Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-08

or Masonic Hall, at the northeast corner Of
Tenth and z streets. This building was taken
down some years ago for a gasoline station, and
this gave way but recently for the Potomac
Electric Power Companys building. 1t is indeed
historically important to keep track Of the
birthplace of so worthy and important an or
ganiZation.
Going through Rock Greek Cemetery one
day, the writer CHANGED to see the monument
marking the last resting place of Mr.. Rhees,
not far from the grave of another museum man
Richard Rathbun-who died not so long ago.
Indeed seeing the graves Of such old acquaint.
ances causes one to repeat the words of the
song sung by the grave digger in Hamlet:
"a pick-axe, and a spade. a spade,
For-and shrouded sheet:
o. pit Of clay for to be made
For such guest Is meet"
OF all the polite men the writer has ever
known, the honor Of being the most courteous
surely belongs to Frederick Augustus Lucas o
curator in the museum for many years ana
more recently director Of the American Museum
of Natural History, New York. where he was,
until recently the honorary director, for q
friend informs the writer that he died not long
ago. Mr.. Lucas, as q young man, served be-
fore the mast, and all the honors he ever re.
ceived IN the scientific world never changed
bis character one bit; he was one and the same
an the time. To him everybody was mr." and
his pleasant little bow went to ALL The life
and character Of this man would make a good
story in itself, and since he lived for many
years IN Washington, we might almost claim
him as our own, were it not that he was born
somewhere up toward Plymouth, Mass
WHEN Mr.. Lucas went to the American Mu-
scum he did so, undoubtedly, to be near
another early National Museum man, and one
of its best-William Temple Hornaday Re-
sponsible in large measure for our Districts
National Geological Park, he was offered and
accepted many years ago the dictatorship of the
New York Geological Park, New York City. He
and Mr.. Lucas obtained their early scientific
training in Wards Natural Science Establish
ment, in Rochester, and the friendship formed
at that time was Of lasting character Ward
sent Mr.. Hornaday ON an expedition to Africa
to collect animals and when the latter returned
he wrote a book called 1.-TWO Years in the
Jungle" which had, and still has, a wide cir
culation. My recollection is that Mr.. Hornaday
also wrote much on the determination of the
American bison, before going to New York.
When Mr.. Hornaday first came to the mu-
scum he was the chief taxidermist and, no
doubt, it was he who started the collection Of
small live animals IN large wooden building
which stood between the museum building and
the Army Medical Museum and Library that
later grew to such large proportions. In this
temporary building, in addition to the taxi~
dermists shop, the modeler, j. w. Hendley,
noted for his perfect limitations of fruit, also
had his quarters, and the chances are that the
paint shop and other mechanical branches of
the museum were also housed there.
The people in the neighborhood complained
bitterly to the Office of public buildings and
grounds about the odor arising from this build
ing, and since the structure was outside of the
ground granted the Smithsonian by act Of Con-
gress, it was ordered removed, and it was about
this time that some of the small animals re-
ferred to were transferred to cages placed
around the rotunda of the Museum. The writer
clearly recalls the prairie dogs, the guinea pigs
the hairless Mexican terriers, the different
species of snakes and other little creatures
placed there to entertain the public. Later
these and larger animals were placed in long
frame shed back Of the Smithsonian Building,
with the buffalo grounds about where the
Astrophysical Observatory now stands These
grew into being the National Geological Park
appropriated for Al years ago.
p IGHT here it might be appropriate, In
view Of the threatened removal of the
National History Building, again to call att
tention to the ownership Of the Smithsonian
Grounds on which stands the Smithsonian
Building. the National Museum and the Free4
Gallery Of Art, by quoting what Senator J. 8.