Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-10-20
MAS0NS TOULOUSE
BURNS COLLECTION
Trustees to Transfer w. R.
Smith-Burnsiana to Supreme
Council Scottish Rite.
OPEN TO PUBLIC IN TEMPLE

By its action yesterday in adopting
the recommendation Of Sovereign Grand
Commander George Fleming Moore.
fhe Supreme Council of the Ancient
and Accepted Scottish Rite of Free
masonry for the Southern Jurisdiction
of the United States paved the way
for the transfer Of the trust created in
the will of the late William r. Smith
in respect to the latter's noted Burnsi-
ana collection from the eleven trustees
named In the will to the Supreme Coun-
ell. This action empowered Sovereign
Grand Commander Moore to sign all
necessary papers and perform such
other action as might be necessary IN
the premises; 1t directed Secretary
General John H. Cowles of the Su-
preme Council, who is custodian Of the
building, to prepare and make ready
in the House of the Temple at 18th and
streets northg est the room or rooms
necessary to the proper housing ana
care of the Burnsiana collection, ana II
empowered the finance committee o.
the Supreme Council to PROVIDE the
necessary funds therefor.
This action, it is pointed out, meets
Mr.. Smiths main purpose and intent TO
have the collection preserved intact
1t provides that tie collection be p OPP
erly placed and arranged and also Kept
open, under such regulations as VIZ
freely admit the public. 1t 1urtne
promises the fu1fillment OF Mr.. Smiths
earnest hope" that his Burns coiiec-
tion might prove the nucleus OF Scot-
tfsh memorial in Washington. with the
practical certainty Of it's enlargement
a RnrnS memorial,
Excels British Museum.
At last this noted collection Of
Burnsiana, which photographers and
scholars have declared to be almost
without a rival in the world and which
even the British Museum, 1t Is said,
place in this House of the Temple OF the
Scottish Rite for the Southern Jurisdic-
ton of the United States, which has
been called the Tai Mahal OF Freema.
sonry, the most magnificent temple OF
it's kind in the world.
committee on the housing of the col
lection, "A powerful and enduring or
ganization will. with interest and al
fection, preserve intact the smith
Burnsians open to the public ana aas. IN a
.aThere is ample room in the Scottish
Rite Temple and there is a sympathetic
disposition in the Scottish Rite ofnclals
to enlarge and develop the Burnsiana
in accordance with the spirit OF MT
Smiths wishes"
The will of William r. Smith named
eleven trustees to whom he beQueatheo
his COLLECTION of the works OF Rooef'
Burns. the Scottish poet. and all manu-,
scripts, pictures. engravlngs ana az
written or printed matter relating IN
any way to Robert Burns now pos
sessed by me and known as my Burns
Collection" The collection is further
described in the will as containing $500
volumes, which the testator believed
to be the largest and most complete
collection Of the different editions OF
the poets writings and OF books relat-
ing to his life and works" As a mat
ter of fact it also includes many por-
traits and other articles illustrating
the life Of the poet, Scottish books Of
poetry, etc, showing the environment
Of Burns, a collection of duplicates or
other editions of books which Burns
had in his library and sets and volumes
Of periodicals containing notices or ref
erences to Burns. There are also FIVE
busts. two pedestals. a grandfather's
clock, a small table and other bric-a-
brac.
Wishes of the Collector.
It was the earnest and intense wish
of Mr.. Smith, the founder of the col
lection, that it be conserved and pre-
served intact for an American museum
of one of the worlds greatest poets un-
der such regulations as will freely adj
nit the public. In another paragraph
of the will the testator expresses the
earnest hope that my Burns Collec-
ton hereinbefore bequeathed to my
said trustees may prove the nucleus of
Scottish memorial to be at some fu-
ture time erected In the city Of WASH
ington. D. c.
Eleven trustees were named by Mr..
Smith In his will. namely, Andrew Car
Lee, James Wilson. Champ Clark,
David Hutcheson. Thomas Nelson Page.
Albert Douglas. Oliver g. Ricketson,
Charles C. Marbury and John Barrett.
collection and carry out the provisions
Of the trust relating to it.
At meeting held December IA, 1912.
from which Mr.. Barrett was unavoid-
traitor of Mr.. Smiths estate. with will
annexed, was elected secretary. Many
suggestions were developed in the dis
cussion Of the terms of the will and
Of his verbally expressed wishes.
Finally, the trustees appointed a COM
nlittee of FIVE. consisting Of trustees
resident in Washington, to secure an
appropriate place where the Smith col
lection might be located. and second.
to consider the possibility of securing
This committee was composed of
Theodore w. Noyes, chairman: Blair
Lee. Thomas Nelson Page. Oliver Rick
etson and Charles C. &arbury. It
unanimously adopted a resolution re-
citing that every effort should be made
to preserve the separate entity of the
collection and to prevent its disinte-
grafton. and. to this end. 1t not being
feasible to secure a separate building.
to ascertain II 1t were possible for the
Library Of Congress to keep the books
together as a distinct collection In a
special alcove or apartment. appropri-
ately marked by tablet and with
separate Inscription indicating that the
other Burnsiana may be fornd in the
National Museum, or wherever they
might be deposited: second. II that
were found to be impossible. to ascer-
tain II the collection could not be re-
ceived by the Washington Public LII
brary under the same conditions: third.
II neither library were able to do this.
to consider the housing Of the collec-
ton in the Scottish Rite Temple in
Washington. then in course Of erection.
Subcommittees were appointed to in
vestigate and report upon these propo-
sitions.
Involved Dividing Collection.
It was ascertained that, II rendered to