The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1915-07-15
THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE
Washington, d. C.

Washington, d. C.
Bookings Register:
In 1929 an Englishman named James
Smithson ~bequeathed his entire prop
erty, about $515,0 900, ito the United
States of America to found at Wash
ington under the name of Smithsonian
Institution an establishment for the
increase and diffusion Of knowledge
among men,"
The money was placed in the United
States treasury and bears interest at
six per cent. The gifts OF other parties
from time to time have increased the
fund to about a million dollars. Con-
gress established the institution in
1886 and has made large annual appro-
priations for its support. The vast
and varied collections it has made and
the increase of knowledge it has gain
institutions in the world. A nice re-
cital OF the various kinds of work it is
doing would make this article too long.
BY exchanges with the institutions of
other countries it has tabuIated the re-
suits OF their investigations.
The first building is 447 by 100 feet.
The second, finished in 1881, covers
two and one-third acres. These contain
many historical relics notably those Of
yIyonh;nutn., ~ 80 ~ md r innn1n-thnir
uniforms, swords, family and camp fur
niture, medals, and original documents
of historical interest. There are also
models OF ships, locomotives, flying
machines, the cotton gin, telegraph,
telephone, all arranged to show i'm
provements that were gradually made.
These thousands of specimens tell us
more of the progress of the arts than
any books could give.
A third building was completed in
1909 that cost SO, 8 900. The struc-
ture itself is well worth a visit. The
richest marbles abound everywhere.
1t is 561 by 365 feet, and four stories.
The world is we'll illustrated, the past
and the present. The student and the
curious could while away many days
among these wonderful collections.
The center Of the building on the sec
ond floor, lighted from above. was a
collection OF paintings, some OF which
have great merit. There are 1000
specimens of animals from all parts
of the world set up in immense glass
cases. They include the Roosevelt col
lection from Africa. One could hardly
realize that nature could develop such
hideous and such beautiful forms. On
the other side of the building are the
remains of extinct animals that peo-
pied our plains a million years ago.
They were found in the railroad exca-
vations in one of the western states,
also in Africa, Mexica and the West
Indies. The student learns from these
the methods of creation and the de-
velopment Of animal life. The Her
barium contains 1000. 1000 specimens :
arranged and classified for study.
There are also 100.0 fossil plants.
which give US a picture of vegetable ]
life during the Carboniferous Age. An
acre of the floor is occupied by a col :
lection of rocks. marbles, minerals,
metals, a very brilliant ]
display.
On the same floor are family groups s
in cases about IL feet square, life size,
people in the Arctic regions. Africa, !
Mexico. the islands of the Pacific. and
OF our Indians illustrating their
occupations, dress and name Of life.
There are also totem poles from the {
Pacific coast. models of temples and {