as are to be found in the rooms Of any soclal
organization in the world-and 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 thro"
their memberships into the deep sea, II the act
would BUY for them admittance into the cho
of these scientists.
The headquarters of the Cosmos club are IN
the old Dolly Madison" residence. 1t was there
that the widow Of President Madison lived ana
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 Slidell from the Brit
ish steamer "Trent" and thereby nearly brought
on war between the United States and Great
Britain at time when such a war might nave
insured ultimate victory to the Confederate arms.
The biological survey Of the United States
government has lost the services OF DR.. o. Hart
Merriam who for years was the surveys chef'
and who in the early days worked so hard to
make theservice what he succeeded in making It,
one 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 t. H. Har'
riman, the great financier and railroad man, mas
carried out the wishes Of her husband, ana mas
set aside large sum Of money to be used lor
h0fi M
ably in line with her husbands wishes, Mrs. Har'
riman requested Or 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 1t was DR.. Mer
Ram, 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 Dlrc
studies and exchanging letters on general sub
jects of natural history.
These words about DR.. Merriam and the Har
- riman Geological Foundation lead one to tell
story about the late hnancier, which perhap
will throw some light side OF his life con
~ corning which most people probably know little
One year ago last winter | went south iron
:, washington, pound LOT Augusta, Idn Win
n. friend. E. H Harriman's private car was al
tached to the train at one of the stations on tn
- way. 1t happened that my friend was close pei
l. sonal acquaintance of Mr. Hartman and he wa
i invited to dine with the fnancier on his privat
oil car. and was told to bring his friend with hin
= provided the friend would like to come
There were several men of large affairs
- that little dinner party one of the guests bein
Is the president of one OF the greatest railroa
systems in the world. The conversation nat
rally was about big affairs of the financial wori
concerning which / knew very little, and al
free to confess, cared much less. After hearin
good deal about certain things concernir
= which the discussion was more or less uninte
p gible to me- ventured to break into the conve
= sation and to tell Mr.. Hartman that had sue
"A Of the journals of the Hartman Alaska Expec
tion" as already had been published, and NOR
e over that had read them.
IL Fer the next two hours had ample eviden
O' that E. H. Hartman cared for something besid
railroads. Ten or twelve years before ne Ri