Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-13

TIME mineral collection of the
late Col Washington A. Roe.
| bling, the man who built the
Il Brooklyn Bridge, has beer
given to the Smithsonian
| Institution by his son, John A. Roe
bling. 1t is the finest private minera
collection in the world. But more
| than that, it represents the lifetime
| solace and relaxation of one of Amer
| ica's great figures. In fact, the col
| lection more intimately reveals the
man and embodies the personality
| of Col. Roebling than did the pro-
| fessional achievements which insure
| his fame.
Begun when Col. Roebling was a
| college student in the SOS" of the
| last century. the collection grew to
more than 10000 carefully selected
| specimens. Every one of the 10000
bears a label in the handwriting OF
Col. Roebling, and many bear nota
! lions which have to do with the
circumstances under which the speci-
| men was obtained, or some facts on
it's character and history.
The owner kept his minerals in
a huge room in his Trenton resi-
dence. The four walls were lined
| with cases and cabinets full of draw
| catalogue, Col. Roebling was able up
to the very last month to select at
once the drawer in which any par
ticular specimen was kept In later
years he converted a bowling alley
in the basement into a similar room.
1t was his habit from time to time to
take out drawer full of specimens
and examine each with the delight
of connoisseur. This seemed to
bring peace to body that was often
in pain.
Col. Roebling suffered physically
most of his life as a result of his
devotion to the tremendous Brooklyn
Bridge project. He built that master
piece of engineering at the cost of
his own health. He spent more hours
out of the "a in the compressed air
of the caissons than any one else,
wore out his strength, and one after
noon in the Spring of 1872 he was
brought out of the New York caisson
nearly insensible, and all night his
death was hourly expected. In a
few days he rallied and was back on
| the work again. He was, however.
no longer able to labor as he had
done before, and by December he
| found himself too weak and i'll to
go down by the bridge any more.
| certainly Ills hCdiLh was dlACtLC0
ever afterward by this experience,
and though he did not permit this
| fact to lessen his responsibilities, a
great amount of his work had to be
| directed from q sick room.
Prevented by his physical disabili-
| ties from partaking of more active
recreation, Col Roebling's interest
| In his mineral collection seemed to
intensity year by year. II even seems
likely that this absorption kept him
alive for many years after his body
was almost too weak to sustain life.
Even in the face of death Sol
Roebling's enthusiasm for his min
| erals did not wane. One of the last
things that he wrote was on the
cover of a book on minerals he had
lust received: wv. A. r. has to give
up absolutely, June, 1925. 1t (the
collection) has cost me $150,O00 and
contains all the rare minerals in the
world" When he died there was a
tray full of minerals at his side. The
collection was so much a part of his
life that he could not part with ii
during his lifetime, and 1t remained
| for his son, John A. Roebling, to
| make the final disposition to the
Smithsonian.
Since travelling or any consider
able amount of physical activity was
difficult for him. Col. Roebling had to
do most Of his collection by corre-